Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-01-24
Mr.. Dorden Defends
Vinson Bill SIush
Virginia Representative
Sees No Danger
In NovuI Cut
TO the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
nave read with interest your editorial
Of January 10, entitled Dangerous
Economy" While I am in accord with
your desire to see authorized the naval
tonnage necessary for the protection
Of our country. feel that you are I'M
duly apprehensive as to the effect of the
changes suggested by Chairman vinson.
There is no cause for alarm in the
proposal made by the chairman of the
House Naval Affairs Committee in view
of the recent report on naval tonnage,
authorized and available. made to the
committee by the Navy: Department.
without touching upon battleship con-
struction, the authorizations for which,
I take 1t, you deem adequate, we find
that the budget for the coming fiscal
year 1941 provides for the following
construction which has heretofore been
authorized: t.i
1. One aircraft carrier iof 2O400 tons.
2. Two cruisers aggresating 10000 tons.
8. Eight destroyers aggregating 1890
tons.
T. Six submarines aggregating $500
tons.
After this construction has been ap-
propriated for there will be available for
further appropriation and construction,
authorization having already been made,
as of July l, 1910, the following:
/. Cruisers, 82,999 tons, or four times
the tonnage being appropriated for the
fiscal year 1941
2. Destroyers, 81 $50 tons, or almost
five times the tonnage being appropri-
ated for the fiscal year 194l
3. Submarines 1885 tons, or about
40 per cent more than the tonnage being
appropriated for the fiscal year 194l.
In your comments on Mr. Wilson's
proposal, you stress particularly the dan
ger OF neglecting to add to our destroyer
strength. There is no danger from this
source Notwithstanding the fact that 1t
is proposed to strike destroyer authori-
cation from the pending bill.
After the construction now provided
for in the budget for the fiscal year
l94l, there will be authorization out
standing for sufficient tonnage to permit
the construction of 80 new destroyers
OF the l,850-ton leader type, or 40 new
destroysrs OF the conventional SCOT
type
This gives us, should We continue con-
struction on the basis which has OBJ
tanned FOR the past several years, namely
eight each year, sufficient tonnage for
four years work if only the leader type
is utilized, and for five years work if the
500-ton type is built In view of the
fact that comparatively few leaders need
to be constructed in balanced program,
it is reasonable to assume that we have
available much nearer five years work
than four. This being the case believe
your criticism on this point not we'll
founded
The Vinson bill, with the changes
recently proposed, authorizes the follow
ing additional tonnage:
l. Carriers, $4,000 TONS. or three new
ships Of our latest class.
2. Cruisers. 10000 tons, or II new
ships of our latest class.
3. Submarines. 80 900 tons. or approxi-
mately 20 new ships of our latest class.
This tonnage is added to the author
lied tonnage above referred to which
will be available after the construction
provided in the budget for the fiscal year
1941.
Thus the tonnage available with the
passage OF the Vinson bill not only pro-
vides an ample reservoir from which
actual construction can be drawn when
the necessary appropriations are made,
but 1t gives sufficient opportunity for the
Navy to work on new designs as sug-
gested in your article, and with which
suggestion I am in hearty accord.
1t appears to me that the bill. with
the changes suggested by the chairman,
is much sounder piece of legislation.
cannot escape the conclusion that the
editorial in question is unduly alarming
and tends to create in the minds of your
readers, of which have been one for a
number Of years. an erroneous con-
ception of our naval program.
COLGATE w. DARDEN, Jr.,
Representative from Virginia.