Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-19
TEN NEW CRUISERS
ASKED WHILE THREE
STILL AWAIT FUNDS
Butler Bill, Approved by
President, Is Seen as
Compromise Plan.
OPPONENTS OF MEASURE
CALL FOR APPROPRIATION
Friends of Navy Want Money for
Vessels Already Authorized
Before Planning More.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


man Butler of the House naval af-
fairs committee yesterday introduced
a bill authorizing the construction of
10 new light cruisers, 10000 tons
each.
He followed It up with an assertion
that the proposed authorization was
in harmony with the plans of the
President for national defense. Chair
man Butler and four other members
of his committee, including Repre-
sentative Vinson of Georgia, ranking
Democratic member, conferred with
the President at length at the White
House Friday night.
Coming on the heels of the Presi-
dents budget message, scarcely 10
days old. in which the President has
opposed an appropriation at this time
for three light cruisers already au-
thorized by Congress because this
country ''is now engaged in negotia-
tions to broaden our existing treaties
with the great powers which deal with
the elimination Of competition in
naval armaments," the introduction
of the bill, apparently with the Presi-
dents approval. caused no little mysti-
fcation.
Seen as Compromise.
After an examination of the pro-
posal, however, friends Of the Navy
In Congress declared that It was no
more than an effort on the part of the
administration to compromise, no
more than a promise to build 10
cruisers in the future-perhaps with
the understanding that nothing would
f1A a. hA cvo
ahead with the construction of the
three cruisers already authorized.
Members of Congress who favor
building up the Navy at once to ap-
proximately the 5-5-3-1.67.1.67 ratio
provided at the Washington naval
limitation conference in 1922 declared
fatty against it aa q substitute for an
to begin work on the three cruisers
already, authorized.
THE proposed authorization, said
one, amounts to little more than a
resolution favoring. more ships. We
could do far more for the Navy If we
offered and supported an amendment
to the naval appropriation bill for the
construction of the three ships already
authorized
Another wanted to know what as
surance, if any, could be had that the
Budget Bureau would ever favor an
estimate for the construction of these
ships.
Butler Says They win Be Built.
"Is there any more assurance such
an estimate would be Forthcoming for
the ten ships than for the three ships
now authorized" demanded another.
Chairman Butler, on the other hand,
insisted that the 10 ships would be
constructed; that they would be the
best of their type, limited only to the
10000 tonnage and S-inch caliber of
guns fixed for cruisers in the naval
limitation treaty.
preparations would be made, Mr.. But
ler was more vague, suggesting that
supplemental estimates at the present
session were possibility.
Mr.. Vinson onA the other hand, was
not vague about the matter at all.
He pointed out that there probably
would be no time to put through the
authorization bill and then make ap-
preparations before the end of the
present session of Congress March A..
He insisted, however, that the appro-
priations would be forthcoming dur
Ing the next Congress, beginning next
December.
Mr.. Vinson expressed, too, the opin-
ion that the new program wiped the
three cruisers now authorized off the
slate. In other words, the authorize
tion of the 10 cruisers is to be a sub
stitute for the cruisers already
authorized.
May Be Notice to World
In some quarters it was interpreted
as notice to the world that the admin.
tstration was weary of postponements
of further naval limitation by the
A,a@ AA4 81.
tended to go ahead without further
delay to bring its Navy up to the
5.5.S-1.67.1.67 ratio laid down at the
Washington conference in 1922.
Since the Washington conference
Great Britain, Japan, France and
Italy have gone ahead with new naval
craft. while the United States has
practically stood still.
The bill introduced by Chairman
Butler follows:
That the President of the United
States is hereby authorized TO under.
take the construction Of 10 scout
cruisers carrying protection and arma-
1nent suited to their size and type. to
have the highest practicable speed
and the greatest desirable radius OF
action, and to cost, exclusive of armor
and armament, not 10 exceed So,
500 900 each:
the vessels herein authorized shall be
subject TO the limitations prescribed
by the treaty limiting naval 'arma
ment, ratified August II, 1929.
Section ?. That in the event oi
an international conference for the
limitation of naval armaments the
President is hereby empowered, in his
discretion, to suspend in whole or In
part, any or all construction author
ICED in this act"
In Harmony With Message.
The second section of the bill seem.
to be in entire harmony with thu
tenor OF the Presidents s budget mes
sage and his annual message, in which
ne spoke hopefully of the possibilit,
of another naval Limitation conference
to tackle the problem of auxiliary
craft.
It was pointed out last night, how
ever, that even IL the United State,
constructed every one Of these pro
posed new cruisers and Great Britain
should add no new cruisers to its fee
this country would still lag behind.
Information so far at hand show
the new cruiser program does not con
template pressing for an appropri
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