Officials also regard the United States morally free to increase fortifications at American naval bases in the Pacific, particularly because of Britain's strengthened fortifications at Hongkong.
High Government authorities indicated the United States would inyoke the escalator clause before May in order to be able to include larger
jon programme. in the current construc-Officials here see no alternative for a large scale naval building race on a "free for al" basis. President Roosevelt ani o: h^r Administration leaders are knows to hold that conditions have no: changed sufficient); io warrant a change in the 5-3-3 naval ratio which in 1920 was considered sufficie.t naval strength for America, Britain and Japan for defence only.
presentative Georgia author Mr, Can 2: patents Re-of the Vinson Navy Bill which would increase American naval strength by 20 per cent, said the size of the new warships would depend on the advice of Navy experts and the size of the Panama Canal locks.
Usually reliable sources said Mr. Vinson planned to amend his naval bill to call for 120,000 additional tons of superdreadnoughts which would en. able the construction of three 40,000- ton battleships.
The Japanese refusal to reveal Japan's naval construction plans and the Department of State comment reiterating that the United States was seeking to ce-operate with other nations toward world peace was believed by observers to have put new pressure on President Roosevelt today to demand a larger increase in the naval appropriations.
One influential Congressman told the United Press that Japan's refusal to reveal her naval building plans would "tend to clear the atmosphere and permit the Navy to take advantage of the escalator clause of the London Naval Treaty to build battleships above the 35,000-ton limits."
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