Evening star., 1938-02-27
FLEET |NATLANT|C
HELD TOO COSTLY
Total Of Program Would Be
5000, 600, 600, Edison
Says at Hearing.
BY the Associated Press.

A congressional committee heard
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Charles Edison assert yesterday that a
separate feet for the Atlantic was de-
sirable, but too expensive at this time.
The self-tyled freshman" Assistant
Secretary told the House Naval Com
mittee he thought the United States
should build such a feet, estimated to
cost 5000, 100000. if it wanted to do
a real Job of national defense" He
said, however. he did not think the
country could afford that much in
surance against attack at present.
Mr.. Edison's testimony concluded
the fourth week of hearings on the
acknowledgement 20 per cent
increase in the Navy. During the
hearings the committee members
heard estimates Of the programs
cost soar from $800,00O,0O0 to ST.
166, 100000. Personnel expense would
be in addition to the latter figure.
Favors Dirigible Study.
Questioned for almost three hours
on many aspects of the program, Mr..
Edison said at one point he believed
the Government should do "a great
deal more experimentation" with diri-
gibles before deciding finally to aban-
don them for military purposes.
Every great development always has
huge scrap heap of failures" he
said, "and while there have been fail
ures with lighter than AIR craft,
think we've been sitting in blue chip
game with white checks"
He advocated recommissioning of
the airship Los Angeles, provided it is
safe, and construction of several more
dirigibles for experimental work.
Intelligence Service Queries.
Representative Church, Republican,
of Illinois questioned Mr.. Edison con-
corning the efficiency of the Nays
Intelligence Service, particularly with
reference to that units failure to learn
definitely whether Japan is building
battleships larger than $4,000 tons.
isn't there widespread disposition
on the part of the admirals to pooh
pooh the information the Intelligence
Service could bring them?" Mr.
Church asked.
Mr.. Edison replied he had not OBJ
served any such disposition and EN-
phatically expressed belief that branch
of the service was hampered by lack
of funds. Furthermore, ne added, the
American people and their fIavy do
not like to get information by spying.
Secret Pacific Tests.
When Mr.. Church asked him for
information about secret tests in the
Pacific, which the Illinois Representa-
tive said demonstrated that airplanes
could sink battleships, Mr. Edison said:
I believe secret reports should be
kept secret"
Secret to whom?" inquired Mr..
Church.
TO the men Congress intrusts with
national Defense" Mr.. Edison replied.
III you haven't got confidence In those
men. Congress ought to replace the
men,"
He added that even if tests proved
airplanes could sink battleships, that
would not prove that battleships are
no good"
Representative Vinson Of Georgia,
chairman Of the committee, proposed
an amendment to the Navy expansion
bill to rehabilitate shipbuilding on the
Pssific Coast. It would give 8 per
cent dii1erential to West Coast builders,
thus enabling them to submit bids 8
per cent higher than their Eastern
competitors and still be eligible Tor
contractS.