Washington, June 21. The House Naval Affairs Committee last night amended the naval expansion bill, increasing the navy's air force. from' 10,000 fo 15,000 planes. groups in July.
This means that by the end (Continued from page 7)
Italian aim to cut the Mediterranean in two, naval quarters declared. Tunisia is less than 100 miles from Sicily. If Premier Benito Mussolini obtained Tunisia he would be able effectively to block the Mediterranean and, at the same time, successfully maintain Italian communications to Africa.
If the Allies hold Tunisia and command the sea with their superior fleets, Italian communications with Africa will be very uncertain, these quarters asserted.
If the French are able to maintain an air force in Tunisia—and reports are that many French planes have flown to -Africa—ttalian cities and industrial centers will be in grave danger, they said. On the other hand, Tunisia is greatly exposed to Italian attacks, they pointed out, and might eventually become untenable. The French have a small naval station at Tunisia, which, according to, naval sources here, would not be able to handle large vessels, Britain, however, has important bases nearby and these would serve the purpose as well, they said—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.