In August 1937 the light cruiser Honolulu, with many new features in naval construction, was launched at the navy yard in Brooklyn. The Honolulu, first warship so named; the Brooklyn, similar to her, completed at the yard, and others of the class are designed to carry eight planes each, more than any other warships afloat, except carriers. The planes are to be in a hangar below the main deck aft near the stern-a departure from all previous design. Heretofore on battleships and cruisers planes have been carried on catapults, lashed to cradles, or in hangars constructed as deck houses above the main deck. The Honolulu and her sisters also are probably more heavily armored and better protected than any other ships of their displacement afloat, with the possible exception of the German Deutschland or pocket-battleship class. The new ships are in fact "pocket-battleships" or very fast (speed of about 33 knots or more) armored cruisers, rather than their official designation of "light cruisers." Their main battery armament, however, of fifteen 6-inch guns is far lighter than that of either a battleship or battle cruiser. The keel of the 35,000-ton United States superdreadnaught North Carolina, first capital ship to be built for the American Government in 14 years, was laid in the Brooklyn Navy Yard on Navy Day 1937. Her sister battleship, the Washington, is to be built in the Philadelphia Navy Yard. They are to carry 16-inch guns, whcih were authorized by the 1936 London Naval Treaty. In October 1937 the War Department announced the award of a $2,518,346 contract to build 13 bombing planes of the "flying fortress" type, with a speed of more than 225 miles an hour. They are expected to be completed in 1939. Naval appropriations or expenditures by powers [These figures are official, as gathered by the Government at Washington] $145,792, 850 202, 056, 258 211, 596, 296 224,443, 296 237, 530, 459 260, 714, 275 1, 001, 202, 344 1,020, 003, 279 1, 119, 944, 455 1,670, 456, 135 787, 644, 050 441,861, 500 406, 033, 504 315,334, 782 £64, 883, 700 $281,880,000 £58, 000, 000 $271, 188,000 £55, 800, 000 $327,208, 534 £67, 326, 859 $281, 880,000 £58, 000, 000 $282, 479, 029 £58, 123, 257 $278, 478,000 £57, 300, 000 $271, 503, 900 £52, 274, 186 51, 014, 752 50, 164, 453 53, 570,000 $36, 889, 158 69, 111, 653 63, 000, 000 73, 000, 000 85,000,000 125, 000, 000 150, 000, 000 187, 207, 522 248, 519, 224 137,899, 597 ¥276,629, 082 $196, 953, 299 ¥395, 091, 875 $124,088, 654 ¥248, 924, 082 $112, 365, 831 ¥225, 407, 887 $119, 175, 896 ¥239,069, 000 $127,818, 777 ¥256, 406, 776 $130, 828, 704 ¥262, 444, 744 ¥242, 034, 946 $72,683, 180 74, 102, 439 80, 371, 109 81,692, 832 90, 164 625 123,828,872 138,006, 966 169, 967, 766 301, 910, 093 445, 802, 202 174,829, 243 199,668, 287 181, 509, 980 31, 273, 952 Fr797, 804, 914 $43, 971, 202 Fr121, 714, 351 $40, 306, 890 Fr028, 237, 008 $49, 077, 359 Fri, 251, 973, 465 $72, 236, 929 Fr1, 842, 778, 819 $96, 085, 421 Fr2, 431, 158, 703 $99, 568, 000 Fr2, 540, 000, 000 Fr3, 427, 760, 184 2,799,830, 314 12, 417, 999, 250 22,709, 524, 838 32, 943, 283, 494 42, 902, 858, 118 $23,829, 206 40, 595, 204 40,780, 987 41,893, 420 49, 550, 147 56,920, 440 135, 736, 207 161, 482, 062 226,061, 278 229, 779, 176 45, 711, 604 78, 389, 226 81,068, 748 44, 436, 848 L844, 807, 000 $40, 531, 719 L770, 565, 015 $40, 742, 416 L774, 570, 662 $51, 548, 000 L980, 000, 000 $63, 624, 703 L1, 209, 595, 130 $60, 583, 734 L1, 151, 782, 030 $63, 142, 808 L1, 200, 433, 630 $75, 742, 212 L1, 536, 028, 156 1,573, 622, 800 1,538, 923, 277 1,442, 437, 232 1, 599, 780, 477 2, 173, 000, 000 1 April to December 1932. January to December 1933. January to December 1934. 4 January to December 1935. The United States in the year ended June 30, 1937, expended for the Navy $539,030,791. Great Britain, in the same period, expended for the Army $294,405,000; for the Navy, $411,455,000; for the Air Service, $263,500,000; total, $969,350,000. Great Britain, in the year ended June 30, 1938, plans to spend $445,055,000 on the Army, $540,081,435 on the Navy, and $442,943,000 on the Air Service; total, $1,428,079,435. France, in 1937 calendar year, was budgeted to spend 2,649,531,500 francs on warship construction and 2,122,864,026 francs on Navy maintenance; total, 4,772,395,526 francs. France's budget for 1938 is: Ship construction, 2,460,000,000 francs; Navy maintenance, 1,810,748,846 francs; total, 4,270,748,846 francs. Italy's budget in the year ending June 30, 1938, calls for expenditure of 1,857,891,000 lire on the Navy and 1,270,000,000 lire on Air Service; total, 3,127,891,000 lire. Japan, in the year ended April 1937-March 1938, is scheduled to devote 683,109,594 yen on the Navy. National defense expenditures of the world, 1931-36 [In millions of dollars-1936 parity; Foreign Policy Association, compilation) This table represents only an approximate comparison between different countries, as changes in currency value, internal purchasing power, and governmental policies make accurate comparison impossible. Conversion rates are taken principally from United States Department of Commerce, Commerce Reports, January 9, 1937. In cases where the fiscal year does not coincide with