| Show 1 DEFENSE PLANS PLANS' WAIT CONGRESS I Roosevelt Preparing Special Message WASHINGTON NOV 24 INS President Roosevelt is expected ted to send congress a special message embodying the administration plans for a potential program program program pro pro- gram to defend the western hemisphere hemisphere hemisphere hem hem- congressional leaders said today While the president is certain to discuss world affairs in his annual message on the state of of the Union on January 4 the actual defense program is slated to be temporarily ily withheld In spite of the fact that army and navy strategists have evolved a gigantic defense program the actual extent and character remain to be decided by the administration tion To Submit Budget Thus it is expected that the pr president president pres pres- s- s ident will submit his regular budget budge and later ask congress to authorize additional sums More than will wilt be besought besought besought sought In fn the regular budget for forth forthe forthe the th national defense of which a little more than half will be sought for the navy In the last session congress appropriated appropriated appropriated ap ap- for the army and for the navy with an estimated additional being provided through the public works program First actual work of the new congress congress con con- gr gress s will be started soon by subcommittees subcommittees subcommittees sub sub- committees of the house appropriations appropriations committee which will frame the huge annual supply bills Chairman Arriving Representative Edward Taylor year old chairman of the house appropriations committee is due to reach Washington next week to set the appropriation machinery jn in in action ac ac- ac- ac tion First subcommittee hearings Continued on Page Three Column Three DEFENSE PLANS WAIT CONGRESS Continued from Page Pase One probably will be opened about December December Dem De- De cember m fr 5 with Representative Woodrum D. D Va calling caIlIng his body to consi consider er the independent offices supply bill billand and Representative Ludlow Lud- Lud Ludlow Ludlow low D. D Ind opening hearings on the treasury-post treasury office bill Both army and navy subcommittees tees are expected to be called into s session before congress opens be because because because be- be cause cause of the importance of the national national national na na- na- na defense question Fiscal leaders see little chance for congress to cut under the gigantic total 1 of appropriated by the last congress in spite of the huge deficit Hope for Reductions Best hope for a cut in expenditures expenditures expenditures expendi expendi- tures they say is for a reduction in relief expenditures The president will have smooth sailing in congress with his program program program pro pro- gram to expand the army and navy aviation forces but his plan to seek enlargement of the fleet will meet with opposition a a. survey of congressional congressional congressional con con- gressional sentiment revealed Opinion among leaders and the I rank and file was virtually unanimous unanimous that the air force is inadequate inadequate inadequate I quate also that the United States is far below its needs in antiaircraft antiaircraft craft defenses along the coast line swinging from Maine to Alaska via the Panama canal Even leaders of the little navy bloc such as Seniors Borah Idaho Republican Nye and Frazier North Dakota Republicans and Lundeen Minnesota farmer laborite farmer laborite were in m inthe inthe the parade for strengthening of the nations nation's air armada big guns along the coasts and antiaircraft guns Would Add Defenses Senator Wheeler D. D Mont favors favors favors fa fa- fa- fa vors an air force second to none in effectiveness effectiveness-a a goal that would require building of thousands of additional additional additional ad ad- fighting planes I have felt for a long time Wheeler said that it is nonsensical to build big battleships They are inefficient for defensive warfare However in view of what is taking taking taking tak tak- ing place in Europe and Asia I think the United States should build up an air force which will willbe willbe willbe be equal to or ahead of any air force in the world And we should improve our coast defenses But I Ido Ido Ido do not see any need for building a lot of warships |
