The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-03
SALE ON STOCKS
 OF DOOMED SHIPS
 |SRECOMMENDED
Board of Naval Officers Makes Report Following Consideration of Scrap
 ping Question
By Associated Press

Washington, May Recommen- dations that capital ships to be scrapped under the naval limitations treaty be disposed of by sale on the stock as in the case of those under construction and by sale for junk or sinking by gunfire in the case of completed ships, are contained in the report of the board of naval off cers appointed to consider ways and means of carrying out treaty provi- sions. A preliminary estimate of S70,000,000 as to the cost of the op- eration is included in the report.
 The board recommends that the battle cruiser Lexington, under con struction at Fore River, Mass. and Saratoga. building by the New York Shipbuilding company at Camden, x. J., be converted into airpiane car riers under the treaty terms, the other four battle cruisers to be sold on the stocks to the highest bidder.
 The board in it's request made pub lie today urged that the s70sooo, oo1 be made immediately available stat Ing that a considerable saving on shipbuilding under contract and 10 be scrapped, could be made if the terms of settlement were worked out promptly with the contractors. It was pointed out at the navy depart ment. however. that the figure of s7o,ooo,ooo was purely tentative.
 Ships To He Destroyed
 Existing battleships which the board recommends for sale or for de- struction are the Virginia, New Jer- sey. Rhode Island, Georgia, Ne braska, Connecticut. Louisiana. Yer mont, Minnesota, Kansas, New Hamo- shire, Michigan, South Carolina and the Delaware or North Dakota. One of the last two ships, to be desig- mated later is to be UT d as a target ship under the treaty.
 The ships under construction and recommended for sale as junk on the stocks or to be cut up under contract with the builders, include the battle cruirers Constellation at Newnort News. Ranger at Newport News and Constitution and United States, both at the Philadelphia navy yard
 The Lexington. recommended for conversion as an airplane carrier, is 33.S per cent complete. and the Sara toga, selected for similar conversion. 35.4 per cent complete, while the re- maining battle cruisers range from { per cent to 22.7 per cent complete.
 Battleships under construction in- clude the Washington, 75.9 per cent complete, at Camden. N J.; South Da- kota, as5 per cent, New York navy yard: Indiana, BAT per cent, New cent. Mare Island yard North Caro- lima. 36.7 per cent, Norfolk yard; Iowa, SIS per cent. Newport News.
 Must Be DisnssembIed
 As to the battle cruisers. the board says none of the four to be scrapped is near enough finished to be co,n- pleted and launched and that all four must be "disassembled or cut up" The board considers 1t possible. how ever, that the Constellation can be sold on the stocks.
 The ships building at navy yards are recommended for sale as they stand to private firms for disposition as required by the treaty, but the pcdlu ufkcS tudt u9dpie lHdttIlai from all ships. such as guns, ma chinery and other equipment be re- served for use in the proper ac- counts"
 The report notes that under the treaty vessels to be scrapped must be rendered unusable for war and rec ommends that firms to which ships under construction or existing ships may be sold be required to furnish bond that the treaty terms will be carried out. The board also says that 1t has considered and discarded such suggestions for disposition of the ships as sinking at sea, junking on percentage basis contracts and de- struction by the government itself, believing that the government will benefit most from outright sale of the vessels to the highest bidders.