Commissioning of first experimental aircraft carrier (the U. S. S. Langley), and later the aircraft carriers Lexington and Saratoga. Placing of catapults on all battleships and cruisers, thereby putting planes with the fleet earlier than would otherwise have been practicable. Acquisition of flying fields. Development of air-cooled engines. Developed large flyir boats to a point never reached previously. Encouraged amphibian type airplanes. Encouraged various material developments that have had and are still having marked effect on industry, such as transition from wood to metal type of construction; metal propellers; improved engine cowling; flotation gear; solid injection type engines. Airship development; Shenandoah built; Los Angeles acquired; U. S. S. Akron built; U. S. S. Macon now under construction. Mooring masts developed including first floating mast on U. S. D. Patoka. Incorporation of aeronautics in Naval Academy course. Tenfold increase in flight-hours with marked increase in safety. Cooperation with struggling aircraft industry. Encouraged commercial aeronautics. Brought many aircraft performance records to this country. Five-year building program completed in a 4-year period (July 1, 1931), with a saving of $23,307,150, bringing the number of useful planes on hand in the United States Navy to 1,000. Served as technical advisor at London Naval Conference, 1930. Strongly supported London Naval Treaty during debate and ratification. Was instrumental in development of plans of new type of ship, the flying-deck cruiser, and in having this type included in proposed building program. Mrs. Moffett is now in receipt of a pension of $26. There is one minor child dependent upon her for support, and she has no other apparent income. The bill H. R. 9926 introduced during the Seventy-fifth Congress was not enacted into law. On May 22, 1934, Rear Admiral E. J. King, the then Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics, Navy Department, addressed a communication to the Committee on Pensions, House of Representatives, relative to the service record of the late Rear Admiral Moffett, to which he attached a short biographical sketch written by Lt. T. H. Robbins, United States Navy, which had been reprinted from the Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers, volume XLV, No. 2, May 1933. The biography written by Lieutenant Robbins covers Rear Admiral Moffett's life in a very comprehensive manner, and is as follows: REAR ADMIRAL MOFFETT, NAVAL OFFICER, AN APPRECIATION (By Lt. T. H. Robbins, United States Navy) All over the world the name of William A. Moffett means naval aviation. However, the creation and development of naval aviation as we know it was but the culmination of a brilliant career as a naval officer of the finest kind who won the ungrudging admiration of all service people with whom he came in contact. He was a born leader, a keen technician, and a great student; and with these attributes he was a successful fighter dearly loved by his opponents as well as by his allies. Probably his greatest quality was his patriotism. Born in Charleston, S. C., in 1869, shortly after the Civil War, he came to the Naval Academy with the intense love of country which is the heritage of the South. He was one of the rare men who do not take their daily work as a matter of routine but rather as an end toward helping the country. He shaped his life keeping his eye on the broad question of how best to serve the Navy, with that as his one motive. Prior to becoming the Director of Naval Aviation he held an enviable service reputation as one of the most aggressive and astute naval officers. During the Spanish-American War he served as an ensign at the Battle of Manila Bay with Admiral Dewey. Immediately after the battle he called on the admiral of the fleet to congratulate him on his victory. He was but an ensign, fresh from the Junior War College course, who nevertheless felt so strongly the pride of patriotism that he must convey that feeling personally to his leader. Admiral Dewey was so struck by his character that he made him captain of the port of Manila, and shortly after gave him other important independent duty. During this assigment he was in charge of the salvaging operations of the enemy vessels that had been sunk in the harbor, and within a short time, with the assistance of many enemy workmen, cleared the channels and salvaged the ships. It was at this time that he had his first taste of "high command," for, as the ships were brought up, he formed a small navy of his own before turning them over as a fleet to the admiral. Following the Spanish War he served successively in the Kentucky, Maine, and Maryland. It was in the Maine that he first served in the engineering department of a ship, being assigned to engineering duty in 1903. It was a hard and practical school, as he was the boiler division officer and the boilers were of the Niclausse type. Aboard the Maryland he was first navigator and then executive officer, during which time the ship won the battle-efficiency trophy. His next ship was the Chester which he commanded during 1913 and 1914. It was at this time that he participated in the occupation of Vera Cruz, being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his services. The night before the occupation itself he took his ship into the inner harbor of Vera Cruz, without a pilot, when all navigating lights were out; he moored, and was in position to open fire the next morning at daybreak. It has been said that the fire of the