Evening star., 1924-09-16
GREATER AIR FLEET,
AIM OF COOLIDGE,
AS SSH|PS SPASSOUT
President Convinced U. S.
Should Bend Energy Toward
Defense by Planes.
WILBUR CALLED BACK
TO DISCUSS QUESTION
Executive Believes Day of Battle
ships Is Nearly Over, and Opposes
Heavy Expenditures.

So impressed is President Coolidge
with the advancement in aviation and
its use in time of war that he was
represented today as doubling very
much the advisability of greatly in
Creasing naval appropriations. The
President, it was stated believes
there is more logic in the suggestion
for increasing appropriations for de-
reloping the Army and Navy aviation
to figure in future warfare than there
Is in increasing appropriations for
the battleships, which must neces-
sarily become abSolete in a very few
years.
The Presidents views became
known at the White House today,
while speculation was still rife as to
what lay behind Secretary of the
Navy Wilbur's hurried departure for
Washington from the West yester-
day. Today he was speeding East
with the expectation that he would
take part iE Fridays cabinet meet
ing.
1t was explained here. after receipt
cf the news that : Secretary Wilbur
had left san Diego yesterday in an
airplan" to catch fast train for the
significance il his hurried return to
Washington. it was desired that he
b. here to confer with the President
REGARDING the budget allowance for
tn" Navy next year.
Believes ships Losing Out.
II was stated today that tn" hresi-
Dent iS greatly impressed with the
Significance of the round the world
fight and since his talk with the
flyers who accomplished this feat and
those who planned il ne is satisfied
that this world flight clearly demon
strates the future ability to carry on
efficient and effective warfare in the
air.
In this connection tho President is
said To have given the impression
that he is inclined TO feel that avia-
tion has advanced :" greatly during
the past few Years and that its fu
turc is promising that battieshirs
are losing the formidable place they
once occupied.
The President was represented to-
day as having expressed the opinion
that aviation has so far surpassed
certain features of battleship war
fare that it would he impossible at
this time to transport troops across
the oCea>-. as was done in 1918.
4 Spokesman for the President in
f1cated today that for this reason
ii is very doubtful if the President
will agree to All increase i'll naval APP
preparations for the next fiscal year
over the amount approved finally by
the Budget Bureau. TWO questions
arc involved that the President is
known To consider as being very
vital
ono is whether or not the people of
the United States want to spend any
great amount OF money on ships that
IL t.lt hh
whether they would not rather OK
pend this additional money on in
crraSing the air strength of the Army
aud Navy. The President also is
known to understand the methods
generally adopted by the Army and
Navy in obtaining increased apple
pria ions.
Backs Budget Bureau.
Jt was said that the President has
| frequently read about the Navy being,
far below the standard and ready TO
sink into Oblivion, and that the Army
! is far below what it should be and
would he wiped off the face of the
earth in time of war, but he is nos
greatly impressed with either of the
Statements.
He has information which causes
him 10 believe that the Navy at the
present time is i'll what could be
termed good condition; that it is
well manned, that the equipment iS
above the average and that the ships
and it's men can shoot better than
ever before. He wants the Navy to
have adequate appropriation.
He also wants to see the policy of
the budget maintained. He is per-
sonally responsible for this business
agency of the Government and he
has no intention of committing an
act that would tend to break down
Coll
lished policy. Neither has he the in
tention of permitting any of the de-
partmentS under him to bring about
such a breakdown of the budget. In
his opinion if the budget is to become
ineffective and its policy to be disor-
dered that will remain for Congress
to do and not the Executive branch of
the Government.
The Presidents views regarding
future expenditures for the Navy and
aviation were made following in
quiries about the Presidents attitude
toward the proposed gun elevation
on American battleships, and the
President, while determined to have
the rights of this country under the
arms conference treaty retained, makes
no secret of the fact that in his present
state of mind he can see no necessity
for any great extra expense.
Huge sum Spent.
On the other hand, the President
is known to be very enthusiastic
about the future possibilities of avi-
alton. Only yesterday he sent to the
budget for figures showing what has
been appropriated for aviation for
the present year, and these figures,
cacording to the Presidents spokeS-
man, show that the United States
during the current year is spending
more on aviation than any country in
the world, lnless it is France
The total as reported to the Presi-
dent is $32174,000. OF this amount,
s12,435, 900 is for the Army, $15,-
10000 for the Navy $45O,O0O for
the National Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics. and s2.75O,000 for the
Post Office Department. These
figures, it is explained, do not in
clude the compensation paid the
aviation personnel Of the several de-
partments operating aircraft.
The White House said that the
president expects to talk with various
heads of the Army and Navy and
those engaged in the development of
aviation before he reaches some def
mite conclusion. 1t was stated that
. Hued sa Page 5. Column 81