WORLD UNREST

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20387, 30 December 1937, Page 7

WORLD UNREST

REACTION IN AMERICA MORE WARBHIPS PROBABLE STATEMENT BY MR ROOSEVELT United Press As&n.—Elec. Tel. Copyright NEW YORK, Dec. 29 Despatches from Washington state that President Roosevelt, when talking to journalists, disclosed that world unrest may cause him to recommend to the Congress the construction of additional warships. He said such construction could not be characterised as part of preparedness for a drive, nor would it represent an attempt to match Britain's programme. The President made public a letter which he has sent to the chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives. Growing Oonoern This stated that since the submission of the 576,000,000 dollars naval estimate, “world events have caused me growing concern. I do not refer to any specific nation or any specific threat against the United States. “The fact Is that throughout the world many nations are not only continuing but enlarging their armaments programmes.” The Washington correspondent of the New York Times characterises the president’s action as “another of a series of moves calculated to serve notice to Japan and the rest of the world that the United States stands ready for any eventuality.” He adds that Mr Roosevelt has long been planning some dramatic move to focus the world’s attention on the United States’ insistence that her rights shall be everywhere respected. In this connection it is disclosed that items for the improvement of Pacific Coast fortifications and the equipment of the Hawaiian and Philippines bases have been withdrawn from the Budget, with the intention of including them in supplementary estimates. FLIGHT OF BOMBERS ACTIVITY IN THE PACIFIC ADVANCEMENT OF DATE United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright (Received Dec. 30, 1.0 p.m.) SAN DIEGO, Dec. 29 Strengthening the Pearl Harbour fleet at the Hawaiian air case, the Navy has advanced the date of a schedule flight of 12 powerful patrol bombers to Pacific outposts from February to about mid-January. ■lt has also hinted that the flight might Involve six more than the full squadron, or a total of 18.

The officers refused to discuss whether the advancement of the date had resulted from the situation in the Orient, but indicated that the possibility of sending six additional planes had resisted from the Navy's desire to equip the Hawaiian-based squadrons with spare planes as rapidly as they are constructed.

RE-ARMAMENT PLANS

TO BE PRESSED SPEEDILY BIG ALLOCATION FOR DEFENCE United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright

NEW YORK, Dec. 29 The Washington representative of the United Press Association says inquiries of the War and Navy Departments reveal that Mr Roosevelt has ordered the rearmament plans to be pressed as speedily as possible, regardless of Budget balancing and other political considerations. It is also revealed that Mr Roosevelt expects to ask Congress to appropriate well over 1,000,000,000 dollars for defence in the 1938-39 fiscal year, beginning in, July. The Navy will be apportioned about 580,000,000 dollars in addition to the special appropriations for extra warship construction which Mr Roosevelt foreshadowed. The Army will be apportioned probably 415,000,000 dollars. Also, in addition to both appropriations, several deficiency supply bills are anticipated. Many Planes on Order Well-informed circles state that some time ago Mr Roosevelt ordered the War Department to speed up its aeroplane purchase programme, resulting in the Army Air Corps at present having on order 1352 aeroplanes in all categories. They are being delivered at the rate of between two and live a day, as a result of which the Air Corps is almost a year ahead of its schedule. The programme provided for 2320 serviceable military aircraft by 1940.