AMERICAN CABLE NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 15 December 1927, Page 2

AMERICAN CABLE NEWS

[Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.) NEW YORK, Dec. 13. A gold shipment of 7,500,000 dollars was withdrawn from the Federal Reserve Bank for shipment to Loudon on Wednesday. T. 7.5. NAVY SCll LA IF, NEW YORK, Dec. 14. A New York “ Times ” Washington correspondent says that President Coolidge stated that lie had not yet filially approved of the nnvfil programme. This is received with the utmost surprise by those members of Congress, who gained the distinct impression that the draft programme shown them yesterday represented the President’s views.

It is understood tlifit the programme was modified to-day. as a result of protests by members of Congress against such heavy naval expenditure and it is reported that the refusal of President Coolidge to approve the authorisation of four hntleships modifications would eliminate the latter and slightly reduce the estimated cost of the airplane carriers; but as agreed upon today and sent to the Budget Bureau for approval, the programme contemplates a filial expenditure of approximately a billon dollars for five years, the building cost of which would he distributed over nine years.

This programme provides that construction shall all be started within five years and completed within nine years, and is moreover only a part of a twenty year scheme, details of which arc closely guarded, designed for replacements and such additions to tlie fleet as naval developments and national policy require. The publication of details of the billion dollar scheme has not only aroused immediate antagonism among so-called pacifists, lmt impressed big-navy men as involving expenditure of too much money in so short a period. -dr Butler, commenting on the battleship feature, said : “ How can we tell now that the United States and Britain will not agree by 1932 that fourteen battleships will he sufficient instead of eighteen, provided for in the present treaty.” Representative French, Chairman ol the Naval Sub-Committee, expressed the view that the programme “ is out of line with the present and prospective needs of the navy.” lie was doubtful weliter Congress would make appropriation for cruiser construction, in addition to tlie ciglit ten-thousand ton cruisers now under way.

UNITED STATES NAVY. WASHINGTON, Dec. 11. Air AYilbitr transmitted to Congress the naval building programme providing tor seventy-one new vessels costing nearly eight hundred million dollars, together with a letter stating this programme ‘‘is not in conflict with the financial programme ol the President. ’’ The Bill embodying tlie programme was introduced itnmedint.ly; ’by) .Representative Bjitler (Chairman of the House Naval Affairs Committee). The programme provides for twenty-five light cruisers, nine destroyer leaders, thirty-two submarines, five aircraft carriers. No time limit is provided lor construction. Light cruisers and aircraft carriers is subject to the Washington Treaty. The President is empowered in the Bill to suspend the programme wholly or partly at his discretion.

AVASHINGTON, Dec. 14. .dr Wilbur explained that the estimated cost was merely speculative, but submitted a schedule totalling i2;l millon dollars. Air Butler said tlie cost would be between 7(1(1 and 800 million.s The estimates were as follows: Light cruisers, seventeen million dollars each ; destroyer leader, five millions each submarines, five millions each; aircraft carriers, nineteen millions each. This was the largest navy programme submitted since 191(5.

Simultaneously me Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Mr Warner, in charge of aviation, told the House Naval Affairs Committee ythat additional legislation by Congress will he necessary before contracts can he negotiated for the two dirigibles authorised last session, because the only bid received is higher than the sum fixed by Congress, which is four millions. LONDON, Dec. 14.

“ There has been a most disastrous mishandling of the whole of the AngloAmerican naval problem,” said Viscount Grey at Newcastle. “If Britain during the Disarmament Conference had only said : ‘We want small cruisers. We do not mind how many ten thousand tonners the United States builds,’ the conference would not have failed.”

PACIFIC SHIPPING. WASHINGTON, Dec. 13. The United States Shipping Board to-day approved of the conference agreement between the Matson Navigation Company and live inter-coastal lines, providing for a joint service from the North Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico poi'ts to call to Sydney, at specified rates per ton of two thousand pounds, or forty cubic foot rates, not being applicable to packages weighing in excess of 672,000 pounds. It is stated that nrbitrnnts are to he charged in addition to specified though rates, on traffic destined for Australian ports beyond Sydney. ’l'he Board also approved the agreement by the American - Hawaiian Steamship Coy. with the Trans-Atlantic Steamship Coy., providing for movements of shipping on through hills of lading from the Atlantic Coast ports of the United States to Australia and New Zealand, via San Francisco or Los Angeles.

THE ARCH SPY. LINCOLN. VANCOUVER. Dec. It. A Buddhist Priest, H. Bull, who was given a rousing farewell when lie sailed from here to China in September, is identified from clippings of Peking newspapers as Trebitsch Lincoln, the arehspy. He lectured on energy matter and startled his hearers by a knowledge of Buddhism. He said lie was an Anglican curate before conversion to Buddhism. His disguise was unquestioned here. TRAIN HELD UP. NEW YORK, Dec. 14. Fifteen bandits with six automobiles held up a freight train on the Reading Railway, near Langliorne, Pennsylvania, stealing silk worth £IO.OOO. The train crew opened fire with revolvers. and tiie bandits replying with rifles, went on with the robbery. Another train arrived, but the combined crews were unable to wrest the booty lrom the robbers who disappeared in the darkness.