The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-14
SECRET TESTIMONY OF OFFICIAL BARED
Secretary Urges Increase Of Force Until It Equals 1 British Fleet
$500, O,OO0,0OO BILL
 REPORTED TO HOUSE
Airplane Weakness Disclosed By
 Attack On Washington, Patrick Asserts
(By Associated Press.l

(By Associated Press.)
 WASHINGTON, Dec. lS.-The controversy as to whether the Amer iean navy is fit to fight, found new fuel today, with the publication o1 confidential testimony, given to house committee during the prepara ton of the annual navy supply bill
 The committee itself reported tt congress that it did not feel "tht country" need be alarmed, "that ou, naval prestige is rapidly waning"
 Accompanying this report, an official transcript of the testimony of Secretary Wilbur that the government must spend Sl1O,000,0O annually for th. next 20 years for new construction II the navy is to be maintained on an equal footing in all branches with that of Great Britain and superior to that
 Naval Bin Reported
 The committees observation and the secretary's statement went to the house along with the naval appropriation bill rronosing nearly three hundred million dollars fo take care of the existing establishment and construction hereto fore authorized. |.
 Information coming thus from the :. hitherto sealed doors of the house com h,ittee served to increase the determina- tion of those in congress who are insist ing there must be thorough-going Tn yestigation to get all the facts with re, gard to the condition of both the naval establishment and of the fighting fleet. Coincident with the development Tn the naval controversy, the army air service disclosed that the recent DomD- ing of the uncompleted superdread- naught Washington had demonstrated that American naval architects had developed in the ships that are belng scrapped under the Washington arms treaty craft that could withstand at tacks from the present-day alrplanes:
 For the fiscal year 1926, exclusive of the amount which would be required in start the 2O-year building program, Secretary Wilbur's report said, $37,- 361 BOO should be expended to carry out work already authorized by congress. This proposed expenditure would ln- clude S23, ,S94 900 to complete two ar craft carriers and fleet submarines un- der construction and to provide half of tbe S26.935, ,OO0 required to modernlze siy battleships, afford underwater pro- lection to seven others and construct six river gunboats.
 Should Start Cruisers
 Tn order that the treaty ratio TOT can;tal ships be attained in all types of combat craft, the report said, the eight light criusers already autnorlzeo should be started in the fiscal year 1926, and four additional light cruisers in 1925. .ood, on thorized, one aircraft carrier ana one :: floating drydock, not yet authoTl@eu' he added, should be authoriaed, :, anu commenced in the fiscal year lSZo.
 sThe cost of the eight cruisers .15 pun vided for,' the report contlnued, & s~h whi he about $16,5O0,000 apiece; the SUD mar;nes about $6,OO0,00 apiece one aircraft carrier $23 ,O0O, ,O00; one float, ;ne drydock S7,5OO,OO0; grand toi total nf s192. 800 900 of which amount $oZ'- Oo0 mo should be available for the t;ret vear. To this should be addeu tho cost of aircraft, about $2O,oOO,oU for the first year. eooe oos 57s Annropriations totaling SZoo'ooo,c'o Cor maintenance of the navy during +ba 12 months period beginning neAI J,Iv are carried in the annual naVal I' I;ii oe renorted today to the house.
 O''- More Than This Year
 Tho aqgregate is $S,21O,117 more +han the amount provided for expendl,, t,'~a during the current fiscal year ana annroximately $1,0OO,OOO less 'ha'i "uTS Tbo b;ll drafted by an appropriations subcommittee headed by Repres;elntSa p;l So five French, republican, ldano, wi,l p taken up by the house next "eeh , ~a," sa,' leaders planning to send lt lo ine oniv ate before Christmas. It prov p.,otion HtueS for navy activities ana conS c' ;r d;s' already authorized by law, anu nond;- ID I tinct from measures proposlHsts ond for lures for new fighting crai' aiu
 Provision is made. in the pili to5
 ..;U',ad ,oo;ntenance of the enlisted strangtb of the navy at S6,OOO men anu for 6. S95 line and staff oftlcers.an .a increase sufficient to take care oI lnT next graduating class from the Naval academy. The enlisted strength or tne Marine corps would be reduced rom 1J50O to 1S,OOO, the committee eA- rIaining that withdrawal ot marines from Sauto Domingo makes this de- creosaS nossible. The officer strengtn If the marine corps would be lett at 1,0O7. .,ors
 Accent Bureau RecOmmendatOnS
 Accepting recommendations Of the President and Budget bureau, the com mittee placed in the bill a direct ap-- nropriation of $14,800,O0O for naval aviation and a provision which would authorize negotiation of contracts for production and purchase of new air nlanes and equipment to an amount ot not more than $4,1O0,0OO: \
 ..The 5-5-3, or treaty ratio as to ton roee and numbers, applies exclusively to capital ships and to aircraft carriers nn more than 10000 tons displacement" |" said the committee report. With the possible exception of the Florida, no one can say that as to capital ships
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