The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-23
REITERATES
AMERICAN VIEW
Continued From Page One)

CONTINUED From Page One)
exact number of new ships pro-
posed in it is a military secret,
the measure cloaking this by pro-
viding only for 1886, 900 tons of bat
tleships, 200, 900 tons of aircraft
carriers, 420, 900 tons of cruisers,
$50, 900 tons of destroyers and TO-
900 tons of submarines.
There have been unofficial esti-
mates, however, that completion Of
the program, together with other
naval construction already author
lied, would gave the United States
a fleet of 618 warships capable of
meeting simultaneous threats in
the Atlantic and Pacific.
This fleet would be comprised of
26 battleships, IA airplane carriers,
70 cruisers, 1888 d%estroyers and ITO
submarines. This compares with
the existing navy of Is battleships,
five airplane carriers, IS cruisers,
219 %destroyers and IS submarines.
In addition to heavy combat
ships, the bill also would authorize
acquisition of $4,000 airplanes, con-
.struction of $25, 900, 900 of S m a | |
harbor defense craft and 100, 900
tons of auxiliary vessels.
Informed sources said the latter
would include a new, fast type of
ship capable of carrying complete
ly equipped detachments of mar
ines, including their tanks and ar
tilery.
Not For Sac
The bill also stipulates that no
ship, boat or vesse in the navy or
being built now or hereafter could
be sold or otherwise disposed of
or be chartered or scrapped with
out the consent of congress.
Chairman Vinson (D-Ga) of the
naval committee said it was de-
signed to prevent such transact
ions as the recently disclosed
transfer of 10 torpedo boats to Brit
ain and the reported, but uncon-
firmed, sale of 10 destroyers.
Vinson said that as soon as the
bill became law, the navy would
ask congress for a supplemental
appropriation of SITS, 900, 900 to get
it under way. He also told the
House that navy officials hoped to
develop and bring back to life the
shipbuilding industry of the Paci-
fic coast from Tacoma, WASH, to
San Diego, Calf.
Senate consideration of the bill
is not expected until after the po-
litical conventions at the earliest.
There was no official word of
any expression of views on the
Knox nomination at the meeting
of the Senate Naval committee.
Congress cleared its desk for a
weeks recess hour before the mid
night deadline set by leaders.
The purpose of this high-speed
action was two-fold: to allow an
interlude for the republican ma
tional convention beginning Mon
day at Philadelphia and to get vi
tai appropriation measures enact
ed into law well before the new
fiscal year starts on July /.
In addition to giving quick ap-
prevail to senate-house compromis-
es on the tax and defense bills,
the two branches of congress &C.
copied and sent along to the White
House a compromise 81, 157, I'll, 1857
relief appropriation bill.
AS finally passed, the defense
tax bill was shorn of a senate
approved proposal for a war-pro-
fits levy. 1t carries provisions to
increase the national debt limit
from S45, 600, DOC, 900 to $40, 900, 00O,-
900; lowers personal income tax
exemptions; increases the n u M
Der of Individual tax payers by an
estimated 1000, 900 and imposes IN
creased taxes on theater tickets,
cigarets, whiskey, gasoline a n d
IluIIlSI u OtleI
The income tax changes will CO.
yer 1910 incomes payable on March
Is, 194i. The excise increases be-
come effective Immediately tn e
President signs the legislation.
The 81, 1853, 913, 908 emergency de-
tense appropriation was the latest
of President Roosevelt's recon-
mended defense expenditures. The
bulk of the fund will be used for
army air planes, tanks, guns and
other munitions, but part will go
for navy needs, including a start
on construction of 60 new fighting
Passage of the emergency de-
tense bill brought the total of de-
tense appropriation measures ap-
proved up to now to S., 377, 552, 058.
In addition, numerous items in
tended for defense purposes ap-
peared in other routine supply
bills. 4