'PLANES FOR AMERICAN NAVY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 18 January 1928, Page 5

'PLANES FOR AMERICAN NAVY

380 0N X ORDER

(By Electrio (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association)

(Received 18th Jan., 9.20 a.m.) ( WASHINGTON, I7th Jan:

Admiral Hughes, chief of, naval operations, informed the House Naval Affairs Committee that the five new aircraft carriers asked for in the five-year programme will bring the United States to its limit of 135,000 tons fortius class of ship under ■ the""Washington Treaty, but an unlimited number of. airplane carriers under 10,000 tons each can be built without violating the treaty. The contemplated aircraft . carriers would carry 76 'planes each. .■-, . . - Representative Brittain asked the State Department for an interpretation of the exact ohV.»ircraft carriers in the Washington Treaty. Admiral Hughes said the cruisers must serve to protect the foreign trade routes of the United States. Representative Nitclintoc-k asked whether it was not more important to have airplanes than, cruisers and battleship. Mr Brittain quoted the "Manchester Guardian" to the-effect that the projected naval programme was a "Paper programme" and intimated the necessity of fixing a definite time limit within which the ships were to be built. The Assistant-Secretary of the Navy, Mr Warner, announces that the navy has on order 380 'planes—loo bombers, 160 observation, and 120 fighting 'planes. All these are of the most modern design and will be completed within _ nine months. "This number alone" said Mr Warner. "Is. larger than any force known to be in existence in any other countrv." <■. ■