New Britain herald., 1928-01-11
1t Least B NeT Ous Xinted, Which Would Bring Total
 Numbr Up to R
SEC. WILBUR ARGUES FOR
 SN,ooo,ooo PROGRAM
Must Not bo Overlooked and Ex- plains This Country Needs Ftrst Gas Navy, Not Because of Other Roveea Bat in Justice to Itself In Time of Peace and War.

Ttu1o O1 EeoCe ana WAks
 Washington. Jan. 11.-A1stress- ing his own belief that America needs . first class navy" Secretary Wilbur placed today before the house naval committee both his per- sonal reasons and those of the navy general board for asking congress to authorize . S7a5.0o0,so0 new war ship construction program.
 Tn the preparation of this pro- gram the general board has primarily considered the need of this government for its naval defense" he said. Tt is true that in deter mining this need the general board at all times has taken into .onsid- eration the condition of other navies and their construction and replace ment program 50 far as they are known to us.
 ships Needed in War
 Future wars must be fought largely by vessels already completed at the beginning of the war. Great Britain announced at the Geneva conference that she needed about e00.0oo tons of vessels Of the cruiser class. Our original proposal at Geneva was for cruiser tonnage of between 25O,0 and 3O0,000 tons. a tonnage les than we felt necessary for our fleet. We were willing to ac- cept the hazard of building less ton- mage than wc needed if the other powers would accept similar hazards.
 Great Britain was not willing to accept this limitation but felt her needs for the larger tonnage of cruisers she proposed to be impera- tive for the protection of her na- tional interests. -l%s.. 7te.a
 Uses England as Basis
 ''The insistence of Great Britain and of her naval experts and of her delegates at the Geneva conference upon hor absolute need for 8 larger tonnage of cruisers regardless of the naval program of other powers, is most persuasive evidence that we also have . definite need for cruiser tonnage, regardless of tho program 1 of other powers, if we are to have a well-rounded fleet for our defense. and also that such program for us Is in no sense competitive"
 Tho secretary said that the pro- gram proposing construction of 15 | cruisers. five aircraft carriers, nine l destroyer leaders and 32 submarines | was Tin no sense competitive but is based upon the needs of our navy as is determined by the secretary of the navy upon the technical advice of of tho general board.
 "The president is opposed to com petitive building" he continued. Congress has also manifest its un- willingness to engage in competitive building.
 We do not ask you to build a certain number of tons of each type of vessel for the reason that Great Britain has that number of tons or because to do 90 would bring us up to . parity with Great Britain nor do we ask you to construct a certain amount of tonnage in order that we may be on 6-5 ratio with Japan.
 General Board's Plan
 The general board has advised the secretary of tho navy as fol- lows:
 The program proposed, If carried out, will create a properly consti- tuted fleet. will furnish sufficient strength to insure the protection of the legal rights Of our citizens under