Chester was of supreme value in the operations against the city. It is certain that she was nearest the enemy and did most of the firing and received most of the hits. His Medal of Honor was well merited, so well that even the officers of the British ships observing the action were enthusiastic over the way Commander Moffett had showed his skill. It is an interesting fact that the work of the Chester was so outstanding that that fine seaman, Admiral Cradock of the Royal Navy, took occasion to pay a special call on Commander Moffett to say that he had never seen a ship better handled or better fought. In 1917 he was made commandant of the ninth, tenth, and eleventh naval districts, including command of the Naval Training Station at Great Lakes, Ill. Under his command it expanded during the World War from a small station to the largest recruit training depot in the United States. As the war progressed he enlarged the station until there were 50,000 men under his command, and he furnished most of the trained personnel for all the various naval activities during the period of hostilities. And it was here that he first became interested in aviation, when he formed a training school for aviation mechanics to serve abroad. Shortly thereafter he assembled several flight units for practical instruction. The aviation units at Great Lakes developed so well that he saw the possibilities and benefits of a powerful air arm for the Navy, and later this did much to shape his future policies. Leaving Great Lakes in the latter part of 1918, he took command of the Mississippi. As her captain he again showed himself as a remarkable seaman and an inspired leader. The record of the ship during the 2 years he held her was outstanding both in gunnery and engineering; she took the athletic championship of the fleet, and won the Iron Man. His crew had such respect for his seamanship that one morning it was found that the forecastle division had painted an "E" on the anchor, to match the many "E's" on the guns and stack. In January 1921 he reported to the Chief of Naval Operations and later became the Director of Naval Aviation. Shortly after that he assisted in the formation of the Bureau of Aeronautics, and was commissioned its first Chief with the rank of rear admiral, under an appointment from President Harding. He held this post for three terms, totaling about 12 years, being reappointed by Presidents Coolidge and Hoover. Within the first year of his office he took the regular naval observer's course at the naval air station, Pensacola, since which time he has flown in almost every type of airplane and airship in the Navy. In fact he had more air experience than any other flag officer in any Navy in the world. Upon taking office he saw that the paramount need for naval aviation was to serve the fleet, and for the Navy to be able to operate planes and airships dependably. Therefore, he took as his first aim the development of aviation in the fleet, and to this end had seaplane catapults installed on all cruisers and battleships. Today the highly efficient part of a ship's gunnery department, which spots the fall of shot and "doubles" on scouting, the aviation unit of one of our ships, is the direct outgrowth of the first plan of Admiral Moffett on entering upon his new duties. At the same time he stressed the development of large flying boats, capable of working with the fleet, to the present point where these planes regularly fly over 10 hours at sea in long-range patrol operations Today they are grouped in the fleet base force where they form an essential part of the scouting and protecting arm of the Navy. The technical and the operating efficiency of the great carriers is another monument to his foresight and knowledge. In the engineering field, under his leadership the outstanding developments are the air-cooled engine and the airship. He recognized the Navy's need for an air-cooled engine for dependable operations at sea, and he encouraged and fostered its progress until that type of engine is the acknowledged leader in the aircraft world. The world's greatest airships were designed and built in America at his order, and the latest, the Macon, is about to take her place with the fleet. He conceived and carried out the 5-year aircraft building program, which gave to the Nation an orderly policy of aviation expansion for the Navy. During this time he saw the need for a healthy aircraft industry, and encouraged commercial aeronautics and the many struggling companies with his far-sighted advice. His work in that field shows itself in the many material developments which are still having a marked effect in airplane design, such as the transition from wood to metal construction, metal propellers, improved cowling, flotation gear, and solid injection type engines. It was during the latter part of his career as Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics that he served as technical advisor at the London Conference on Limitation of Naval Armaments. Here he evolved the "flying deck cruiser" and forced its recognition on the world as a new type of fighting vessel. In 1933 the projected Navy building program pointed to the possibility of laying down one of these ships, in the construction of which he was so interested. And in this highly technical phase in the life of the Navy he never lost sight of the fact that the most important service he could render was to produce a naval aviation whose personnel were inspired by a spirit of loyalty to the Navy above all. In spite of the