Evening star., 1933-09-17

i, having flying decks 900 feet in length.
The maximum speed of the carrier is
more than "a knots. Armed with eight
8-inch guns and a dozen 5-inch anti
aircraft guns, the Lexington when COM
missioned carried 70-odd planes. New
aircraft carriers will serve like pur-
pose.
Must Overtake Deficiency.
We are just now beginning to build
to overtake an accumulated deficiency
in building since the Washington
treaty limiting naval armament. The
1892 annual report Of my predecessor
as Secretary of the Navy In the pre-
ceding administration contains exact
figures, in detail, as to our lag in
ships Of the United States Navy laid
down or appropriated for since the
Washington treaty totaled l97,640
tons for a total of 40 ships; Great
Britain laid down or appropriated for
148 ships, with a tonnage Of 472, ,238,
Japan 1854 ships, with a tonnage of
410, 467; France, 1856 vessels, with a
tonnage of 507,737, and Italy 140 ships,
having a tonnage of 281,872
1t was pointed out by my predecessor
that:
While the United States had air
craft carriers in full commission, Great
Britain had carriers, 3 in full COM
sion and in reserve undergoing re-
fitting. Four japanese aircraft carriers
were fully manned.
While II British heavy cruisers were
in full commission, with others in
reserve. and II japanese heavy cruisers
were fully manned, the United States
had heavy cruisers commissioned and
l in preparation for commission last
November.
The United States had 10 light
cruisers in full commission while the
British had 25 in full commission and
eight in reserve At the same time
Japan had 20 light cruisers fully man
ned.
Other Comparisons Made.
OF destroyer leaders, the United
States had none at that time. Britain
had Is. Japan "a, fully manned
In other classes of ships, such as sub
marines and ordinary destroyers, our
situation was similar. Many of our
own ships are old; overhauling of ma
. chinery and equipment are necessary,
with consequent expense and lack of
availability in time of emergency.
And so, to meet a national and vital
need. we are beginning the actual con-
struction of 80 vessels for the Navy, in
addition to % previously authorized
total of 81. In addition to the three
aircraft carriers Zone now building in
addition to those I have mentioned
We will construct. in private and Gov
| ernment shipyards. cruisers, Z heavy
cruisers, "a 15OO-ton destroyers. 8
1,850-ton destroyerS, 6 submarines and
gunboats
Yet when they are finished We shall
still have fewer ships than we are en-
titled to under the naval limitation
| treaty. In the light cruiser class We
will be five ships under treaty strength,
| In destroyers we will be IS ships under
| treaty strength, and we shall have go
fewer submarines than we are allowed
by treaty with other nations
We are starting on this great and
necessary work of construction under
contracts awarded after competitive
bidding, that will spread employment
insure fair wages and limit hours of
labor for the protection of the thou
sands OF men who will be employed
| during the next three years in the part
OF the work to be done in private ship
yards.
IS Per Cent VIII Go to Labor.
OF the $238 900 900 to be spent from
the national recovery fund, in addi-
ton to the regular appropriation, we
estimate that IS per cent will go tc
labor. The employment made available
will extend over the next two or three
years, with benefit to thousads of fam
lilies in many communities from coast
to coast. There is not State in the
country, probably, that will not furnish
some of the materials needed for the
new vessels Of the United States Navy
Alabama, for instance, furnishes struc-
| tural iron and steel as we'll as lumber
Arizona furnishes metals; Arkansas
lumber; Massachusetts,, machinery, as
well as other material items; South
Carolina, paint materials, and so on.
The upbuilding of our Navy needs
no defense. To fail in the duty tc
| furnish proper protection for the Ma
tion against any possible attack would
be to fail in the most vital duty OF
the national Government. And when
the history of the present era Is writ
ten one of the large accomplishment
recorded therein will be the safeguard
| ing of the Nation, coupled, as it is
with the employment and re-employ-
ment of many thousands of citizens In
upbuilding the Navy we are building
for prosperity.