AUTHORISING BILL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22950, 31 January 1938, Page 11

AUTHORISING BILL

MANY NEW WABSHIPS FLEET OF AEROPLANES INCREASED PERSONNELS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 After President Roosevelt's message was received by Congress, Mr. Carl Vinson (Democrat, Georgia), chairman of the Naval Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, introduced a bill authorising a 20 per cent Navy increase, involving 800,000,000 dollars.

This sum allows for 47 new ships, including:— Three dreadnoughts. Twenty-two auxiliary vessels. Allowance is also made for 1000 additional aeroplanes.

Twelve hundred additional officers. Twenty thousand more enlisted men. Mr. Vinson stated that the increases also included:— Two aircraft-carriers. Eight cruisers. Twenty-five destroyers. Nine submarines. Five destroyer tenders. Three submarine tenders. Four seaplane tenders. Three repair ships. The Navy's air strength would be brought to 3000 modern aeroplanes. The bill carries provision for permitting the President to suspend construction in the event of international agreement for further limitation of naval armament. AV bile Mr. Iloosevelt's immediate spending request is lower than was anticipated, the long-term programme will require nearly 1,000,000,000 dollars, and give the United States a Navy equalling Britain's. These requests are over and above the regular Army and Navy estimates, which total another 1,000,000,000 dollars.

The immediate start of the two new battleships would bring the total under construction to six.

In supporting the expansion programme Mr. Vinson declared: "The nation must not lose sight of world conditions as they exist to-day. The defence, security and peace of this country make it absolutely imperative that we have a Navy second to none." WARTIME FINANCE BILL FOR CONGRESS CHECK ON PROFITEERING SENATE GROUP'S SUPPORT (Received January 30, 0.37 p.m.) NEW YORK, Jan. 29 The Washington correspondent of the New York Times says: "Spurred on by Mr. Roosevelt's demand to equalise wartime financial burdens and prevent profiteering, . a Senate group to-day began organising in support of the Connally Bill by which war profits would be subjected to high individual and corporation surtaxes, thereby supplying revenue for a 'pay as you fight' programme." The bill, in which Treasury experts assisted, is considered to be the last word in a systematic correlation of a waitime with peacetime tax system. The objectives are:—Firstly to remove excess war profits; secondly, to finance a . war from current income, mostly obviating borrowing; thirdly, to act as a pacific check on a highly trained and equipped army and navy, and fourthly, to serve notice to the world that the United States would be able to finance a war from current revenues indefinitely.

THE PHILIPPINESE JAPANESE PENETRATION POLITICIAN'S WARNING (Received January 30, 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Jan. '29 A member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Crawford, called the attention of Congress to the staggering progress of Japanese penetration in the Davao province of the Philippines. He said: "This could easily form an operating base for Japan's conquest of the Philippines as well as Malaya, Java, New Guinea and Australia. The United States cannot afford to be unmindful of the seriousness of the situation. The Japanese control 50 per cent of Davao's agriculture and the greater proportion of other enterprises there."

DEFENCE SECRETS BRITISH COLUMBIA JAPANESE ACTIVITIES (Received January 30, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, Jan. 20 The Ottawa correspondent of the New York Times says it is understood that the Premier of British Columbia, Mr. Pattullo, is going to Ottawa to consult the Prime Minister, Mr. Mackenzie King, about his apprehension of Japanese penetration on Canada's Pacific coast, and coincidentally of her defence secrets.

Reports that Japanese reserve officers aro commanding Japanese fishing boats off British Columbia are expected to play an important part in the Government's request for increased defence appropriations.