The Washington herald., 1921-02-26
Requests That Senate
Leaders Provide Funds
For Sea Force.
UPPER HOUSE SEES
HOPE FOR INCREASE
Boost of s1OO,OOO,OOO Is
Asked to Money Granted
By Representatives.

President-elect Harding came to
the aid of the Senate yesterday in
its effort to save the navy from the
injury II is feared would result
from the economic measures adopt
ed by the House.
In a letter to Republican lead
ers of the Senate Mr.. Harding re-
iterated what he has often said in
his public addresses-that he fa-
vored a strong and liberal naval
policy and adequate appropriations.
With Mr.. Harding's assistance. the
Senate expects to add approximately
$100.o00.000 to the amount appro-
fpriated for the navy by the House.
making the total nearly s5oo.ooo,-
900. This additional allowance car
ries with it acknowledgement of
the growing Importance of aircraft
and recognition of the policy of
maintaining most. if not all, of the
feet In the Pacific. in view of the
rapidly developing interests in that
direction.
New Pacific Bases
To meet the new problems of
I maintaining an extensive naval
establishment in the Pacific. the
committee recommended large ap-
propriations for the development of
new bases An appropriation of
$500. 00e was proposed for an avia-
tion base on Puget Sound; $780,
600 for a naval supply base at
Alamera. on San Francisco Bay; ST.
0OO. goo for a submarine base at
Los Angeles harbor. The commit
tee also recommended $1,449.000 to-
wards the development of naval
base on the Island OF Guam on the
basis OF testimony of naval officers
to the effect that this location was
lof the utmost strategicar import
fance. Provision was also recon-
mended for further development of
the naval station at Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii and the navy yard and sta
ton at Puget Sound, Washington
Triple Air Fund.
The committee recomme ended an
appropriation of $1s.729.000 for avi-
alton, three times as much as the
House allowed. but somewhat less
than the amount for the current
fiscal year, and considerably under
the amount asked by the navy. The
committee, in its formal report TO
the Senate, declared that the over
whelming testimony from the best
authorities emphasizes the necessity
of the development of naval avia-
lion IL the navy is to keep prog
ress with improvements aud devel-
onments in this service in other
navies."
Authorization of the construction
of two airplane carriers costing s26,-
600. 900 each was also proposed by
the committee. An appropriation Of
$4,000, 900 Immediately 70 provide
for the beginning of construction
was recommended.
Contracts Held Up.
/, A, the same time the committee
suggested that contracts for twelve
destroyers authorized in the 1915
program be held up and the ap-
nropriation for these vessels.
amounting to s25.2o0. 900, be divert
ed to other building.
The committee reported that the
House plan of reducing the navy's
enlisted strength to 100000 men
would necessitate the taking of four
hrst-Iine battleships from the active
feet. and the placing of two bat
tleships, the Delaware and the North
Dakota, 216 destroyers and three
light cruisers out Of commission.
This would leave in the active line
on July 1, only thirteen first-line
bsttleships, no light cruisers, and
only eighty destroyers. The COM
mittee, therefore. recommended an
enlisted strength of 10000 men.