FUEL FOR FLEET.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 December 1924, Page 7

FUEL FOR FLEET.

AMERICAN MANOEUVRES CRUISE IN THE PACIFIC. APPROPRIATIONS MADE.

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Dec. 14, 11.5 p.m. Washington, .Dec. . 13.

Increased appropriations sufficient to enable the navy to make the contemplated cruise to Australia and New Zealand are contained in the annual Naval Appropriation Bill, which was reported to the House by the Appropriations Committee to-day. The action of Congress is now awaited, and is expected shortly.

The Bill provides 15,460.000 dollars fef fuel for the fleet’s fiscal year (1926), beginning in June next, which is the exact amount requested by the Navy Department and sanctioned by the Budget, and the contemplated added fuel expenditure, necessitated- by the Australian and New Zealand .visit. The figure represents an increase of 960,000 dollars over last year, and it is estimated the Australian and New Zealand visit will cost that sum in fuel. The appropriation is the only one needed, as the visit, does not entail any increase in pay or other supply items. The Bill does not specifically mention the Australian and New Zealand cruise or the Hawaiian manoeuvres, as no legislative authorisation is necessary.

Senator Borah, the newly-designated chairman of the- Senate’s Foreign Kelat’ens Committee, asked to comment on the Australian and New Zealand visit, said he did not wish to be quoted, as he bad not studied the situation, but he saw no reason for “going so far away for manoeuvres.”