the calendar year, the earlier date has been used in this table; e. g., 1931-32 is listed as 1931. A number of totals from minor States could not be ascertained for this table. In such cases the figure for the preceding year has been arbitrarily repeated. In the case of Bolivia and Paraguay, for which complete figures are not available later than 1932, the Bolivian total for 1935 was used for both countries for the 3 years of the Chaco war. Nineteen hundred and thirty-six figures for Spain are available only for the first half of the year; this was doubled for the purposes of the table. Totals for Germany and Italy for 1934-36 represent unofficial estimates. This table includes 60 countries. A few minor countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the expenditures of mandates and African colonies which do not appear in the budget of the mandatory or parent country have been omitted, due to lack of information. Summary of comparative naval data [As of July 1, 1937, data from Office of Chief of Naval Operations, Washington] 1 Under London Naval Treaty, 1936. Vessels are deemed to be over age when a specified number of years have elapsed since their completion. This column includes the following current building programs: United States-Program for fiscal year 1938 (beginning July 1, 1937): (A) Does not include the following over-age cruisers not disposed of but equivalent to hulks: Cruisers (a)-Seattle (13,700 tons)-over age since 1926; Rochester (7,350 tons)-over age since 1909. Cruisers (b)-Olympic (5,400 tons)-over age since 1910; awaiting congressional action to establish her as a naval relic. British Empire-Program for fiscal year 1937 (beginning Apr. 1, 1937). Japan-Uncompleted ships in 1931-38 progra:: (B) Information on 5-year replenishment program commencing Apr. 1, 1937, not available, and column does not include any ships under this program. France Program for fiscal year 1937 (beginning Jan. 1, 1937). Does not include any ships of the projected 1938-41 building program which at the present time is not appropriated for. The projected program is reported to be as follows: 2-25,000-ton capital ships. 2-19,000-ton aircraft carriers. 2-8,000-ton cruisers. 15-20-1,000-ton destroyers. 20-25- 1,000-ton submarines. Italy-Information concerning current building program (fiscal year began July 1, 1937) not available until after construction has started on the ships. Germany-New German construction and the fiscal year under which it was appropriated for is not publicly announced until after the ships have been laid down or, in some instances, are nearly completed. (C) Includes all ships known to be building or appropriated for. In addition to those shown 2 cruisers (s) and 3 cruisers (b) are now projected; also several submarines of 1,000 tons are believed to be appropriated for or under construction. Mr. BREWSTER. In the evidence yesterday we discussed with you regarding the matter of any attack upon our shores. As I understand, our entire program is predicated simply upon defense. Admiral LEAHY. That is my understanding. Mr. BREWSTER. Assuming the United States Battle Fleet were out of commission for any cause in the Pacific, what measures of defense against an expeditionary force to our continent would then be practicable? Admiral LEAHY. In case the battle fleet were not available for defense, we would then be forced to depend upon a very small coastal patrol by the Navy and upon the shore defenses. Mr. BREWSTER. To what extent have we developed coast defense? Admiral LEAHY. That is a matter that is handled by the Army, as the defense of the coast is an Army function, and I would prefer not to give a statement in regard to what they have done. Mr. BREWSTER. Your contribution to such a defense would be primarily submarines, destroyers, and airplanes. Admiral LEAHY. The Navy's principal contribution to the defense of the coast is to prevent the arrival of the enemy fleet sufficiently near the coast to make a landing in force possible. Mr. BREWSTER. As a naval expert, how feasible would it be for an Asiatic power to land and maintain an expeditionary force on our continent if we had no battle fleet? Admiral LEAHY. As a naval officer it is my opinion that it would not be difficult for a foreign power to land an armed force on our shores if there were no navy to interfere with their expedition. How well it could be maintained or what success it might have on shore after landing would be dependent entirely upon how much land force we could bring to bear against it. Mr. BREWSTER. How long would it take America to wipe out any expedition which it would be possible for an Asiastic power to land? Admiral LEAHY. That question would be dependent upon how much land force we could bring to bear against them. Mr. BREWSTER. My question is predicated upon what would be feasible for any Asiastic power to transport and it assumes an opinion as to what transport facilities would be available with its existing merchant marine, and so forth. Admiral LEAHY. I am unable to give you any accurate information regarding the transportation facilities that could be obtained by any foreign power. Mr. BREWSTER. Are there 7,000 miles of ocean between us and Asia? |