The American naval shipbuilding program according to the Dutch newspaper Het Vaderland evening edition dated 12 January 1928

According to a tiding dated Washington 11 January pointed Wilbur (1) out the necessity to maintain the shipbuilding and that the large need for modern cruisers was the greatest weakness of the fleet. In peace time were cruisers multi tasking mainly to protect the overseas trade shipping. American merchants had to be able to maintain their influence in markets abroad and now with a restoration of the European relations were new markets needed to continue their prosperity. The intention was to replace 22 cruisers with a total tonnage of 164,100 tons, to add 25 new cruisers to the 8 now being build and the 10 of 7,500 tons all ready completed to obtain a total of 43 modern cruisers. Further more were 5 new mother plane ships of each 13,800 tons to be built. This program was for a period of 5 years.

Note

1. Probably Ray Lyman Wilbur (13 April 1875-26 June 1943), 31st United States Secretary of the Interior 5 March 1929-5 March 1933.