Decision Forecast to Reduce by $400,000,000
New York, Feb. 12.
The New York "Times," on the authority of the "Big Navy" group in Congress, forecasts a substantial reduction in the Administration's naval building programme owing to the deluge of protests against the carrying out of the programme, Tt recalls that President Coolidge 1026 declared that the Navy then was ample for all practical pur-
Poses, The paper adumbrates a cut of $400,000,000, elimination of the provision for 85 submarines and a decrease in the number of cruisers from 25 to between 15 and 12.
Tt may be recalled that the Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Curtis D. Wilbur, disclosed to the Naval Com. Imittee of the House of Representa tives on January 12 that the Navy Department had drafted a comprehensive 20-year building programme, of which the—pro~ Gramm mentioned in his report, embracing 25 cruisers, five aircraft. carriers, nine destroyer-leaders and 82 submarines, was only a part.
Mr, Wilbur declared that the programme he had mentioned in his Statement to the Naval Committee on January 11 was spread over eight years, The bigger programme provided for replacement of battle Bhips as soon as that was possible under the Washington Treaty.
Mr, Wilbur estimated the cost of thus aggregating $2,500,000,000.- Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.