I unhesitatingly recommend the enactment of the proposed legislation that will permit the Government to properly meet its obligations in the varying conditions under which civilians undergoing military training may die. For Regular Army personnel, I now have authority to issue regulations fixing varying amounts that may be expended for burial expenses under the different conditions incident at the time of death without statutory restriction as to amount. The restrictive limitation of $100 imposed on burial expenses for a member of the civilian components has proved of much embarrassment to the War Department and unjust and unfair to the families of those who have died under extraordinary conditions. The situation is especially acute in connection with officers of the Reserve Corps who are serving one year on active duty with the Air Corps. The bodies of those who may die as a result of an airplane crash are frequently burned or so mangled as to necessitate elaborate and expensive methods and it is frequently necessary to provide hermetically sealed caskets or shipping cases in order to comply with interstate sanitary regulations. Under the present statutory limitation it is now necessary for the family of the deceased to bear the additional expense over and above $100, although the death of their loved one may have occurred while he was in the custody of the Army of the United States. I believe this matter is of sufficient importance to warrant prompt attention in order that the bill may be enacted into law prior to the beginning of the next training season. It is estimated that the proposed legislation will cost the Government about $1,000 per year. If any additional information is desired, I shall be pleased to furnish it. If any committee of the House of Representatives wishes to have hearings on the proposed legislation, suitable witnesses will be designated to appear before such committee. This proposed legislation has been submitted to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, who advises that the same is not in conflict with the financial program of the President. A similar letter has been addressed to the chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs of the Senate. Sincerely yours, JAMES W. GOOD, Secretary of War. APPROPRIATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF MILITARY POSTS JUNE 11, 1930-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. RANSLEY, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 12719] The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 12719) to authorize appropriations for construction at military posts, and for other purposes, introduced by Mr. Ransley, having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass. Under date of May 29, 1930, Hon. F. Trubee Davison, Assistant Secretary of War, acting for the Secretary of War, directed a letter to the acting chairman of the committee urging action on bills to authorize appropriations for Army housing and for Air Corps technical construction for the fiscal year 1932. Mr. Davison and General Summerall, also General Fechet, appeared before the committee to explain the serious condition, in so far as housing and technical construction are concerned, that the Army has found itself in because of the temporary war-time construction and the permanent building program for which Congress has been authorizing appropriations for some years. The chairman of your committee, Mr. James, has taken a great personal interest in this construction program for some years, and had introduced bills early in this Congress to provide the necessary authorizations to permit the regular annual appropriations. The Acting Secretary of War pointed out to the committee that in order to obtain the necessary appropriations to carry out the 1932 increment of the program it would be necessary to have this authorization bill adopted at this session. This being accomplished, estimates for 1932 will be included in the Budget, and the estimates will then be submitted to the Appropriation Committee in December of this year. Immediately after the Army reorganization legislation was adopted in 1920 a subcommittee of your committee began a survey of real estate owned or controlled by the War Department with a view to determining what parcels of real estate should be retained and what sold. Hearings are on file with your committee which describe each piece of real estate as to location, acreage, when acquired, armament, character of improvements, accommodations, garrison activities and purpose, and the recommendation whether or not it should be retained. Following these hearings the War Department was authorized to sell certain surplus real property including certain military_reservations, and the proceeds from these sales were placed in the Treasury to the credit of a fund known as the military post construction fund, this fund to be and remain available until expended for permanent construction at military posts, in such amounts as Congress might fron time to time authorize. This In accordance with this scheme the War Department adopted and submitted to your committee a program for housing the Army in the United States, Hawaii, and Panama in permanent shelter. program called for a total expenditure of approximately $120,000,000. It was submitted in 1926. Each year, Mr. James, the chairman of your committee has submitted and Congress has passed authorization bills to provide for such construction under this permanent housing program as the War Department could accomplish during that year. During the closing days of the Seventieth Congress a bill was introduced and reported providing authorization for the fiscal year 1932. It did not become a law. Therefore, Mr. James again introduced the bill early in the present Congress. Since that bill was introduced, however, changing conditions have made advisable certain changes in the items as carried in the original measure and the present bill was introduced by the acting chairman, embodying these amendments. The authorizations carried in this bill will provide additional housing for the following: 400 officers, 524 noncommissioned officers, 2,108 enlisted men, 382 patients in hospitals, and 7 nurses. Since the adjournment of the last Congress, Mr. James has visited Army posts and stations on the Pacific coast, along the Mexican border, and through the Middle Western, Middle Atlantic, and New England