Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-01-19
IC SAVING seen
N NAVY EXPENSE
|b|ic Sentiment Warns Against
AExtravagant Appropriation.
10 SHIPS TO Be JuNKED
hny Cruisers Obsolete and Other
Graft Have Long Outlived Their
Usefulness.


Craft Have Long Outlived Their
Usefulness.
Washington. If the arms limi-
tion conference has accomplish
nothing more, it has brought express
bns from thousands of people over
country to their congressman on
e subject of extravagant appropria-
bns for naval and military purposes.
This condition of affairs holds out
bpe of an. era of common sense in
bending the peoples money for the
lrpose indicated. Senators and rep
ksentatives in congress have been
sibIy impressed by the unanimity of
lie popular feeling that something
tastic should be done to bring about
* reduction.
There will be a saving of millions OF
bllars in the naval expenditures of
lie United States this year, not in con-
kquence of the agreements so much as
a capitalization of sentiment in
bngress that the taxpayers won't
d
Members of the appropriation COM
Iittee having in charge the naval APP
.opriation bill say that this supply
NJ will be slashed to meet the popu-
[r demand regardless of any diplo-
hattie agreements. The junking Of
bsolete cruisers. battleships, gunboats
I'D other craft which have outlived
seir usefulness and a reduction in
ersonnel accordingly is one part Of
ne formula by which it is hoped to
Ilrn back millions into the treasury
hich the naval experts have set sheir
carts on getting for the navy.
Representative Kelley, of Michigan,
hartman of the naval subcommittee
{ the house appropriations committee,
elieves that $100,000,000 a year can
e saved without detriment to the ma
US efficiency. Estimates of this years
avail. bill, which will be reported to
ongress by the committee in March
r April, carry approximately S41O,-
OO, 600, of which S90,000,000 is for
Eew construction and S320,000,0O0 for
apital ships will stop new construc-
lion. 1t will require, according to Rep
|esentative Kelley, about S50000,0O0
10 complete the battle cruisers Colo
sado and Washington, convert two .un-
completed cruisers into airplane car
hers and build the new light cruisers
permitted under the terms of the
Washington agreement, and this mon
ky is available from the current ap-
Mr.. Kelley believes that S200,000,0O0
will cover the cost of maintaining the
havy at the peak of efficiency for the
year. If this figure is adhered to as
the limit, it will mean {. cut Of more
than so per cent in the new appropri-
alton bill.
The upkeep of the out-of- date yes
!sels is large About $6000,000 was
spent last year on obsolete armored
cruisers $1,000O00 on first class cruis-
ers dating back to the early nineties,
and $3,O00,000 in maintaining second
class cruisers constructed from 1889
to 1895. The cruiser Pittsburgh, COM
missioned in 1895, cost the treasury
81, 777,000 last year, and it is useless
as fighting ship. Nearly 100000
per year goes for upkeep of destroyers,
Including fuel, supplies and personnel.
The obsolete gunboat Don Jean, COM
missioned in 1895, costs S3S0,000 a
year to maintain. A miscellaneous
- ~. =
type costs the government nearly S4,-
100000 annually, and there are SUBJ
marines and submarine chasers equ-
ally out-of-date which foot up pettry
hill