Evening star., 1940-04-13
g Million Increase
In Defense Budget
Is Predicted
Foster Production Of
Army Equipment Held
Urgently Needed f..
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The spread Of Europes war
brought national defense to the
forefront Of congressional problems
again today, and signs pointed to a
possible 500 900 900 increase in Army
and Navy budgets which already
total close to $4,000, 900 900.
From War Department source
came intimations that as much as
SIS 900, 900 was urgently needed to
speed up production Of critical"
equipment for the Army. Capitol
Hill likewise heard that an addi-
tional $4,000, 900 would be sought to
accelerate the Navy's ship-building
program.
The Nazi invasion of Scandinavia,
War Department sources said, and
the danger of a further spread Of
the war made it imperative to obtain
faster production of the so-called
critical items of Army equipment.
Equipment Orders Placed.
Congress allotted approximately
$262, 900 900 last year to provide the
Army semi-automatic rifles, anti
tank guns and kindred critical"
equipment. Authorities said that
orders for most of this equipment
already had been placed, but that
the only way to speed up its de-
livery would be to put Government
arsenals and private manufacturers
on 24-hour production basis. This,
they estimated, would cost an addi-
tional s60,000,0O0 to $75,000,000.
President Roosevelt conferred on
naval matters yesterday with his
departmental and congressional ad-
visers, and was said to have given
his approval to the $655 900 900 feet
expansion bill. which already has
been voted by the House and is
now pending in the Senate. The
measure authorizes construction of
81 combat ships and % auxiliaries,
but carries no appropriations.
Present plans call for all 43 ships
to be started in the next two years,
and informed sources said the extra
$18 ZOO, 900 to be sought at this ses-
sion would enable preliminary work
to get under way at once. It was
explained this sum would be in ad-
dition to the construction funds in
the Navy's 1868. 1877 ,478 supply bill,
now pending in the Senate.
Hearings to Start Monday.
Chairman Walsh OF the Senate
Naval Committee. who attended the
White House conference yesterday,
said his committee was ready to
begin hearings Monday on the ex-
pansion program, which would give
the fleet three new aircraft carriers,
the largest the Navy ever has built
specifically for that purpose, and an
unspecified number of cruisers and
submarines.
Although the size of the projected
cruisers is secret, there were strong
indications some of them might
greatly exceed 10000 tons.
Including the ships in the expan-
sion program, the Navy will lay down
keels for 63 vessels in the next two
years.
The air arm of the national de-
tense also figured in yesterdays
developments. Secretary Morgen-
thau notified the Allied Purchasing
Mission that, if it wanted fast de-
lveries on the latest American
warplanes. it would have to meet
the cost of developing future better
models lor the Army Air Corps.
Secretary Morgenthau upheld the
War Department on this point at
a conference with Arthur B. Purvis,
head of the Allied Purchasing Mis-
sion, on prospective aircraft orders
which manufacturers have been
told may reach 81 1000 ,000, 900.