COOLIDGE NOT YET APPROVED NAVY PROGRAMME

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18338, 15 December 1927, Page 4

COOLIDGE NOT YET APPROVED NAVY PROGRAMME

HOUSE SEES DRAFT BUT IT IS NOT FINAL. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright Aus. and N.Z. Cable Association. NEW YORK, December 13. The Washington correspondent of the "New York Times ” says that President Coolidge stated that he has not yet finally approved of the five years’ programme for naval construction which was announced this week. This statement was received with the utmost surprise by those members of Congress who had gained the distinct impression that the draft programme shown to them yesterday represented the President’s views. It is understood that the programme was modified to-day as a result of protests by members of Congress against such heavy naval expenditure, and it is reported that President Coolidge tefused to approve of the authorisation of the building of four battleships under the replacement clause of the Washing ton Treaty. These modifications would eliminate the battleships and slightly reduce the estimated cost of aeroplane carriers, but as agreed upon to-day and sent to the Budget Bureau for approval the programme contemplates a final expenditure of approximately 1,000,000,000 dollars for five years’ building, the cost of which will be distributed over nine years.

This programme provides that construction shall all be started within five years and completed within nine years, and is, moreover, only part of a twenty-year scheme, details of which are closely guarded, designed for replacments and such additions to the fleet as naval developments and national policy require.

Publication of the details of the billion dollar scheme not only aroused immediate antagonism among the socalled Pacifists, but impressed the Big Navy men as involving the expenditure of too much money in so short a period. Mr T. S. Butler, chairman of the Home Naval Committee, commenting on the battleship feature, said: “How can we tell now that the United States and Britain will not agree by 1932 that fourteen battleships will be sufficient, instead of the eighteen provided for in the present Treaty?'* Representative French, chairman of the Naval Sub-committee of the Appropriations Committee, expressed the view that the programme “is out of line with present and prospective needs of the Navy.” He was doubtful whether Congress would make appropriations for cruiser construction in addition to the eight 10,000 ton cruisers now under wav.

“NEW YORK WORLD” ASKS WHERE JUSTIFICATION FOR BUILDING LIES.

NEW YORK, December 13. The “New York Times” in an editorial article, doubts the likelihood of approval by the General Board of the Navy, of the programme, and says that it is the intention of the Administration to include a clause providing that in case of an agreement by treaty to reduce naval armaments the new ships voted need not be constructed. The President, by this means, in the event of another naval conference being summoned, would have in his hands the material with which to bargain. This was not the case at Geneva last spring. The American delegates asked other nations to make sacrifices, but they had only trifling ones of their own to offer. Even with a modest building programme approved by Congress, the President would nepet time be in a better position to negotiate. The “New York World” says: “One may well ask what new threat to the security of the nation explains or justifies this greatest of war programmes in time of peace. The programme is a repudiation of President Coolidge’s own position, a blow to economy and a defeat for moderation. It is a victory for dogma. It is the irony of President Coolidge’s attempt to help to disarm the world that larger expenditure for ships is in a single building programme, and is now recommended, than in any other administration.”

The “Chicago Tribune” says that the answer is that: “The United States will build according to its judgment of its needs.”

FRANCE BUILDING GIANT SUBMARINE.

LONDON, December 14. A Paris message states that France Las begun the construction of the largest and most powerful submarine, which exceeds by hundreds of tons any undersea craft being built. It is capable of going half way across the Atlantic submerged. It will carry 100 men and will be able to light surface vessels, lay mines and attack battleships at long xange. A British United Press message states that the construction of this craft is the outcome of the failure of the Geneva Conference. France at present is slightly inferior to Italy.