THE AMERICAN NAVY

Otago Witness, Issue 3859, 28 February 1928, Page 51

THE AMERICAN NAVY

BUILDING PROGRAMME. COMM ITT EE’S RECOM-MEN D ATION. WASHINGTON, February 23. The House Naval Committee adopted * programme of 15 cruisers and one aircraft carrier, t-o cost 274,500,0C0d01. The programme will be embodied m a Bill to be introduced by the Chairman, Senator Butler. The programme calls for cruisers of 10,000 tons each, to be laid down in three years and comp.eted in six, with an aircraft carrier of 13,800 tons to be laid down in two years. The committee adopted a provision authorising the President to suspend the proposed construction wholly or partly if an agreement for further limitation :s reached at anv future disarmament conference. The estimated cost is only for the vessels and does not include the personnel and the necessary aeroplanes. The committee voted down proposals for submarines, on the grounds that the Unit'd States already has more submarine tonnage than any other nation. SUBMARINE SALVAGE SHIPS. WASHINGTON, February 23. The committee rejected the proposal for the authorisation of submarine salvage ships, but voted to ask the navy to send it plans and specifications for two such vessels. The committee * adopted a provision aimed to prevent the stoppage of work through the failure of Congress to make appropriations, whereby the Secretary, of tbe Navy is required to present Congress annual estimates for the construe, tion of the ships. This is aimed to prevent the programme from becoming merely a paper programme. Tbe committee did not vote on the Presidents programme, because many members did not want to take up such an extensive programme with the 1931 Arms Conference approaching. The committee adopted a three-year instead of a five-year programme on the ground that it was more economical from a shipbuilding standpoint to build in three years than five.

The committee did not authorise any destroyer leaders, although President Coolidge proposed nine. Twelve are already authorised under the 1916 programme, and the appropriations can be asked later if they are found necessary.—