Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-11
WILBUR EXPLAINS
F|VE-YEAR NAVAL
BUILDING PROGRAM
Secretary Appears Before
House Body to Impress Need
of New Fighting Ships.
PROTECTION WITHOUT
COMPETITION PLANNED
Present Status of Navy Is Below
Treaty Ratio. Despite Urgent
Need. Committee Is Told,


trend nf war practices. "h'cn ''"'.
ra+as that future wars must ee i"uA" y,
,s~cefv hv vessels already cofip'e'e0
.ha beginning of the war, Se'le'
-. ~ the Navy Wilbur today aF'
.,s hefore the House naval aHails
,,.,,;,+ae and explained the oe'al!s
of ,be rrorosed five.year naNai p"''''
T.. rrorrar. deemed necessary 10 pun
~. American naval defense IN CON
e.,ion becoming the dignity % W
%a.ion as we'll as giving II 'he i''ee
- maintain protection Tor "'oe :"
..s.,s throughout the world.
~ nrorram provides for the epn'
.4;an of IS fast cruisers. an
ersf, carriers. DESTROYER ,~sar
80 a. submarines. ana mas So
raref,,lIv worked out ny ~" So.
general Board, according " ''e
retary. e..r reviewing the
me ~ the arms limitation
trea,v pointed OF, that me eou,'a e,;
-. abo,,, 10 enter on conipet'
80 h,,ildinc program. but saio . 'iaA
- co,stroction is absolutely he.
n maintain the feet a, 'he
s~o,,ar standard for national oeiehSe
Competition Is Denied
..rhe President" he went on cn' -
COMPETITIVE building. Con
.rass mas also manifested us u.iM,il
sr.ss m engage III cofnpettA.
h,'5lsin~ bv carefully restrlclihs ~
s,,,hnriratiors for new cohsl' nssaw
.nd It's appropriations tnefelo' -.
u,al1 below the treaty ratlo Win -
arrs 10 other siGnatofs p,
far as the facts conia re a~ap
that is 10 say, we hdNe ,r,aty
,,rdartskpu TO maintain inc
80 ia ,he unlimited types "i siiips
t.,,Idjn- up To that ratio even
.ha,,.n 81. recognized our neeo> 'oa
s,,.s, shft,s. We have mol ehsae -
-(,,soa,i;jxe building ot "aFships
d. not intend 10 do 20. ...n,.
.-r-,,a rrf,.ran we are now pfesNh1
congress is based upon the Hesi
80, Navy a. il Is determines DH
.ha Secretary Of the Navy upon va
.rehntca! advice Of the genefai ooa'N
OF the Navy ma csr.
,s,,sas.ar of tons of each type of
vessel for the reason fnai 1teaA
80. has that number Of tons. of W
- "a ao 20 would bring us UP 10
.~y;+x with Great Britain, nor we 90
-, ..cr, IN construct a certain aHlooiie
rf tonnage in order tSat We HAY -"
cn .he So ratio with japan ln
..a.S fov the treaty type OF ctuissis
was al once recognized by an 1'''
v.oweys signing the Washington ssIer
ynert and construction oI thls TYPE Va
sasu was commenced by al 'ne o.'aIs
treaty powers, before We wsIn -
~.,ns.r,,rtion. Ey their bui6dinB pro
- ,hev EXPRESSED in unmisiak'
ss.1s terms their judgment oi theh
.,.,-,, nerds in this type OF snip.
~ il manifest that this JungHisht
~.a~ ,o4 ,4ahed i'm any degree upon
.h;ns II this class already cons.roct'
- n- ~ f,e constructed by uS- insif
r.ngra,n was not based upon ahs
...,o win this Naticn: II was unf"'
lated 20 any building program ao'
vanced by us. The question tnat We We
naturally ask ourselves is tnf.
4tesa nations need the number oA
..frs ~ this class which they have
kfg,i. are building. and propose 10
ht,iif. how many ships of this clsss
<oex .hix Government neeo Iof ~
acct That question has been
answered by the 2enefal Doard py Inc
runot,er stated In This bill, % cruisers
sn addition 10 the i cruisers of the
Tenss cola and Salt Lake Ghy class
and the 10 already constructed 81 me
Memphis clahs. - cruisers IN all taaf
tng total tonnage 81 5se.see ga naa'o
tons.
Still Below British.
This ets2EsGf tonnage of first ria ~
itaht cruisers represents the Jhdgsnsh ~
o. she general board, approved ~ 'ne
Secretary % She M W. az 10 The nffds
Of mis- &aiion. This tonnage ~l3 ~
EeloR The s . t@iH Altn Crest Btifatn
D. al timer during The prfI1h 1i con
sftuct5Df4 and upon cDmpieiiob. The
building program ~ tilis bil IN no.
r. 80 upon ia" 80 ,@fi", h"f, - )
haze stafsG. Hl}{ l4@ we'll wisnln fnat
Yati9 as 10 Great britain and slightly
sfsgge the 55 ratio with Japan aniesh
she lBcFea ses her program.
A building program faA'1d upon
Are 6-g5 fs'so In types ~ ships not
ar54efeG by the Washington treaty for
5inslt8'lnn ~ na sal armament would
r. e1mpf4liBse. for su"h d program IN
fnpenGtnt upon the plans - other ~
tionE end fnDst in"feasT .. Their tif"'
wtan4 s1pa flds without su3 jln,fa ton
ether than me reeds Or fne viii ~
antAef naiJea,
"F1tgre nasal Hars must ~
fpVght largely BY sesstls cpnpietet
o. 'ne beginning % the vat slfbsnel
Eestf"yeft. submarines and cDufeftet
naetchsnfmfn Nhich n1ay tte D9ljt ~
srmef curing The war may if "ni
4io3ed therein II II il pF9iongeD
Great Britain anhp9ncef ~ tn'
Geneva conference that she neeaef
sboU, G14 900 f1rs ~ vessels ~ sb.
cruiser slaes for tie protection ri heI
ftade !GUfrs, her DEsad Infs Bnd hti
soYefseas interests Iiiis. *pt felt Hai
4I1e minimum ~ htF hefdF beiGy