"Alone & Friendless"

"If the U. S. Navy is to be able to support American policies, protect American trade and defend American possessions, it must be provided with new aircraft carriers, new light cruisers, new destroyers and new submarines. . . . The international situation today is far from reassuring. . . . We stand practically alone and friendless in a turbulent world. . . . This is no time to scuttle the Navy and jeopardize the safety of the U. S. . . . The income from tobacco taxes would build and maintain a Navy such as we need, with ease. . . ."

Thus spoke big, baggy Representative Carl Vinson to the House last week as it began to consider 1934 naval appropriations. Because he is chairman of the House Naval Affairs Committee, his words rang with official authority. Because he is a Georgia Democrat close to Franklin Delano Roosevelt his views on upbuilding the Navy were generally accepted as those of the incoming Administration. Chairman Vinson announced his intention of pushing through this spring's special session of Congress a bill authorizing the expenditure of $63,000,000 per year for about ten years on new naval craft, to restore the U. S. fleet as a first-class fighting force at treaty strength. That a onetime Assistant Secretary of the Navy, occupying the White House, would back such legislation was taken for granted.

As an "astounding situation" Chairman Vinson pointed out that during the last decade the U. S. had provided for only 40 ships of 197,640 tons, while Britain was building 147 of 473,311 tons, Japan 164 of 409,667 tons. His statistics further demonstrated that in modern cruisers, destroyers and submarines the U. S. is already inferior to Japan in numbers and tonnage.

Next day the House passed a $315,419,000 naval appropriation bill, after refusing to follow President Hoover's recommendation and cut the Marine Corps from 15,343 to 13,600 men. The measure allowed the Navy $53,345,000 for construction work on nine cruisers, three submarines, eight destroyers and four destroyer leaders, all authorized in 1929 or before.* Authorized but not appropriated for remained a transport and an experimental submarine.

*During the four Hoover years, Congress authorized no new naval construction.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.