AMERICA’S NAVY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 January 1940, Page 6

AMERICA’S NAVY

AIM .OF NEW VOTES ‘’MIGHTIEST FORCE AFLOAT.” COMPLETION EXPECTED IN 1944. NEW YORK, November 8. Within a few hours of President Roosevelt proclaiming the amended neutrality law, last Saturday at noon — “a high noon for freedom,” said Lloyd George —we learned of the intention to ask the New Year sitting of Congress to vote the United States “the mightiest naval force afloat and the world’s greatest naval ait fleet.” The plan, said to have the hearty backing of President Roosevelt, is the subject of legislation, drafted by the chairman of the House Naval Affairs Committee, Mr Vinson, of Georgia .“It embodies realistic naval expansion, as distinguished from a' policy based on hysteria,” he observed. Designed to forestall the two-ocean Navy advocates, the measure seeks to authorise 95 Combatant and 31 auxiliary wahships, 2395 additional aeroplanes and 36 lighter-than-air ships, mostly blimps. Envisaging a combined Army-Navy air force of nearly 12,000 aeroplanes, the bill sets the maximum serviceable naval air units at 6000; the Army, has appropriations for 5520 aeroplanes. The cost of the programme is estimated at 1300 million dollars. The bulk of the naval tonnage can be laid down and completed in three or four years. In the combatant warship category, Mr Vinson provides for three aircraft carriers, eight cruisers, 53 destroyers, and submarines, representing a 25 percent increase on existing appropriations, voted last year, which were 20 per cent in advance of the previous Navy Budget .Auxiliary types, such as tankers, tenders and repair ships, would aggregate 120,000 tons. Completion of the programme in 1944, said Mr Vinson, would find the composition of the fleet, in under-age fighting craft, as follows: —Fifteen battleships. 59 cruisers, 11 aircraftcarriers, 173 destroyers, 87 submarines, 5400 aeroplanes, and 36 airships. This programme includes eight battleships. one of 45.000 tons, which are now on the stocks .and eight others, which will have become over-age in 1944. The latter, with six cruisers. 32 submarines and 120 destroyers, also to be outdated and decommissioned by 1944. “will still be useful in emergency.” says Mr Vinson whose proposals have the support of the Navy General Board.

Some of the new cruisers may displace 12.000 tons and mount 11-inch guns, with speed and fighting power greater than Get many's "pocket battleships.” The new Navy, Mr Vinson expects, "will be strong enough to cope with any single aggressor.” Supplementary legislation will provide for Navy loans, up to one-third of the total cost of new or enlarged ways, which private shipyards will require, to handle their share of the programme. Navy shipyards will be expanded.