Evening star., 1928-02-14
Stand Taken Rather Than
See Navy Building Pro-
gram Defeated.
LIGHT VESSELS VIEWED
MERELY REPLACEMENTS
Presidents Attitude Made Clear at
Parleys With House Naval
Affairs Committee.

program, which calls for an experdi-
ture OF about $500. 600, 900 over a con-
templated period OF eight years. go
down to defeat at the present session
of Congress, President Coolidge would
be willing to insist only on that part
Of the program calling for the con-
struction OF Is new cruisers.
The President considers the proposed
new cruisers as highly essential 70 prop
erly round out the Navy and considers
them more important than additional
submarines, airplane carriers and de-
stroyer leaders, which are included in
the program as submitted TO Congress.
It was revealed today that IN recent
conferences with members Of the House
naval affairs committee. which Is az
present engaged in considering the
naval construction program. this att!-
tude on the part OF the Executive was
made very plain.
Proposes No Compromise.
It is understood. however. tha. the
President has proposed no compromise
nor is il his desire 70 have the program
curtailed. but his realization OF the
needs Of the Navy IN the matter ot
modern cruisers Is sufficient 70 prompt
him to insist only on provision for the
cruisers at this time, Il It becomes
necessary for the success Of the plan.
In advising members OF the raTal
affairs committee that he looked upon
the new cruisers as being OF more i'm
portance than the other craft provided
for in the plan. the President was repre-
sented as attempting 70 explain that
{v-( =
mind TO minimize the importance @.
the latter. But his viewpoint Is merely
q matter Of priority.
Moreover. the President looks upon
the proposal for the 25 new cruisers
as nothing more than q Replacement.
program During q discussion of the
subject today. the fact was brought ou.
that all but fve Of the - cruisers rcv
n commission are old and virtually
obsolete. and that with the addition
Of the new cruisers provided for =
the naval program. there would Be ac-
tually only three more cruisers n COM
mission In the Navy than there are
today.
Rritten Won Over.
As q resul. Of the conference with
the President today. during which tine
the Coolidge program was gore .Cto
az considerable length. Representative
Britten Of Illinois, ranking Republican
member On the naval committee. Was
convinced that the Presidents INSIST
ence not 70 stipulate any time Ec,ls
for the naval program IS . proper cre.
Mr.. B-ittsn. recognized u the House Is
one OF the big Navy men" has Up 20
this time been demanding . tine LIN.
os five years
He went away from the White House
today completely won ever 20 Tie ?-eSs-
dents way % thinking and from nov
On vii! SO along with the sSri:r.S.-a-
ton ii getting this program through
Congress
NJ. Britten declared after his talk
with the President that he IS Sar@S-sG
now that I. would ee much scGa6sr arc
more practical nos 70 l..n:s tie TINE
within which the program s % ce con-
pleted rs q means q keeping wIE25
the bounds Q. the ccad.ss,Zi az ne
Treasury. Mr.. E-i.tsa said sHas TIE
preS!dsr. is cc--ec. n hss cc:ics..g:,:.
that the expscSitG-sS should ~ S1SsG
according 70 the sr.cSlI. % r.crsy re
Nation can afford and that IRE needs
ct the Treasury should ee r-cYtcs1
for IS well IS TIE needs ~ 'As Navy.
More Funds In Future
The Presidents arSUr,sc: fc- r.sc@
Ing . time .i-,is On sAs p-cS-s- NS
that the national 6ect car ee pad 9.
gradually and that with each s2ccssStcs
year the interest - Be paid 60 :Se
debt would De rsGucsG thereby r-cvs.-
snS q wider margin with wA2cA - make
extraordinary expenditures Sl.ea SS :
provided for by the naval s,-oSrs,2.
In singing or tAs cruiser SSes.cr g
the naval pgyS-arl ~ - supreme E.s-
ySn-,Ance. the President did 10. 60 -
with the iUtsGssoa .. placing himself y,
the Position % naval expert. k;sS c>.t-
cllsSsonS III this matter have eeSs;, yssscsS,-
sd after aSysceS received trccs IRE SSc-
rstary cs the Navy ard css>e<S =, tie
naval service. al y. wnc,a, The p-eS.-
GeG. has been informed. sg-sS that the
cruisers should ce given p~scsNssGsce Z
any cursai.gssst = 81 De made,
The Presidents rsSS2. SlScl.SSs>s vSsA
the House members has revealed tAs
fact that there Is clNsSsSeTSess rrcca-
saisda ces.sS spread with TIE E.sc.ssa
.. defeating the naval ryy%vs-a IL is
entirety. The President IS ~ sAs ccsc-
ksa that opposition ~ this mature a.
WAYS presents Itself when C,sS-~Ss
starts - seek additional ysSSssS t>< tie
Navy.
Credits Hetn Sides