Evening star., 1938-11-20
Navy Gives Orders
For ; BaH|eships
To Cost $150,000,000
Move Adds Impetus to
Reurmoment PIons
Of Administration

Reormoment Plans
Of Administration
BY the Associated Press.
The Navy gave new impetus to
the administrations rearmament
program yesterday with orders for
the construction of three IS ,OOO-ton
battleships at an expected cost of
$50, 600 900.
Officials said armament and am
munition outlayS, not included in
the construction costs. would raise
the total expenditure for the three
dreadnaughts to 1925 900 900.
Beginning of work on fourth
battleship was delayed pending
further study Of the bid received,
which was said to be considered
high by naval experts.
Secretary Swanson awarded con-
tracts for the construction of two
ships by private shipbuilders at
Newport News. Va. and Quincy,
Mass. The third ship will be built
in the Norfolk, Va. Navy Yard.
Two other battleships now are
under construction in Government
yards in Philadelphia and New
York. The Navy also announced
yesterday that the 10,0OO-ton cruiser
Wichita, built at Philadelphia, had
been finished and was being fitted
out to join the fleet. Capt. Thad-
deus A. Thomson. jr, naval attache
at Rome, was summoned home to
take command.
Sees New Air Force.
simultaneously. from an influen-
tial House member came the pre-
diction that the greatly increased
air force proposed for the Army
would be ready within four years.
The new battleships will not be
ready to join the fleet for at least
five years.
Representative Snyder. Democrat,
of Pennsylvania, chairman Of the
Military Appropriations Subcom-
mittee, asserted after conferences
with War Department officials that
President Roosevelt's expanded ma
tional defense program would pro-
vide the world strongest air force
by 1912
Representative Snyder said his
committee would begin hearings
next month on a War Department
appropriations bill about Sl00000,-
600 larger than this years.
Regardless of additions expected
to be made later, such an increase
would indicate a War Department
budget of nearly $500 900 900 for the
fiscal year starting June 80, 1889, a
record for peacetime.
The bulk of the additional appro-
priation was expected to be for ex-
pansion of the Army Air Force,
which Louis johnson, Assistant Sec
retary OF War in charge Of the pro-
gram, has said must be doubled,
trebled or even quadrupled.'
Bids Scaled Down.
The Navy scaled down bids sub
mitted November by more than 81
10000 before awarding the battle
ship contracts, but even with this
reduction the vessels appear likely
to cost more than the estimate Of
100000 each given Congress
this year.
Battleship No 58-the Indiana
will be built by the Newport News
Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. at its
bid price of $40 $40 900, which does
not include the main propelling ma
chinery, whcih the Government fur
nishes. To this also must be added
s26 900 900. the calculated cost Of
armament. guns and ammunition
which the Navy provides.
Battleship No. 59-the Massachu-
setts-Will be built by the Bethlehem
Shipbuilding Corp. at Quincy. Mass,
at its bid price of S498l5 900. to
which another $4,000 900 also must
be added for armament. guns and
ammunition. The two ships must be
finished and delivered to the Navy
in 50 and SIS months. respectively,
after which they will 60 through
long ShakedoWn and testing periods
Opening of bids on these ships
was postponed three times when
shipbuilding companies found diff
Guilty in estimating their costs due
to unfamiliarity with the work fol-
lowing the long shipbuilding holiday
arranged at the Washington Naval
Conference in 1922 No new battle
ships had been laid down in this
country in 20 years prior to the
beginning of construction of the two
started last year.
May Be Adjustments.
The contracts awarded yesterday
are subject to adjustments for
changes in cost of labor and mate
rial which might occur during con-
struction.
Battleship No. ST, to be construct
ed at the Norfolk Navy Yard. will
be launched as the Alabama, while
No. so, still to be allotted, will be the
South Dakota.
The awards increased to 78 the
number of vessels of all types on the
ways in the greatest peacetime con-
struction program since the Wash
ington treaty brought to halt the
work in progress on the 1916 pro-
gram.
Construction of the three new
ships will mean jobs. by official
estimates, for upwards of $4,000
skilled Workmen.