Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-09
viii Oppose Expansion of
Construction Program, Talk
Today Indicates.
C0NFERS WITH WILBUR
ON PLANS FOR 8 SHIPS
Failure Of Geneva Farley Seen as
Having No Influence in U. S.
Navy's Future.
BY J. RUSSELL YOUNG.
STAFF Correspondence of The Star,

RAPID CITY, S. D., August BIT is
regarded as certain by those who
talked with President Coolidge today
that the failure OF an agreement be
ing reached by the Naval Limitations
Conference in Geneva is not going to
influence him in agreeing 10 cruiser
building race between this country and
Great Britain.
Following a long conference with
Curtis .. Wilbur. Secretary of the
Navy, who arrived at the Summer
White House yesterday, the President
made it very clear today that he
would oppose any expansion Of tho
naval program as already agreed upon.
He was represented as saying in the
presence of Secretary Wilbur today
that despite the collapse of the Cen
eva conference, this country will con-
tinue with the naval building pro
gram calling for eight additional cruis-
ers of the 10.000-ton class. which was
decided upon before the Geneva con-
ference was entered upon.
Program Held Adequate.
The President made it very clear
that he considers this program ade-
quate for the needs of national de-
fense and for the protection of the
commerce lanes of this country.
To substantiate the Presidents po-
sition. he authorized the Secretary of
the Navy to say that the Government
expects to go ahead with the build
ing and replacement plan of shipbuild-
ing as developed by the general board
of the Navy for the country's needs;
that there will be no change in these
plans due to the inability to reach
an agreement at Geneva; also that the
exact details to be presented to the
next Congress have not yet been de-
termined and will be arrived at in
the usual manner.
When pressed for an explanation
OF what he meant by the reference
Ito be arrived at in the usual man
ner," he explained that estimates for
future appropriations must be ap-
proved by the Budget Bureau and
then by the President before they are
submitted to Congress.
Will Have 1000 Planes.
One point relative to the future de-
yelopment of the Navy was firmly
established, and that was that the
Navy expects to have at least 1000
fighting planes in service within the
next five years as well as q lighter
than-air dirigible three times the size
of the Los Angeles.
The President indicated very clearly
that he is convinced of the value of
aircraft as an adjunct to the Nations
warships, and that he is anxious to
see large program followed. Secre-
tary Wilbur explained that the plans
for this new lighter-than-air craft have
been accepted, but the contract has
not been let, due to the inability of the
Navy Department to get the bidders to
agree to fixed price for the con-
structlon. The latter insist on a cost
plus basis, and the Navy has declined
to award the contract.
The Secretary said today that the
matter will be referred to Congress to
determine whether this type of con-
tract should be negotiated The plans
for this craft call for a dirigible of
$50, 900 cubic feet capacity and a crus-
ing radius greatly in excess of that of
the Los Angeles.
Ten Now i'm service.
In going over the naval program as
it stands today Secretary Wilbur said:
Ten ships of the Omaha class, rated
at $500 tons, are already in commits
sion. Five cruisers of 10000 tons each
a under construction in private ship
building yards.
Three 10,000-ton cruisers have been
assigned to Government navy yards
for construction" he added.
Secretary Wilbur explained that of
these eight cruisers the keels of two
already have been laid and the other
two are under construction only ION
paper" Secretary Wilbur is known
to have discussed with the President
in considerable detail the present state
of the Navy and to have presented a
tentative plan of what the General
Board of the Navy considers a reason
able program to be followed. 1t was
hinted by Secretary Wilbur that the
future plan presented to the President
is not complete.
He indicated that the General Board
has made a comprehensive study of
the cruiser subject and that the econ
omy program of the Government must
be taken into consideration to a very
large extent. The Secretary made il
apparent that a big naval expansion
cannot be entered upon if there is a
large cut made in taxes this coming
Winter, as is being contemplated by
the administration.
Despite the Secretary's arguments
or those presented from the General
Board, President Coolidge is represent
ed as having been unchanged in his
ideas of what the size of the American
Navy should be. He was represented
today as saying that nothing has de-
veloped following his talk with Sec
retary Wilbur to convince him of the
necessity for any drastic change in
the present naval policy of the admin