THE AMERICAN NAVY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20311, 20 January 1928, Page 7

THE AMERICAN NAVY

BUILDING PROGRAMME. EFFECT OF GENEVA FAILURE. (Pro** ABeoniation —By Telegraph Copyright ) WASHINGTON, January 18. Admiral Hughes testified further before the House Naval Committee. He stated that he was trying to perform a patriotic duty when he based the naval programme submitted to Congress on that whish Britain would have in 1936, when the proposed programme would be completed. Members of the. committee insisted that the large programme! grew from the failure of the Geneva Conference. Representative M'Clintock declared that 90 per cent, of the people of the United States believed this. Admiral Hughes replied: I am one of the other 10 per cent. Representative Vinson elicited that the proposed programme would give the United States a larger tonnage than would have been permitted had the tonnage limitation proposed by the United States at Geneva been accepted Mr Vinson asked: The failure at the Geneva Conference necessarily means a programme of this magnitude then? Admiral Hughes replied ; Yes, if I accept your point of view.—A. and N.Z. Cable: FLEET’S AIRCRAFT STRENGTH. BIG INCREASE PROBABLE. NEW YORK, January 18. (Received Jan. 19, at 9 p.m.) A United Press Washington message says that Congress will be asked to appropriate funds to purchase a minimum of 300 new aeroplanes if the five-year construction programme is adopted. According to advices from the Navy Department, this would more than double the present aircraft strength of America’s battle fleet. In addition, if Congress approves of the programme, the navy personnel will have to be increased by approximately 30,000 men, or one-third of the present strength. The necessity for the great increase in aeroplanes and men is explained by a high naval official. On the oasis of the recommendations made by Mr Wilbur (Secretary of the Navy), the ships, ’planes, and men needed for the programme are: —Twenty-five crui's-Ts with an additional 10,750 men and 100 ’planes, 32 submarines and 2528 men, five aircraft carriers with 8000 men and 200 ’planes, and nine destroyer leaders with 2700 men and nine ’planes. If the additional ’planes arc authorised the United States will have a naval fighting ’plane strength four times as great as that of Britain, Japan, France, or Italy. No mention of the ’planes or personnel has yet been made at the hearing by the Naval Affairs Committee. Naval officers estimate the approximate total cost of the additional ’planes at 5,400,000 dollars, basing the figure on an individual cost of 18,000 dollars. It is said that the Navy Department doe’s not contemplate any increase in lighter-than-air craft. —A. and N.Z. Cable.