Evening star., 1936-02-16
NAVY BILL ACTION
BEGINS TOMORROW
Present Supply Measure
Would Rocket Figures -
to Peace Record.
Hy the Associated Press.

BY the Associated FresS'
A naval appropriation bill that will
rocket expenditures for national de-
fense to a new peace time peak will
start its trip through Congress to-
morrow.
Chairman Cary yesterday summoned
the House Naval Appropriations Sub
committee to start hearings on a
S549,591, ,299 measure - $67,859,92o
more than the last naval fund.
Combined with $545, 5,226,3lS in the
War Department appropriation bill
that SKINNED through the House
Friday, the new legislation would boost
Army and Navy spending close to
the 81, 100, 600, 900 mark for the fiscal
year, beginning next July l.
sl6s,359,sS5 Military.
OF the Army's total, however, $l6S'-
$50. .985 was earmarked for river ana
harbor improvements and other non
military activities.
Representative Cary, a Kentucky
Democrat, said the Navy bill, as it
now stands, would provide $26,0oO,000
for 333 new airplanes and $l3,s0o,3o9
for LAYING down IL destroyers and 8
submarines. The total new approprla-
ton for ship construction would be
Sls2, 100000.
Asserting that Henry L. Roosevelt,
acting Navy Secretary, would be the
first witness, the Kentuckian said ne
hoped to report the bill out in three
weeks" :,
The Senate Appropriations Commit
tee is expected to begin work TINS week
on the War Department measure.
AS passed by the House, 1t pro-
yides for SOS new airplanes, would IN
crease the Army enlisted strength 10
$50 600 men by June 80, 1887, and
would tighten up defenses on the "a
cifc Coast. Hawaii and the Panama
Canal Zone.
As these preparations went aneao
for spending record sums on de1ense'
House and Senate stood ready 10 snoVe
through legislation intended to keep
the United States out OF war.
Neutrality Action Tomorrow.
The House arranged to act tomor-
row on a oned-down neutrality Dill
and the Senate expected to take up
the legislation as soon as the lnoe-
pendent Offices appropriation is out Oh
the way-perhaps Tuesday.
The bill would extend from Feoru-
ary 29 to May /, 1897, provision
in the present neutrality law for man.
datory embargoes on shipments ol
arms, munitions and implements o1
war to belligerents. In addition, il
would bar loans and credits to war
ring nations in excess OF those re-
uuired for normal peace-time COM
merce and would be inapplicable to
South American republics fighting a
non-American country.
House members demanding more
drastic bill saw defeat of the exten-
sion measure as their only chance. 1t
will be called up under suspension OF
the rules, which will limit debate to
40 minutes and forbid offering OF
amendments. A two-thirds vote Is
required to put the bill through, how
ever, under that strategy.
6O-Day Drive in Senate.
In the Senate, a determined drive
was in progress to make the extension
for so days only so more compre-
hensive measure might be put through
later this session. Failing that, some
Senators planned attempts to stiffen
the bill.
Chairman Pittman Of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee told re-
porters, however:
THE bill will pass as it is or it will
not pass at all"
He added he thought it would pass.