Washington, Mar. 2. The House Naval Affairs Committee to-day overwhelmingly endorsed President Roosevelt's defence policy and urged complete freedom of action for the Navy at the discretion of the President. The Committee. rejected an amendment to the Vinson naval bill requiring the immediate withdrawal of all naval vessels from China.
By a vote of sixteen to six the Committee turned down an amendment designed to restrict United States naval operations to a theoretical defence line in the centre of the Pacific and in mid-Atlantic waters. Mr. Carl Vinson, Democratic representative from Georgia and author of the naval bill, said the amendment in effect would "establish a prize ring navy fight which is impractical and contrary to all naval tactics."
Mr. Vinson said he expected the Committee to adopt his policy amendment emphasizing that the navy can be used for defence only but that the United States reserves the right to build a fleet sufficiently powerful to resist simultaneous attacks on both coasts,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.