85 New Ships for British Navy

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 75, 21 December 1937, Page 5

85 New Ships for British Navy

PresB Assn.-

additions in 1937 Five More Battieships in Next Year's Estimates ITALY'S SUBMARINES

(By Telegraph—

-Copyright.)

(Eeceived 21, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 20. The latest edition of James's "Fighting Ships" indicates that 85 Britirh vessels were added to the Navy by the 1937 programme. There are now five aircraft-carriers and 17 cruisers under construction. It is anticipated that five additional battieships will be included in 1938/9 estimates. Japan contemplates building four battieships with 16-inch guns, but so far no news has been received that the keels have been laid. Although two Italian 35,000-tou battleships wete laid down in 1937, it is doubtful if they will be ready before 1940. Italy will soon have more submarines than any fleet except Russia, which is bidding for first place in submarines and motor torpedo-boats. It was announced in the House of Commons that an order for one 8000ton cruiser was being placed with each of the following firms: Swan, Hunter and Wigham-Richardson, Wallsend-on-Tyne; John Brown, Clydebanlc; A. Stephen and Sons, Govanj and Vickers Armstrong (reports a British Of&eial Wireless message). It was explained that the ships represented the conclusion of the 1937 programme. Mr A. Duff Cooper, First Lord of the Admiralty, assured Mr Winston Churchill that the cruisers were certainly the eaual of conternporary vessels being built in other countries. A Washington message says: It is understood President Roosevelt is recommending Congress to approve a 576,000,000-dollar naval programme, which is 50,000,000 dollars in excess of previous appropriations. It includes two super-dreadnoughts and 20 smaller craft. t9 w— II —— ■ — mmmmm