NAVAL PARITY QUESTION

Taranaki Daily News, 30 January 1929, Page 9

NAVAL PARITY QUESTION

CRUISER BILL DISFAVOURED

‘SCALE DOWN FOR EQUALITY’

DEMOCRAT SENATOR’S VIEW

By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Australian Press Association.

United Service. Washington, Jan. 28. Senator Thomas Walsh (Democrat, Montana) in the Senate to-day said the supporters of the Cruiser Bill had in mind the possibility of war with Britain or Japan. No one had indicated that the navy as it stood was inadequate to meet the results of contro-. versies with any other country. He opposed the Bill because he believed it would interfere with any attempt by the United States to obtain a further curbing of naval programmes. He said he was wedded to the idea of parity with Britain, but preferred it to be obtained by scaling down. “The sponsors of the Bill are no less' attached to the cause of peace than the rest of us,” added Mr. Walsh. “Not a few take the view that the defeat of the Bill would encourage a belief that there was no purpose on the part of the United States in any event to build.” Mr. C. D. Wilbur (Secretary of the Navy) recommended Congress io create a 5,000,000 dollar aeroplane base on the Pacific coast, starting work ■with an initial appropriation of 2,000,000 dollars. He said the completion of two large rigid airships, for which contracts had been let, would necessitate increased housing facilities and, if such facilities were not provided within four years, the contract for the airships would have to be cancelled. A message from Mr. Hoov.er to President Coolidge, endorsing the President’s naval views and denying statements inferring the contrary, was read by the chairman of the Senate Naval Committee. “TIMELY GESTURE TO U.S.A.” BRITISH ESTIMATES IN DISPUTE. CHANCELLOR FIGHTS ADMIRALTY. London, The’lobbyists of the Daily Express and the Daily Chronicle agree that Mr. Churchill is fighting the .Admiralty over the navel estimates. They state that it is the sea lords rather than Mr. W. C. Bridgeman, First Lord of the Admiralty, who are opposing a further curtailment of the cruiser programme. Mr. Churchill is demanding a reduction as part of a popular budget on the eve of the election. Mr. Baldwin and Sir Austen Chamberlain are backing him as a timely gesture to the United States.