U.S.A. FLEET.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1926, Page 4

U.S.A. FLEET.

DEFECTS DISCOVERED. [Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.’ SAN FRANCISCO, .March S. The United States Navy had to send a number of ships from the Australian c-ruise last summer, lieeauso they were not properly constructed. Representative McClintic. of Oklahoma, a Democrat in the House Naval Committee. fold that committee in Washington He went to Australia with the fleet. Recently a confidential report of Admiral Coontz on the fleet was transmitted to the Senate Naval Committee. which, while guarded with closest fi’crecv at the behest of naval officials, was indicated as stating that a number of minor engineering difficulties were encountered. Representative McClintic said lack of adequate inspection of new vessels was responsible for the condition he described, and asserted that the navy had to spend nearly 1,500,000 dollars

for alterations on the ten new 7500ton cruisers of Omaha class after completion. “Some of the ships that are being built for the navy,” he said, ‘‘do not function properly even "after being accepted front the contractors. Some of them in the Australian cruise, for instance. lt'ad to he sent back home, because they were not properly constructed. Some of them could not he steered and some burned at least onethird more oil than 'ships built- by other companies.”