MILITARY BUDGET BIGGEST YET IN PEACE TIME

Grey River Argus, 4 June 1948, Page 5

MILITARY BUDGET BIGGEST YET IN PEACE TIME

U.SA Policy is Preparedness

(Rec 10.40) WASHINGTON June 2 The Appropriations Committee of the United States House of Representatives to-day approved one of the biggest peacetime military .budgets in the United States history. It is one of 10,197,000,000 dollars. This is three times the amount spent during 1941, when America was preparing, for war.

To-day’s recommendation is an addition to approximately 3,000,000,000 dollars which Congress last month authorised for new aircraft for the three services.

The appropriations are—U.S. Army 5,618,000,000 dollars. U.S. Navy, including the Marine Corps, 3)887,000,000 dollars. U.S. Air Force: 892,000,000 dollars. The authorised strengths are: — Army 790,000 men. Marine Corps 552,000 men. Air Force 444,000 men.

The Navy’s appropriation includes funds for (1) the construction of a 65,000-ton aircraft carrieT which will be the largest in the world. (2) A “Killer Whip” to combat submarines. (3)Two high-speed submarines and also other submarines of an entirely “new character,” not otherwise described. (4) The conversion of an aircraft carrier and of two submarines into vessels whose nature is being kept secret. One of the general defence measures will be the construction of a radar screen in the United States and Alaska, costing 160,000,000 dollars. LATER

To-day the United States , House of Representatives passed the Air Force and Army appropriations, and sent them on to the Senate. The House will consider th Navy appropriations tomorrow.