Evening star., 1937-08-05
BATTLESH|P PLANS
ADVANCEDBYNAW
Shipbui|ders Fail to See
Roosevelt With Protest
on Yard Selections.

Plans to build the Nays two new
est battleships, the North Carolina
and Washington, at the New York
and Philadelphia Navy Yards, re-
spectively. went forward today after
. delegation, here to protest alloca-
ton Of the work to Government yards,
yesterday failed to see President Roose-
welt. He was the shipbuilding inter-
ests' only hope of having disposition
OF one of the jobs changed
The delegation. headed by Senators
Moore and Smathers, Democrats, of
New Jersey and including spokes-
men for interests in Camden, N. j.,
Newport News, Va, and Quincy, Mass,
yesterday saw Marvin H. Mcintyre,
secretary to the President, who said
he would convey their arguments
to President Roosevelt No future ap-
polntment with the Chief Executive
was scheduled at the White House
today.
Following a press conference yes
terday at which he discussed plans
Tor future naval shipbuilding, Ad-
mlral William D. Leahy, chief Of
naval operations. released a progress
report OF work done on plans for the
two new ships.
1900 Plans Needed.
A total OF 10000 detailed plans
must be drawn up for construction
OF the capital ships, the report stated.
The New York Navy Yard, designated
to DO most of the drafting, has al
ready started plans for those struc-
tural parts which will be required
hst on the ways. 1t is the Navy
Departments plan to feed in" the
rest Of the plans to production forces
well in advance of actual commence
ment Of work in order that there may
be no delay in obtaining necessary
raterials-a total Of nearly $4,000
tons for each ship.
Both vessels are Of the 35OOO-ton
type and will carry l6-inch guns.
Fully completed, they are expected
to cost about s55,000,0OO each. Four
years will be required to build them.
Definite steps are being taken, the
report said to get actual fabrication
under way early in 1888, which would
tend to prevent further DISCHARGES of
Workmen at the two yards. About
5000 men will be needed to build
each ship
VIII Have Fullest Protection.
Admiral Leahy stressed the point
that the two ships Will be provided
with the most complete protection
from auplanes, mines and torpedoes
and should bear out the belief of the
larger naval powers that the battle
ship remains the backbone of naval
power and is no more vulnerable to
bombs, mines and torpedoes than to
mooern guns using high explosive
charges
Admiral Leahy revealed the Navy
viii seek two additional super dread
noughts and two light cruisers of the
7,Soo-ton class in its 1889 appropria-
ton. The cost of these was unoffi-
clally estimated at approxima tely
sl5o0OO,oOO.
The two additional battleships will
supposedly be the same size and tvpe
as the Washington and North Caro-
lima
Seven Batueships Overage.
These anG the cruisers, he said, to-
eether with the Washington and her
sister ship, eight destroyers and four
submarines are part of the Nays pro-
gram to build to the limit provided
IN the first London naval treaty, which
expired last year, and after that point
Is reached to maintain a replacement
program for overaee ships. Seven of
the fleets capital ships are now con-
sldered overage, the admiral stated.
The Navy expects to attain full
strength by 1912, the date set in the
Vinson-Trammell act Of 1894.
Admiral Leahy made this explana-
ton in response to inquiries as to
what the United States intends to do
IN the light of Great Britain's ST.
o0o,000,000. naval rearmament pro-
gram. BY implication he made it
plain that this Government does not
intend to engage in naval race with
Great Britain or even to approach the
number OF new ships for which the
BRUSH government is planning.