Evening star., 1940-07-11
$4,000, Bill
To Double Navy Goes
To White House
Congress Ready to Act
On Presidents New PIeo
For More Billions

On Presidents New PIeo
For More Billions
BY the Associated Press.
A $4,000, ,000,0 900 naval expansion
bill was sent to the White House
today by Congress.
1t was major portion of the de-
fense campaign, and legislators on
Capitol Hill were manifesting a
desire to approve President Roose-
velt's request for $4,848.171 ,957 in
cash and authorizations to start
this expansion and to increase great
ly the Armys land and air forces.
The Navy expansion measure,
sent to the White House for the
Presidents signature by unanimous
House agreement to minor Senate
changes, would virtually double the
size of the present Navy.
No European War Pledge Hailed.
Congressional sentiment for the
s4,848,171,957 addition to the defense
program was coupled with wide
spread applause for Mr. Roosevelt's S
pledge that no American troops
would be sent to fight in Europe.
His latest extraordinary defense
message-the third in less than two
months-went to Capitol Hill yes
terday afternoon within a few hours
of two other major developments.
Knox Confirmed, 66 to 16.
The Senate first voted, 66 20 l6,
to confirm Col Frank Knox as Sec
retary of the Navy and then with
dispatch rushed through the House.
approved bill authorizing expansion
of the fleet to "two-ocean" propor-
tions
Although President Roosevelt S
new preparedness request would
boost the present program above the
$4,000, 600 900 level, only scattering
criticism appeared in congressional
comment
A few legislators expressed doubt
that the additional money and au-
thorizations could be utilized inme-
diately in view of the existing arms
backlog. Senator Frazier, Republic
can, of North Dakota, said the rec
ommendation sounded as if it were
"for a foreign war, rather than ma
tional defense"
Objectives Are Fivefold.
Mr.. Roosevelt, in his message, di-
vided his request into $2,161 AL ,957
cash and $2,686, ,730 900 contract ap-
propriations.
The objectives, he said, were FIVE
fold:
l. To carry forward construction
of fleet equal to any possible hos
tile combination.
2. To provide equipment for an
army of 100000 men.
3. To build up reserve of tanks.
artillery, ammunition for another
100000 troops, If they should be
needed.
4. To gear industrial resources not
only to produce defense items now
on schedule. but also to supply an
army of 100000, if necessary.
S. To procure $4,000 more planes
for the Army, and 1000 more for
the Navy.
Two-Ocean" Navy Sought.
The first point listed by Mr..
Roosevelt contemplates an actual
start of construction on the two
ocean" Navy. The bill which went to
the White House today authorizes
a seven-year program to add the
necessary 200 combat ships to the
fleet, but carries no funds to get
work under way.
The recommendation for 10000
more planes looked to creation of a
combined air force of $4,000 planes
by the autumn of lola big lump
toward the Presidents 50,00O-plan
goal
Mr.. Roosevelt recounted his past
efforts in behalf of preparedness and
his statements on the international
situation during the last seven years.
"The New Enslavement."
He coined a phrase-"the new en-
slavement"-to describe the threats
which he saw to the Nation TODAY.
THAT we are opposed to war is
known not only to every American,
but to every government in the
world" he asserted, and then
enunciated a two-fold policy:
1--WE will not use our arms in a
war of aggression; we will not send
out men to take part in European
wars .4
"But we will repel aggression
against the United States or the
Western Hemisphere"
The recessing of Congress tonight
for the Democratic National Con-
vention precluded immediate action
on the new defense program, but
plans were made to start work on it
by July a..