GENERAL CABLES

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3406, 10 February 1920, Page 6

GENERAL CABLES

U.s. NAVAL PROGRAMME,

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7.

Secretary of the Navy Daniels announced that -he would place before Congress within a fortnight the naval plans. He was contemplating the construction of sixteen super dreadnoughts, and ten battle-cruisers, with an expenditure of 780 million dollars. He will also ask for a construction appropriation of 200 millions for the fiscal years beginning July Ist, and fifty millions for increased pay to the naval personnel.

BIG VOTE WANTED FOR AVIATION. AN EXTENSIVE POLICY. WASHINGTON, Feb. 7. Mr Craven, director of naval aviation, informedthe House of Representatives that the Navy Department contemplates the construction of two giant seaplanes, the largest in the world, and asked for an appropriation of 636,000 dollars for this work. He also recommended the consizruction of four new N.C. planes, 1503sm9_.‘1er seaplanes ,and three small non-rigid dirigibles, all costing 2,700,000 dollars. Mr Craven said the giant seaplanes would have a capacity of] thirty tons and 140-foot wingspread.

WHAT AMERICA PAID IN BLOOD. WASHINGTON, Feb. 7. The final casualty figures in regard to the American Expeditionary Force are: —• Killed in action 38,844 Died of wounds 13,960 Wounded (of whom 85 percent are returning to duty) 215,423 ADMIRAL SIMS’ ALLEGATIONS. EVIDENCE OF NAVAL SECRETARY WASHINGTON, Feb. 7. Mr Daniels, in evidence before the Senate Investigating Committee, said that after Congress passed the law permitting foreign decorations, President Wilson directed the State Department to notify European Governments that the United States did not wish any

(lecorations. In, nieantline Advmil‘-« 9.13 Rodman, Strauss, and Sims had accepted decorations. Admirals Rodman and Strauss decided to refuse, but accepted lest the refusal Vyould offend ‘Britain. Admiral SlD’__'s held that decorlations would have a valuable eifect on moral and fighting eificiency. Mr Daniels further alleged that Admiral Sims told Congressional representatives at Paris during the war that General Pershing flailed to break the German lines and that the Anierican Navy played a. small part compared with the British. Mr Daniels according refused Admiral Sims a decoration because ‘he had become a. British propagandist. Mir Daniels said Admoral Sims wanted to leave control of the seas_to,Gl'eat Britain, which he would call an unAmerican policy. The United States must follow one of two courses——she must have -the League of Nations with a. mobile police f‘-orcel of the seas, to which she would contribute as much as any nation. If not this, then her duty was as plain as a pikestatf; she must have incomparably the biggest navy in the world.

WOOL PROPITEERING. ] REPORT OF INVESTIGATING ‘ COMMITTEE. HUGE PROFITS DISCLOSED. LONDON, Feb. 7. The report of the Pro-fiteering Act} Committee «on ‘“V00=l-Spv1IlI1‘e'1‘S’ profits,‘ issued by the Board of Trade, shows that enormous profits were made by spinners. The highest instance of excess profits otficfilly allowed works out at 3000; and in no case is the 1-Lreess profit over that allowed by the War Office schedule of fair prices less than 250 per cent. The committee say that’ at least half of forty types of yarn investigated showed profit of not less than twenty-five pence per lb, the excess percentage accruing to spinners being: On one penny per pound yards, 2500 per cent; on three penny per pound yarns, 833 per cent. Spinners objected to «the figures on which these calculations were based as misleading, and supplied their own figures, which showed profits ranging from 240 to 250 per cent. The committee finds that no facts were disclosed to support the view that spinners were inadequately remunerated by the: VVar Office. during the war, and that the Profiteering Act had, no apparent efiect on prices of worsted yards or the profits rising therefrom. M O A '

PRICE Ol‘ WHEAT. TIMARU, Feb. 7. ‘A. meeting of farmers vto—day decided to ‘accept the wheat pricesfixed for this year,.and-to ask_ the Government to fix the price for next year at an average of a. shilling higher.