Evening star., 1940-01-09
THREE CENTS.
Stark Disc|oses
.$4,000,000 Plan
For Guam Base

TuHOS ASkeO III Dill
For Work Rejected by
Congress Lost Year
| By the Associated Press.
| Admiral Harold r. Stark told
Congress today that the Navy Is
seeking s4,OOO,O0O to carry out much
of the proposed improvement pro-
gram at the tiny Pacific Island Of
Guam which the legislators rejected
last year.
Admiral Stark's statement caused
an outburst of questioning by men,
bers of the House Naval Affairs
Committee who fought the Guam
project at the session year ago.
Admiral Stark. chief of naval
operations, said the request for the
funds had been included in the bud
get for the 18th Naval District-the
Hawaiian area-and explained that
procedure was adopted because the
Navy did not need any congressional
authorization for work in that dis
trict.
1--WE want you gentlemen to know
exactly why we did it that way"
Admiral Stark said. There was
absolutely no intention of trying to
cover it up"
The work proposed. Admiral Stark
said, is chiefly dredging for under
water runways" in construction on
breakwaters. The project defeated
last year would have cost S., 900 900.
Plans Are More Limited.
After the hearing recessed for the
day Admiral Stark reminded news
men that present Guam plans were
much more limited than the naval
base program recommended for the
island by the special Hepburn naval
board. That program would have
cost approximately $50 100000.
The latter project was a storm
center during debate of the Navy's
naval airbase program last year
and was rejected after its oppo-
! nents contended it constituted an
unnecessary affront to Japan. The
island is only a few hundred miles
from Toxic
Regarding other phases of naval
/ operations, Admiral Stark told the
committee that present studies "in-
dicate" the Navy will build $4,000 or
$4,000 ton battleships. Larger ves-
sells, he said, are not indicated.
Admiral Stark gave this informa-
/ ton to the committee in response
to questions as to what he thought
/ of talk in congressional circles
about building superbattleships Of
I 10000 or 10000 tons.
| Knew Graf Spec Was "Soft."
AS the old Guam controversy
showed signs of being revived IN
lively fashion in the committee,
Chairman Vinson reminded MEM
bers that there was no legislative
proposal currently before the COM
mittee which involved the little
island.
We'll, l hope there will be before
/ the session ends" shot back Repre-
sentative Mas, Republican, of Min
/ nesota.
Mr.. Mas precipitated a discus
sion of Germanys pocket battle
ships" by asserting the United States
Navy had nothing capable of car
rying on a running fight with such
a vessel as the Inflated Admiral
Graf Spec, which was driven to
cover by three smaller British
cruisers and so damaged that she
finally was scuttled off Uruguay.
NO, sir" conceded Admiral
Stark, but the Graf Spec wound up
where lot of us thought she would.
She was a perfectly splendid ship,
but we who studied her knew she
was soft She was not armed
against 8-inch Shells
Questioned about the inter-Amer-
ican neutrality patrol, Admiral
Stark said it may have been de-
terrent force to any power contem-
plating basing submarines of the
United States coast and being fed
from shore
Nothing Superior to Ours"
Admiral Stark also revealed that
the two battleships for which Presi-
dent Roosevelt last week asked ini-
tial funds would be practically"
sister ships of the two 45,000-ton
battleships for which Congress voted
starting funds last year, A House
Appropriation Subcommittee Is al
ready at work on the Presidents
latest request.
He testified the four vessels were
designed to have speed of 80 knots.
"We are satisfied there is moth
ing on the ways in any way superior
to what we have building or in con-
temptation" he asserted Admiral
Stark's explanation of present con-
struction plans made it plain that
the Navy does not contemplate
starting any $4,000 or $1,000 ton
ships this year.
Remarking that there had been
much talk" of the advantages OF
"62, ,O0O-ton battelships,' Admiral
| Stark said that in his opinion they
would be "either too big or not big
enough" He did not explain his
remark.
Size and the Graf Spec.
Comparing the advantages and
disadvantages of superbattleships,
Admiral Stark remarked that while
bigger craft obviously would be
superior to an individual smaller
ship, it should also be remembered
that there is some advantage in
numbers.
"A ship can be in only one place
at time" he said, adding that there
hod hoep an eYamnle of this fact