CRUISER BILL PASSED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 581, 6 February 1929, Page 9

CRUISER BILL PASSED

BIG MAJORITY IN U.S. SENATE

ARMS LIMITATION PROVISION

(United. P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright■ (Australian and N.Z. Press Association .1 (United Service) Rood. 11.53 a.m. WASHINGTON. Tuesday. THE Senate to-day passed by 58 votes to 12, the bill authorising the construction of 15 cruisers, and one airplane carrier, at a total cost of 800,000.

President Coolidge had asked that the decision regarding the time of beginning the construction of the ships be left with the President, but the Bill provides only that he may suspend operations in whole or in part at any time if an international agreement for arms limitation is reached.

The measure, which was approved a year ago by the House of Representatives, must be returned there tor consideration and minor amendments before being sent to the President. The Senate earlier in the day refused to decrease the number of cruisers to nine, or to increase the air-craft carriers to three, as proposed in the amendments. The Senate on Monday, by 54 votes to 28, refused to eliminate from the Bill the stipulation that the ships shall be laid down before July 1, 1921.

Although President Coolidge does not approve of the Bill with the time restriction clause included, he announced to-day that he does not wish to be understood as saying positively that he will veto the measure. Before the measure was passed the Senate wrote into the Bill a statement to the effect that it favoured a treaty with the principal naval powers to regulate the conduct of belligerents and neutrals at sea.

Regarding the cost of the American cruisers, which will be of 10,000 tons, it is interesting to note that the British ships of this type cost just over £2,000,000 each, and that our most expensive and biggest air-craft carrier, H.M.S. Eagle, cost £4,617,630. At this rate all 3 6 new ships should not cost the American Government more than £30,000,000, whereas the amount provided by the Bill is nearly £20,000,000 more than this figure.

BRITAIN’S GESTURE

TWO SHIPS CUT OUT NO RACE WITH AMERICA (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) LONDON, Monday. The “Daily Chronicle 5 * reports that it has been decided to postpone indefinitely the construction of the two new cruisers which should have been begun in 1929. This, the paper says, was the important result of a conference to-day

between the Prime Minister, Mr. Baldwin, the Foreign Secretary, Sir Austen Chamberlain, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Mr. Winston Churchill, and the first Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. W. C. Bridgeman, and the Sea Lords. Cabinet has not yet ratified the decision, but is not expected to reverse it. No announcement is likely to be made until the 15-Cruiser Bill has been passed by the United States Senate. The British Government does not want to appear to be using its curtailment policy in order to affect the Senate’s decision. At the same time it is hoped that the curtailment now decided upon will help to remove the impression created by last year’s understanding between Britain and France that Britain was entering upon a naval armaments race against America. The Admiralty admits that the Washington Conference, to be held in 1931, may result in a material curtailment of subsequent naval construction. Sir Austen Chamberlain thinks this gesture will produce a favourable atmosphere at the conference and make possible prior negotiations.