AMERICAN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1928, Page 3

AMERICAN NEWS

AMERICA’S NAVY. :MR. WILBUR’S STATEMENT. WASHINGTON; Jan. 11. Mr Wilbur, before the House Naval -Affairs Committee, revealed that the ■ eight hundred million dollars’ building programme he recommended to Congress was drafted as a five-year programme for the immediate needs of the Navy, it was regarded as a start. He recommended an additional twentyyear programme of building replacement, which should provide forty-three 10,000-ton cruisers and additional submarines and destroyers. Mr Wilbur emphasised a five-year programme meant no competitive building. It was not proposed to meet the building programme of other nations. The Secretary explained, however, that this brought the United States navy well within the equality rates fixed by the Washington Conference, as compared with Great Britain and “ slightly above the 5—3 ratio with Japan.” Mr Wilbur cited the insistence of ■Great Britain at Geneva for her need of increased tonnage regardless of that of other powers, and the persuasive evidence of the United States’ need for increased cruiser tonnage, also that such a programme for the United States was in no sense competitive, to which President Coolidge is said to be opposed He said the programme was siinpli ' based on the .needs of the “United States navy, determined by the naval technical board. Mr Wilbur said it woulc cost the United States a billion dollars to build cruisers to the limit set bj Britain. He said that surplus ships built under a twenty-year prog minim represented a conservative estimate o the actual protective needs. To built

-t enough immediately would be too great a burden on the nation’s peace time activities, but if a twenty-year programme were carried out, with a reaf sonable burden placed on Government, the danger of war would be greatly f minimised. United States needed a first-class navy. The naval building programme was based on the navy s needs in the same sense ns the city’s police force was based upon the estimate of its needs for the protection of tlie public. The report accompanying Mr A\ ilbuHs statement to the Committee, said: “‘Smart looking, modern cruisers create a prestige that aids merchants anil manufacturers in building up trade abroad and the measure of commercial success is influenced in no small degree ' by the prestige which up-to-date smartlooking cruisers create anil foster.”

VISITOR TO AMERICA. NEW YORK, Jan. 11. Julius arrived by the Majestic, which was delayed eight hours by bait weather. He said an American stay consumed too much time to include a visit to all parts of the United States and Canada. He would visit Washington next week to consult various Government bureaus and agencies.