Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-09
NAVY BILL SLASHES
FUND BY $36,31O,0(1D
Enlisted and Commissioned
Personnel Reduced; Four
BattIeShips CurtaiIed.
BY the Associated Press.

| By the Associated Press.
| Sharp curtailment of the naval es-
tablishment in the next fiscal year be-
came certain today. The House re-
ceived from its Appropriation Commit
tee the annual supply bill, providing
1914, 342 900, a cut Of $36,3l0,000 from
the current year.
Overriding a request by Secretary
Adams for more commissioned officers,
the committee recommended sharp
decrease in Naval Academy classes,
with drastic provisions to limit demands
of naval aviation on line officers.
II approved by Congress, the appoint
ments to Annapolis allotted to each
member of Congress would be reduced
from four to three. with 5,499 retained
as the maximum limit of active COM
missioned officers. Adams had rec
commended an increase from four to five
in appointments and the addition Of
more than 1000 officers.
sS,45I,OOO Below Budget.
Excepting the second deficiency meas
ure, today's is the last of the big APP
preparation bills for congressional &C
ton at this session. 1t is $3,45l 900
less than the budget estimates.
Economies were effected in reducing
ships of the line and their crews. With
drawal of four battleships, three by Lon
don treaty terms; curtailment Of en-
listed Navy personnel from 84,700 to
79, 700 and Marine Corps strength of
$4,000 to 1880, and smaller outlay
for construction of new craft figured
in the slash. In addition, old sub
marines and destroyers, as well as old
cruisers, are to be dropped from the
feet.
AS compared to the outlay of $49,-
965, 900 for construction of 10,O00-ton
8-inch cruisers this year, the bill al
lows but $28,550 900 in the next. No
funds are carried for moderniZation OF
the battleShips New Mexico. Mississippi
and Idaho. Authorization for TINS
work is pending in the House, the Sen
ate having already approved it.
In the committees report, Repre-
sentative French, Republican, Idaho,
chairman of the Naval Sub committee,
said the Battlesfip Florida is being
decommissioned for disposal; the Utah
Is to become a radio-controlled target
vessel. and the Wyoming has been
placed in reduced commission with
view to her conversion to training
ship. In the Spring, he said, the
AIkdDSdS diSO WOuA0 NC NASAAAA o"A'
To Draw From Reserve.
Naval aviation was allowed $31. 140,-
600. a reduction of $1,l80 900, but the
report said the branch would have
completed its five-year expansion with
1000 planes early in the next fiscal
year. It noted that 11,740 enlisted
men were in the branch and urged the
Navy be required to draw commissioned
aviators from the Naval Reserve and
not from the Naval Academy.
To avoid what is termed enormously
distorted" numbers of junior officers
now in aviation, the committee recon-
mended reducing the number of regular
officers assigned to the air by increas-
ing from 10 to 140 the reserve pilots
on duty next year.
A further provision to prevent pro-
motion hump" would prevent expan-
sion in the number of officers above
the grade of lieutenant commander in
the Naval Air Corps. At present there
are IS above this grade.
Another committee change designed
to reduce the large discharge Of sur
plus academy graduates, expected to
number 200 next June, would prevent
appointment from enlisted ranks Of
candidates who have not had nine
months service at sea.
1T is not right to the taxpayers to
be educating large surplus OF bows
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