OUTLAY ON DEFENCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 April 1940, Page 5

OUTLAY ON DEFENCE

BIG INCREASES MOOTED IN UNITED STATES NAVAL AND AIR PROJECTS. MADE ESSENTIAL BY WARFARE ABROAD. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 9.20 a.m.) WASHINGTON, April 16. Expressing' the opinon that Ihe spread of warfare abroad makes defence increases essential. the Washington correspondent of the United Press of America says Administration leaders have agreed to ask the Senate to add 50.000,0 DD dollars to the War Depart ment Appropriation Bill, including 4,()()(),000 dollars to begin the construction of an air base and anchorage in Alaska and 40,000.000 dollars for the purchase of rilles and artillery. The Navy Department has notified the Senate Naval Affairs Committee that the American-made planes, that the Allies are using at present, outfought Germany's finest combat planes and demonstrated their superiority over comparable European types, although they are slower than the new -models now available to the Allies. The Navy Report added that despite aircraft improvements, the battleship was still the backbone of naval forces. The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Stark, continuing his testimony before the Senate Naval Affairs Committee, recommended Congress to increase the 966,000.000 dollars that the House had approved, by 45.000.000 dollars. of which 18,000.000 dollars would be for the purpose of improving ship facilities ashore, and 37.000.000 dollars to lay the keels of four cruisers, thirteen destroyers and eight submarines this year.