Evening star., 1946-03-19
7 Billion Cut in Funds
For Navy Jeopardizes
Security, Nimitz Says
Six Months Minimum
To Regain 1e45 Strength.
He Tells House Group
By Corter Brooke Jone:

Reduction of the Navy'S budget
for 1947 by $2,O00,OOo,OO0 as rec
commended by the Budget Bu-
reau, would jeopardize the Sc
curity of the country, Admiral
Chester w. Nimitz, Chief of Ma
val Operations, told the House
Naval Affairs Committee today.
Even under present conditions,
Admiral Nimitz said, it would take a
minimum of six months to bring
the Navy back to its 1945 fighting
strength if an emergency arose.
IF the nature of the emergency
were such that rehabilitation could
be stopped" he said, Il would esti-
mate that minimum of six months
would be required to rebuild the
Navy to its strength of last fall"
Called to discuss the effect of a
reduced budget, which a House Ap-
preparations subcommittee is con-
sldering at closed hearings, Admiral
Nimitz agreed with Chairman Vim
son that the figure sent to Capitol
Hill by the Budget Bureau would
bring the Navy's strength below the
estimated margin of safety.
The Navy asked Sc, 1924 100000. The
budget Bureau reduced this to S4,-
224 100000
Would Reduce Combat Ships.
Admiral Nimitz told the committee
this would involve cutting the num-
Der of combat ships from 1,079 to
965. 1t would, he added, reduce per-
sonnel from 100000 to 437,0O0 and
would seriously impair the Navys
program of construction and repair
Mr.. Vinson brought out for the
record that Congress last October
adopted a concurrent resolution
agreeing to the maintenance of a
Navy containing substantially the
number of ships which the Navy De-
partment had planned to keep in
operation during 1947. The chair
man also developed that Secretary
of the Navy Forrestal had borne
these needs in mind when he asked
the Budget Bureau for approximate
ly S6,324, 100000, but that the bu.
reau nevertheless had cut the figure
with a pencil" by approximately
81, ,0O0, ,0OO, 900.
Did you feel that the defense OF
the country required the budget you
asked?" Mr.. Vinson inquired.
Admiral Nimitz replied: Yes
certainly for the transition period
during which we could not foresee
the future clearly"
Sees Threat to Safety.
Would a reduction of the appro-
priation by $2,000,0O, 900 jeopardize
the security of the Nation?" MI
| Vinson asked.
Admiral Nimitz replied indirectly
at first, though later he made the
1at statement that such a reduction
in the budget would jeopardize the
country's safety.
During this war;" said the ad-
miral, this country has reached
a position of prominence in worle
affairs. That involves a great re.
sponsibility. If we exercise thai
responsibility, it will tend to sta.
bilize world conditions. 7 can't say
and I don't believe anybody can say
just what our Navy should be in the
future. But if we are going to err
1t would be better for us to err or
the safe side"
Admiral Ninitz explained tina
Postwar Plan One" on which th'
1947 appropriations asked by thu
Navy was based, would give thi
country a greater navy than any il
existence-a balanced navy. Thu
budget cut, he said, would be sus
tanned primarily in ships and othe
equipment and next in personnel.
THE conclusion I draw" said MI
Vinson, ''is that it would jeopardiz'
the position of our Government il
the postwar world"
Eyes, sir" said Admiral mint
emphatically.
Later Mr.. Vinson asked if such I
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