Show NAVY INCREASE WINS APPROVAL WASHINGTON May 8 W The UPI The house naval committee recommended recommend recommend- ed legislation Thursday to authorize author author- ize the navy to acquire 58 additional additional additional addi addi- fleet auxiliary vessels at a acost acost acost cost of approximately The bill represented an increase of 33 ships beyond what the navy requested when the legislation was ed early In March Rear Admiral Samuel M M. Robinson Robin- Robin ton son chief of the bureau of ships t testified he had been instructed by Admiral Harold R R. Stark chief of naval operations to ask the measure measure measure meas meas- ure be amended to authorize acquisition acquisition acquisition acqui acqui- acqui- acqui of tons of additional auxiliaries Instead d of the tons originally requested Robinn Robinson Robinson Robin Robin- son n said rapid developments which I Ic c could uld not be foreseen necessitated the increase Needed by y Navy In response to questions Robinson Robin Robin- son ion said the said the vessels had nothing to tod todo todo d do with the British aid program and all were needed for the navys navy's own use The navy wants the ships by August 1 1 Representative Maas Minn R Minn senior minority member wanted to know whether any of the Idle foreign foreign for for- eign vessels whose seizure the house authorized Wednesday would be included in the 58 ships sought by the navy but Robinson said h he did not know whether the navy would get any of the foreign ships The total cost of acquisition or construction of the additional auxiliaries auxiliaries aux aux- Robinson said would include In Include Include In- In clude funds to arm th the ships and ando fo to o install gear to protect them from magnetic mines Strikes Out Provision Pro Before acting finally on the bill the he committee struck out a provision provision pro pro- vision vision which would have authorized authorIzed authorized author author- the navy to replace over-age over warships with combat vessels of any ny type deemed most ne necessary essary by bythe bythe bythe the president Current law requires requires requires re re- re- re quires over age ships ships' be replaced by vessels of the same type type that that thatis is battleships for battleships During his appearance Robinson told the committee that some sort of rationing of steel supplies probably probably probably proba proba- bly would be necessary soon because because be be- cause cause caus there isn Isn't t enough steel for everything that's th-at's going on in this country In that conn connection he told Representative Representative Representative Rep Rep- Izac D D. Cal construction construction construction con con- of wooden ships would not ot solve the problem |