BIGGER NAVY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21881, 17 August 1934, Page 11

BIGGER NAVY

UNITED STATES TWELVE NEW VESSELS TENDERS PUBLISHED HEAVY COST INVOLVED / MORE THAN EXPECTED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received August 16, 7.15 p.m.) W ASHINGTON, August 15 The United States Navy Department to-day published tenders for 12 vessels comprising half the 1934-35 building programme. The remainder are to be constructed by the Government in the Navy yards. The estimated cost of the 12 vessels • —two 10,000-ton cruisers, two heavy and fivo light destroyers and three submarines—aggregates 72,000,000 dollars. This is almost one-third more than was 1 originally expected. Ihe extra cost is due to tho rise in prices of materials and the cost of labour. The entire programme will cost ahont 1-50,000,000 dollars. The Secretary of tho United States Navy, Mr. Claude A. Swanson. on June (i signed contracts for the 1934-35 naval building programme. This consists of four 10,000-ton cruisers, 14 destroyers and six submarines. With tho object of bringing the Navy up to treaty strength by 1942 the naval authorities early in July adopted a plan calling for 5500 more enlisted men, and the laying down of 19 new / ships in the fiscal year ending Juno 30, 1936. This plan for an operating force" would give the Navy 88,000 men. The new ships would include 12 destroyers of 11,500 tons each, two heavy destroyers, and' five submarines. A high Navy official stated that the building programme was preliminary to a future plan of laying down about 15 ships regularly each year. The cost was estimated at about 95,000,000 dollars each year. Gradually this goal was being approached. Thirty-two ships were started during the past fiscal year and 24 would be laid down thi» year. The programme depended, of course, upon what money Congress provided.