House Committee Approves Bill for 3,000
New Army Plai ines; Pacifists Give Views Washington, Feb. 7. [PRESIDENT Roosevelt's national defence programme moved a step nearer reality today wh" ren the House of Representatives Military Affairs Committee returned a unanimous report approving. the $376,000,000 bill authorizing the purchase of 3,000 new Army fighting planes which will give the Army air corps a potential strength of 5,500 first line planes.
Mr. Andrew J. May, Democratic Representative of Kentucky and chairman of the Committee, announced the $376,000,000 appropriation called for in the bill does not include the $100,000,000 requested by the President for the purchase of critical war materials.
He said the bill approved today would come up for House action on Thursday.
Members of the Committee said existing legislation already authorizes $100,000,000 for the critical war materials req nested by the President, Fifteen Democrats defeated te Republican committee mieinbers to reject the Andrews Amendment to the national defence bill which would have limited plane unally in peace time to avoid the construction to 1,000 planes an-accumulation of obsolete planes at too great a rate.
The bill approved today. besides providing for 3,000 new Army fighting lanes, also calls for:
1. The authorization of $3,250,000 for "educational" orders to American industry to acquaint and equip Ameri factories for the necessities of wartime production.
2. Authorization of $23,750,000 strengthen the Panama Canal de-Fences, '3. An increase in the Army peacetime strength to 205,000 men, compared with the present enlistment totalling 165,000. "This will provide an initial emergency defence force of Jat Yeast 400,000 men when combined with the standing national guards of the various states.
4. Establishment of the system for training pilots in universities "and colleges at a cos, of $10,000,000 an-
Palfsts Hit Vinson pitt Prior to approval of the bill toda representatives of peace societies appeared before the House Naval Affairs Committee and condemned the Vinson Bill authorizing '$65,000000 for new naval and alr bases. "They particular opposed the proposed harbour and import developments at Guam Island, 1.200 miles south of Yokohama. They said a commission should be esiablich. fed to formulate and. define United States, national. policy before such projects are started.
Dr. Frederick Libby, executive! secretary of the National' Council for the Prevention of War, cricized the Guam project as unnecessary and an stron to japan. "He said" might ave extremely serious consequences.
Pacific bases.
when there were 29 other possible Seed why Guam should be select
"it Japan should spend $10,000,000 Jor even $1,000,000" dredging island harbour off Mexico's coast," he said, "or if Germany were to. spend $500,000 for a similar purpose at some! island in the Ca-ibbean, the project world threat against United Jwould be regarded throughout the
JStates "national security."—United Press,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.