Washington, Apr. 4.
The House of Representatives today sent the $550,000,000 Navy Bill into conference, Admiral W. D. Leahy, Chief of Naval Operations, told House lead" ers that the Vinson Naval Expansion Bill would have to be revised to authorize construction of three new super-dreadnoughts above the 35,000- ton class which constituted the limit unde the London Naval Treaty prior to invocation of the treaty's escalator clause by the United States and Britain last week.
Admiral Leahy testified in a secret committee session that the United States naval strength was considerably below the 5-5:3 ratio of the London Naval Treaty. In all divisions of warships except capital ships and heavy cruisers, he said, Japan actually had a much higher ratio than that allotted her for modern, under-age ships in the London Treaty.
Responding to questions, Admiral Leahy said he saw no immediate danger of America's becoming involved in war. He said the Navy's building programme was based on the naval programmes of other countries.
H.M.S. Hood, it is announced, arrived in Barcelona, where commander will discuss with British authorities there the questi of the safety of British nationals atid arrange for an early evacuation, should the necessity arise, ili It has become known in London tod day that, following receipt of a gram on April 1 from. the five British ships ili Tart pour that they ivere being subjected to deliberate and daily air attacks, the British Agent at Burgos, Sir Robert Hodgson, was instructed to inform the Nationalist authorities of the captain's statements and urge that immediate instructions be given to vease these attacks on British ship: ping.: i The telegram dispatched by the captains stated that the nationality of the vessels was plainly visible and that there was no military objective near the ships—Wireless through Reuter, What is
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.