Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-02-12
HOUSE COMMITTEE
CUTS NAVY BUDGET
BELOW LAST YEARS

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9-The an
nual naval appropriation bill carry
ing s271, 942,S67, of which 100000,
900 would be available for complet
ing more than a score Of vessels I'm.
der construction, was reported to-
day by the house appropriations
committee. The total is SASS 200
less than budget estimates and $685.
024,000 less than the amount al
lotted the navy by congress a year
ago.
The bill provides $117, 100000 for
pay, enough to keep the navy at
its present strength of 6,469 officers
and $4,000 enlisted men during the
fiscal year beginning July l next.
Provision also is made for LOOP Of
ficers and 1880 enlisted men In
the marine corps-the present
strength.
For aviation the bill carries $l4,-
$4,000, or S57,174 less than last
years appropriation. The commit
tee explained that it had slashed
100000 from the budget estimate
for aviation on account of a develop
9nent program recommended at
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and Coco
bio, Canal Zone, which have not
Pen authorized by law.
Commenting on the proposed polar
exploration trip of the dirigible
Shenandoah next summer, the re-
port said actual expenses over nor
NAL operating costs would approx
mate $1S3,000 and that since most
of this amount would be met with
current appropriations, the commit
tee had not seen fit to interfere in
any way with plans for the expedi'
ton.
New Ships Provided For
AS to new ship construction, the
committee said it was without power
to authorize expenditures for vessels
not yet sanctioned by congress but
cited information it had obtained to
the effect that the navy department
is committed to a program for build
ing types permissible under the
Washington arms conference treaty
which, with the undermining pro
gram already under way, would IN
volve expenditure of approximately
S95,O00,000 for the next ten years.
"a year ago. the report stated
1.-The committee proposed-and 1t
finally became lava request by the
congress that the president take ap-
propriate steps looking to the con-
summation of a supplementary
treaty to limit the construction by
the leading naval powers Of ships OF
the types to which the existing
treaty did not extend or only cor
trolled as to tonnage and gun power.
Up to this time no formal conference
has been held looking to such sup
Elementary treaty
$50 far as this committee mas
been able to ascertain, none OF the
foreign powers which are partles 10
the treaty actually has yet begun
the construction of any treaty eX-
empted or permitted craft since the
conference was concluded. America
certainly should not be the first, and
should exert it's influence to prevent
the necessity arising to commence
at all"
With reference to the approprla-
ton of $50, 1000, 900 for continuing the
building of ships permissible under
the arms conference agreements the
report said that on November 80
last, one battleship, two a1rplane
carriers, six scout cruisers, thirteen
submarines, three fleet submarines,
one gunboat, two destroyer tenders,
one submarine tender, and one re-
pair ship were in various stages OF
construction and would be completed
during the coming fiscal year, with
the exception of the two airplane car
riers, three of the scout cruisers and
the three fleet submarines. An adj
dition of $6,500,000, 1t was estimated,
will have to be appropriated to com
olete the work.
Submarine Tests Proposed
The committee declined to accept
a budget recommendation that 81
$4,000 be appropriated for commenc-
ing the construction Of three fleet
submarines authorized in 1915, de-
claring the value of this type of
craft had not yet been proved 1t
recommended instead that $500 600
be made available for the develop
ment and testing of submarine mo-
tive power under actual service con-
itions.
For betterments at navy yards and
naval stations the committee recon-
mends an appropriation of $1,916,5OO,
or less than half the budget estimate,
to be distributed for the most part
as follows: Boston navy yard, $l75,-
600; Mare Island navy yard, $685.
900; Puget Sound navy yard, $780,
a00.Rearl Harbor naval station,
Sk5aMp0; Cavite Philippines naval
AalEh, $141, 900, and Great Lakes
nav station. $115,0O0. The report
pointed out that the committee had
no authority to make allotments for
some of the projects provided for in
the budget estimates, including the
Alameda, Cal, base and the Sand
Point, Wash, aviation station.
With a view of cutting down the
officer strength of the navy the com
mittee recommended that appoint
ments to the Annapolis naval acad.
envy be reduced on five to three
basis, bringing the graduating class
down to 254 IN 1928. 1t also sug-
gested that about 80 civilian instruc-
tors at Annapolis be dropped and
their places filled by naval officers