Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-13

The Navy Budget.

President Hoover has finally approved
o slash of $50, 900, 900 in the budget es-
Inmates for the Navy for the fiscal year
1888. This saving to the Government
at a time when the Treasury faces a
huge deficit is a matter of congratula-
ton, especially since the cuts do not
reduce the personnel Of the Navy and
do not interfere with an orderly con-
struction of the warships authorized by
the Congress except for the postpone
ment of work on half dozen destroy
ers. The President of the United States
has recently been criticized bitterly in
certain quarters on the ground that his
every move was to hamper and destroy
the efficiency of the Navy. The plan
now announced by Mr.. Hoover refutes
these assertions.
The original budget estimates for
the Navy called for appropriations for
the fiscal year 1888 totaling $40l 000,-
900, a sum much in excess of the ap-
preparations for the current year. The
seriousness of the Treasury deficit had
not become fully apparent at the time
these first estimates were prepared.
But when the full force of the bust
ness depression on the revenues of
Government had manifested itself it
became the plain duty of the Chief
Executive to slash the budget figures
in every possible way without seriously
impairing any branch of the Govern
ment. This included the Navy With
the assistance of the officials of the
Navy Department, it has been found
possible to reduce the estimates by
$59,000,000, great saving. Curtail-
mentS in budgetary estimates and
eventually in appropriations are to
come also from all other establishments
Of the Government besides the Navy.
The pruning knife has become neces-
sary and it should be used.
The country will welcome the assur-
ance by the President that there is to
be a material saving in naval expendi-
lures and at the same time men In the
Navy and in the Marine Corps are not
to be dropped from the service and
that there Is to be no dimunition of
the work in the navy yards or on ship
construction.
Much irritation arose in various parts
Of the country because of proposals
that the personnel Of the Navy be re-
ducl !, that certain navy yards be
abandoned, that the frigate Constitu-
ton be laid up again and that the
Navy Band be disbanded. President
Hoover has made the cuts In naval ap-
preparations without accepting any of
these proposals, which came from the
officials and officers of the Navy. The
reductions in expenses have been ar
rived at in other directions, the details
being withheld until the figures Of the
budget are transmitted to Congress.
President Hoover's duty under exist
ing financial conditions of the Govern
ment is to demand a rigid economy in
Federal expenditures. No government
can successfully operate and hold
the confidence Of its people if it con-
tinues to expend huge sums of money
at the same time that its revenues are
falling on. Mr.. Hoover has again and
again stressed the need of reduced Gov
eminent expenditures. Within short
time the Congress, which makes all ap-
preparations for the Government. is to
assemble. 1t will become the duty of
that body to cooperate in every pos
sible way to keep down the depart
mental expenditures. New projects, no
matter how worthy, must be scanned
and avoided If possible. The President
has set the pace for economy. 1t is
the Congress, however, which holds the
purse strings and which should tighten
them.