The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-09-04
TIE ON.
J. 'T0OBTA|N
NH
FUNDS
Attack Slash In Estimates BY
Budget Bureau-Many
Ships Laid Up
By H. X. REYNOLDS,
International News Service.

A battle royal between the
Navy Department and the Bureau
of the Budget over the naval esti-
mates for the next fiscal year
opened here today.
In furtherance of President
Coolidge's policy of piling up a
surplus of $1sO,OOO,OOO in the year
1925-26, the Budget Bureau has
ordered a cut of more than $780,
100000 in the Navy Departments
preliminary schedule Of experdi-
lures.
It was this cut that started the
fight, the navy having asked for
$346,0OO,OOO.
Appeal to Coolidge.
y With a view to keeping the row
with the Budget Bureau behind the
scenes so far as it Is possible,
naval officials. were not inclined
today to openly array themselves
against Brigadier General Herbert
N. Lord, the budget director, who
ordered the reductions, or to rer
veal the details Of the fight they
are going to put up to obtain for
the navy a bigger allowance for
maintenance, repairs and new con-
Struction.
1t developed, however, that pro.
tests are to be made, not only to
General Lord, but to President
Coolidge, as the final arbiter Of
such disputes, on the ground that
the condition of the fleet is now
at such low ebb that additional
reductions in expenditures will
jeopardize the efficiency Of the
navy as the principal arm of de
tense.
Example Of Troubles.
AS an example of the troubles
the Navy is having because Of
lack Of funds, it was pointed out
that the battleship Florida, one Of
the capital ships allowed the
United States under the Washing
ton naval treaty, has been laid up
in the Boston Navy Yard and it's
crew of 1000 men reduced to 200.
The Florida was placed out of
commission because the condition
Of her engines made 1t impossible
for her to be operated at a speed
equal to that of the other ships
composing the scouting fleet.
No funds are available to repair
the Florida and she must remain
tied up until Congress meets this
winter and appropriates money for
q new boiler.
1t also has been necessary for
the Navy, in an effort to save
money, TO assign all oil-burning
ships to the Pacific Coast and keep
the old coal-burners on the Atlantic
side.
This has been done because oil
u cheaper in the west and coal il
cheaper in the east.
Had to Ignore Service.
This assignment had to be made,
however, naval officials said, with
out regard to where the particular
ships would be of the greatest
service, but simply on the basis of
economy.
The commissioning Of the bat
0eship Florida is the outstanding
instance of the retirement Of first
line vessels, but numerous smaller
ships have met the same fate.
Naval officials declared today that
not only should these ships be
brought back into service but that
there should be no hesitancy OH the
part of the Administration and of
Congress in providing for the re-
placement permitted under the
Washington treaty.
The question of elevating the guns
on American capital ships, now a
subject of controversy between the
United States and Great Britain, is
not involved in the budget esti-
mates, but it was learned officially
ut the Navy Department today that
q separate appropriation of $6,500,-
600 for this purpose is to be asked
of Congress despite the opposition
of the British goVernpoapt