Evening star., 1935-04-18
HOUSE B0DY'S CUT
IN NAVY PROGRAM
FORECASTS FIGHT.
Entire Building Plans to Be
Held Up if Advice Is
Followed.
ITEM FOR "a new SHIPS
is SLASHED 0NE.HALF
Members Want to See What Is
Outcome of Next Farley
on Disarmament.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Announcement that the House Ap-
preparations Subcommittee has cut
in half the Presidents naval con-
struction program is expected to
precipitate a battle in the House next
week when the naval appropriations
bill comes up. It has been sched-
uled by Speaker Byrns to follow the
social security bill.
The entire new ship-building pro-
gram will be held up If the recon-
mendations of the subcommittee are
followed. The program provides for
"a new ships and continuation Of
work on 66 already under construc-
ton. The expected construction Of
the "a new ships with an appropri-
alton Of $29, $50 900 has been cut by
the subcommittee to exactly half and
with the proviso that contracts for
those cannot be let until February,
1886. The reason Is to await the
possibility Of q new naval confer
ence to see what the disarmament de-
cisions may be- The projected new
vessels are really replacement ships
to be substituted for wornout and
obsolete ships now in service
This delay in the construction pro-
gram is contrary to the Presidents S
program to have the Navy brought up
to treaty strength by 1912. 1t will
mean that Chairman Vinson and
other members Of the House Naval
Affairs Committee will be pitted
against the Appropriations Commit
tee.
S25,0o0, 600 Cut on.
The original budget estimate of
s488, 900, 900 for this bill has been cut
some $25,0c0,000 by the House SUBJ
committee headed by Representative
Glover H. Cary Of Kentucky. The
shipbuilding item, which Is the larg-
est single reduction, was disallowed
on motion of Representative william
B. Umstead of North Carolina, but
he was supported by Chairman Cary,
Representative William r. Thorn Of
Ohio and Representative James G.
Scrugham Of Nevada.
For q progressive building program
to bring the Navy up to treaty
strength by 1942, these "a ships should
all be placed under construction
promptly, advocates say. The United
States has not kept up its quota in the
5-5-3 ratio-largely as a gesture Of
big -heartedness. Now, since 1t has
Jagged far behind In an orderly build
ing program, friends of the fleet say
1t is essential to have an intensified
shipbuilding program to have the
Navy at treaty strength by 1912. as the
President earnestly desires. That Is
one reason why the National Indus
trial Recovery Administration made
an ALLEGATION of $238, 900 900 for con-
struction work on the 68 ships, for
which an additional SIS sos, 900 Is rec
commended In the department esti-
mates for the bill, about to be re-
ported.
The total estimated cost for the
new ship building program is $751;
427, 900, but of this amount only $29,-
$50 900 was asked in the 1886 appro-
priation bill. Under the 5-5-3 treaty
the life of capital ships is placed at
20 years. destroyers at is and sub
marines 13 years. The treaty powers
are permitted to keep capital ships In
an up-to-date condition.
u. Could Have Best Navy.
II the United States should now
speed up on its building program to
full treaty strength it would have a
better Navy in 1912 than the other
powers who have built to their limit
each year-Great Britain and Japan
xoyoe of whose ships will he three to
six years old.
The argument In support Of the
Committees decision
not to place any new ships under
construction before February, 1886,
and then only IL, is that If in the
a new navy treaty is agreed
upon, calling for the scrapping of
ships, the United States would have
saved just 50 many million dollars.
The budget estimates called for
II 900 additional men in the enlisted
(ropfipfod nm DoOo Column 2l