Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-07-03
Defense
Continued From First Page)

- pei Scut expansion OF Ine navy
provided in the supplemental funds
for 68 combatant ships and for 10
warships and S auxiliaries provided
in the regular 1941 budget. Mr..
Compton declared that the esti-
mated cost of constructing the 80
vessels now under way is $l,140,-
100000. 1t will add 499,435 tons of
ships to the fleet.
Within the last three weeks con-
tracts have been awarded, with the
aid of the Defence Commission, for
2 battleships, 4 aircraft carriers, IS
cruisers, SO destroyers, % subma-
rines, seaplane tenders, l subma-
rine tender and mine sweeper.
Congress already has appropriated
SAB 500 900 for the War Department
purchase of aircraft engines. The
sum was voted after conclusion of
negotiations with Edsel Ford for
immediate construction of facilities
to permit production of the engines.
Henry Ford, who had previously de-
clared his huge plant would have
little trouble turning out 1000 planes
day, later refused to accept the
contract because, he said, he would
not build war supplies for any one
but the United States.
Production of liquid-cooled en-
gines for combat planes has been
one of the critical problems with
which the Defense Commission was
faced. Only one other liquid-cooled
engine suitable for combat flying is
produced in the United States, the
Allison engine, which is being manu-
featured by subsidiary of General
Motors, of which Mr.. Knudsen is
president. Production of the Allison
engine has been reported to be
about Is month.
The Packard company manu-
featured aircraft motors for the
United States and Allies in the
World War and several years ago
experimental with a Diesel aircraft
motor.
Meanwhile, the War Department
announced a contract totaling ST.
488.272 has been awarded for air.
craft engines to the Wright Aeronau-
tical Corp. at Paterson, N. j. They
are to be built for use in the war
engine flying fortress bombers be-
ing constructed at the Boeing Air
craft Co., Seattle. These engines,
among the most powerful built in
this country, are air-cooled.
Even before today's contracts were
announced a recapitulation showed
that the Army and Navy have put
their pens to more than 81 900 ,000,-
600 worth of defense contracts dur
ing the last month.
The contracts-covering items
from beans to bombers, solder to
acknowledgements, for the most
part, the first big block of expend-
iture commitments in the $4,500,-
100000 cash program voted by Con-
gress for the fiscal year which be-
gan July l.
Reports of this progress came as
the Senate Naval Committee sched-
uled consideration of the unprece-
dented $4,000, OOo, 900 Navy expansion
bill which would authorize a 10 per
cent jump in fleet strength. The
House already has approved the
measure.
Other defense developments:
President Roosevelt, acting on
legislative authorization, imposed
a stringent curb on the export of
numerous vital war materials and
machinery in order to safeguard the
country against shortages.
The Senate Naval Committee gave
quick approval to legislation author
izing construction of a $4,000 900
dry dock in New York Harbor,
capable of handling the biggest
American warslfips and liners.
Mr.. RooSevelt's proclamation on
export control regulations prohibited
the shipping after July of rubber,
silk, WOOL hides, aluminium, asbestos,
aircraft parts, machine tools and
certain chemicals, metals and other
materials. The proclamation made
provisions for exceptions, if a State
Department license is obtained.
1t. Col. Russell L. Maxwell Of the
Army general staff was appointed
administrator of export control.
Mr.. Roosevelt also told his con-
ference that Army and Navy officials
had sought relaxation of the 40-hour
week in Government yards and
arsenals, but that their request had
been rejected on grounds sufficient
skilled labor Is available under pres
ent standards.
In one specific instance, the Presi-