Evening star., 1940-02-13

President RooseDelt proposed
budget Dhich Uould not necessi-
tate raising debt limit II $780,
100000 of ne1D defense tdres 1Dere
Iepied. Congress economy Gdpo-
Gates, ho,DeDer, haze been seek
ing to trim Presidents figures to
point ,Dhere they can auoid either
national debt increase or enact
ing ne,D tares in election year.
ey the Associated Press.
A Sill, ,6a9 500 slash was made in
President Roosevelt's budget for
the Navy today by House COM
mittee which recommended appro-
priations of 1896, ,772878 and urged
that the Nation build battleships
and cruisers superior" to those
abroad
The cut, from the Presidents fig
ure of SLOTS. .472,577, was the largest
yet made by the Appropriations
Committee in any single budget
recommendation, but the committee
said the fleets needs could be
adequately met" with the smaller
sum.
(The Presidents budget figure
of s1,078.472,577 included funds
which he classified as emer-
gency national defense expendi-
lures. These were responsible
for the difference between that
figure and a 1854, 900 900 request
by the Navy to finance its nor
NAL, non-emergency operation
and conStruction)
Included in the measure was
e1.000,000 to start work on a $3,000,-
600 project designed to develop the
tiny Pacific Island of Guam as a
naval lookout" post. Guam i'm
provements were turned down by
Congress last year after a heated
controversy involving questions of
foreign policy toward Japan.
Contract Authorizations Cut.
In sending the Navy bill to the
House floor, the committee also cut
$16,316, $50 from the amount of CON
tract authorizations" recommended
in the budget. With such authori-
cations the Navy may contract for
work to be paid for later. Thus the
total decrease in the amount the
Navy could spend or obligate in the
fiscal year beginning July amount
ed to s128,015,949.
While allowing money to start
work on 10 new combat ships and S
auxiliaries, the committee cut
$7,750O00 from the sums recon-
mended for two new battleships and
=. two new cruisers.
While $2,950 900 will be sufficient
for the Navy to proceed with plans
for the ships, the committee said,
1t should be determined before con-
struction actually begins that the
ships will be superior to those of
other nations.
The committee is of the opinion
that definite advantage will be Sc
cured by making the new capital
ships and the additional cruisers
not equal to. but superior to, any
pending foreign construction" the
committee asserted.
High Degree of Responsibility.
"As foremost nation of the world,
the United States is charged with
high degree OF responsibility for the
maintenance of our peace. This re-
sponsibility requires policy of con-
struction which does not confine it.
cn1f n iYoifo ofin,, nf ofI
Its economic strength and its
position of leadership among the
nations of the world demand such
ships and in such numbers as will
maintain preponderance of power
and thus insure the security and
peace of the United States"
The battleships covered in the
naval appropriation bill originally
were to be $4,000 tons each with
speeds of about 80 knots. They were
designed to match the two capital
ships for which starting funds were
made last year.
Cost Data Asked.
The House committee, however,
S'e'o Will oeooy AlIS Vic uflSdUlllCy
OF much larger vessels and has asked
the Navy to furnish cost data on
IS, ,000-ton craft. High-ranking Navy
officers disclosed they were con-
sidering battleships of possibly
$4,000 tons for the future, but said
their construction was considered
Inadvisable at this time.
In addition to curtailing initial
funds for the two proposed battle
ships, the committee also halved the
amount recommended for continu-
ing work on the two already started.
Funds for the two cruisers given
initial money last year also were
halved. The committee explained
1t had been advised that the work
on the ships had not progressed so
.(see APPROPRIATIONS, page A-5)