States. He has personally inspected the conditions at practically every station for which construction is provided in this bill. Under the Army housing program, Congress has thus far authorized a total of $57,523,509 for Army housing construction. Of this amount $53,298,759 has been appropriated, the Secretary of War has been authorized to enter into contracts for $2,773,000, and the remainder is carried as follows: $125,000 remaining in Public 518, Seventieth Congress, May 26, 1928; $1,276,750 in Public 806, Seventieth Congress, February 25, 1928; $50,000 in Public 195, Seventy-first Congress, May 13, 1930. This $57,523,509 will provide housing for the Army as follows: 1,272 officers, 1,225 noncommissioned officers, 26,893 enlisted men, 1,726 patients in hospitals, and 338 nurses. A statement in detail for each project included in the bill follows: CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATION BILL, FISCAL YEAR, 1932 ALBROOK FIELD, PANAMA CANAL ZONE For noncommissioned officers' quarters to accommodate 50 bachelor noncommissioned officers'. For magazine.... Congress has previously authorized the following construction at this station: For a dispensary.......... For barracks to accommodate 634 enlisted men. For quarters to accommodate 90 married noncommissioned officers... No permanent quarters existed at this station prior to the inauguration of the Army housing program. This is a new flying field and the funds authorized by the last Congress will provide for the first permanent construction. This completes all housing for officers, noncommissioned officers, and enlisted men at this station. COROZAL, CORUNDU Area, canal zone For 23 sets of officers' quarters... For 12 sets of noncommissioned officers' quarters.. For material for an engineer map reproduction plant to be erected by engineer troops - $80, 000 319, 500 10,000 Congress has previously authorized new construction at this station as follows: For barracks to accommodate approximately 500 men pertaining to a battalion of Field Artillery... FORT DAVIS, CANAL ZONE For barracks to accommodate 119 men.. $357, 500 $95, 500 57, 000 117, 000 The above construction at Fort Davis will replace buildings of canal construction period which are in a dilapidated condition, and beyond economical repair. The permanent quarters at this station prior to inauguration of the Army housing program accommodated 1,944 enlisted men, 55 officers, and 24 noncommissioned officers. Except for $557,800 appropriated for construction of the Atlantic General Depot in the Fort Davis area in 1925, $201,900 for improving ammunition storage conditions recently authorized, and Air Corps construction now authorized, no funds of any importance for housing in the Panama Canal Department have been available since $2,400,000 was spent for the concrete construction at Forts Davis and Clayton in 1920-1922. The construction proposed in H. R. 1665 will complete the barrack needs for this post. However, there will still be necessary 19 officers' quarters, 8 noncommissioned officers' quarters, a hospital for 120 patients, and stables for approximately 400 animals. SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HAWAIIAN DEPARTMENT For 10 sets of noncommissioned officers' quarters... $75,000 225, 000 Congress has previously authorized new construction at this station as follows: The permanent quarters at this station prior to the inauguration of the housing program by the last Congress accommodated 7,000 enlisted men, 38 noncommissioned officers, and 371 officers. This completes the hospital and nurses' quarters requirements for this station. In addition to all the above construction the following items will still be necessary to complete the program for Schofield Barracks: 106 officers' quarters, 97 noncommissioned officers' quarters, various miscellaneous buildings. WHEELER FIELD, HAWAIIAN DEPARTMENT For fire station__ For quartermaster utilities warehouse and shops__. $15, 000 10, 000 Congress has previously authorized the following construction at this station: For barracks to accommodate 432 enlisted men.. For 66 sets of noncommissioned officers' quarters... For 63 sets of officers' quarters.-- For a dispensary.. $504,000 411, 600 816, 000 40, 000 All construction at this station prior to the present program has been of a temporary nature, and must be replaced by permanent construction. This completes all housing requirements for noncommissioned officers and enlisted men and 63 out of the 70 sets of officers' quarters required, leaving a balance of 7 sets still required. Plans will be prepared in the Hawaiian Department for construction included in H. R. 1665 for Wheeler Field when funds are appropriated. Detailed estimates are not available at this time. No funds now available for this purpose. Plans for buildings of this type (in H. R. 1665), suitable for the Hawaiian Department, have not been prepared for any station in the United States. FORT ETHAN ALLEN, VT. For 2 sets of noncommissioned officers' quarters. - $15,000 This is the first authorization for permanent construction at this station under the housing program. Ten sets of noncommissioned officers' quarters are still needed to complete the program at this post. The permanent quarters at this station accommodate 1,542 men, 16 noncommissioned officers, and 53 officers. FORT BENNING, GA. For barracks to accommodate 400 men.. $350,000 350, 000 $1,490, 000 Congress has previously authorized new construction at this station as follows: For barracks to accommodate 2,360 enlisted men. For 96 sets of noncommissioned officers' quarters.. For 34 sets of officers' quarters.. To complete hospital for 234 patients.. For quarters to accommodate 28 nurses, complete.. 656, 000 484, 000 315,000 65, 000 60, 000 The permanent quarters at this station prior to the inauguration of the Army housing program by the last Congress accommodated 10 noncommissioned officers, 71 officers, and 102 patients in hospital. The construction listed above completes the housing requirements for noncommissioned officers, nurses, and hospital patients. However, there will still be necessary barracks for approximately 1,376 enlisted men, quarters for 213 officers, and various miscellaneous buildings. For a veterinary hospital...-. FORT BLISS, TEX. $25,000 Congress has previously authorized new construction at this station as follows: For noncommissioned officers' quarters... $450,000 |