many attacks upon it, thanks to Admiral Moffett, naval aviation has remained with as well as in the Navy. His spirit has produced an organization which will long remember and try to live up to his leadership, strength, and fighting blood. The reports and biography heretofore mentioned set forth in detail the long, efficient, meritorious, and extraordinary services rendered by the late Rear Admiral Moffett for his country during both time of peace and time of war. Mrs. Moffett and the late officer were married July 26, 1902, and they lived together until the date of his death, April 4, 1933. Neither of them was previously married. Mrs. Moffett is aged 55 years and it is shown by evidence presented to your committee that she has been ill for the past several years. Her condition at the present time has been partially brought about by reason of the tragic death of Rear Admiral Moffett. She was left with several small children and limited financial resources for providing them with food, clothing, and education. All of the children have now reached their majority but are unable to assist Mrs. Moffett financially. Due to physical condition and age, Mrs. Moffett is unable to earn a livelihood and it appears from the evidence presented to your committee that she has only a small annual income aside from her pension of $360 per year. Your committee is of the opinion that the long and distinguished service rendered by Rear Admiral Moffett to his country and the exceptional contribution he made in the advancement of airplane science and airship development, coupled with the fact that he was aboard the U. S. S. Akron when it crashed, warrants special recognition by the Congress. Your committee therefore unanimously recommends that a greater rate of pension be allowed to his widow than is provided for under existing laws and that Mrs. Moffett's pension be increased to $100 per month. O HARVEY P. WILSON JUNE 23, 1939.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House and ordered to be printed Mr. KEEFE, from the Committee on Claims, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 15541 The Committee on Claims, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 1554) for the relief of Harvey P. Wilson, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with amendments and recommend that the bill as amended do pass. The amendments are as follows: Line 5, strike out the "T" in the name "Harvey T. Wilson" and insert in lieu thereof "P". Line 6, after the sign and figures "$2,500" insert "in full settlement of all claims against the United States". At the end of the bill add: : Provided, That no part of the amount appropriated in this Act in excess of 10 per centum thereof shall be paid or delivered to or received by any agent or attorney on account of services rendered in connection with this claim, and the same shall be unlawful, any contract to the contrary notwithstanding. Any person violating the provisions of this Act shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in any sum not exceeding $1,000. Amend the title so as to read: "For the relief of Harvey P. Wilson." The purpose of the proposed legislation is to pay to Harvey P. Wilson the sum of $2,500 in full settlement of all claims against the United States for injuries sustained by him as a result of the negligent operation of a War Department truck on or near the levee works at Pahokee, Fla., on November 22, 1934. STATEMENT OF FACTS The Government Department truck involved in this accident was assigned to the U. S. dredge Gulfport which was engaged in work on the navigation channel, a part of the Lake Okeechobee flood-control project. It seems that at about 5:30 p. m. on November 22, 1934, Deck-hand G. H. Brown, the regular driver of the truck, after completing his work for the day took the truck from its regular parking place without the knowledge or permission of the master or other officer of the dredge and proceeded to Pahokee, Fla., on a personal pleasure trip. According to the report of the War Department, at about 7:40 p. m., after visiting several roadhouses and beer gardens, Deck-hand Brown met Charles E. Strait, also employed as a deck hand on the dredge, who was on leave of absence. Both men were under the influence of liquor. Brown gave Strait the keys and permitted him to take over the truck, although he was not authorized to operate the vehicle. He took the truck and visited dance halls and liquor establishments, becoming intoxicated. The claimant, Mr. Wilson, was also employed by the United States Government in the building of the levee in the capacity of an expert tractor operator. On the night of the accident, however, he was not in the performance of his duties as a Government employee but was driving in a friend's automobile from the levee works to the town of Pahokee. They were proceeding along on their right-hand side of the road when the Government truck described heretofore approached from the opposite direction in a reckless manner on the wrong side of the road. The driver of the truck turned the spotlight of the truck on the car in which the claimant was riding, at which time they pulled the automobile over to the extreme right side of the road and stopped. Notwithstanding this, the driver of the Government truck cut across the road and into the car, striking the left door thereof and the left arm of the claimant. The driver of the Government truck failed to stop and was intercepted some time later by an officer of the law who arrested him for drunken driving in Clewiston, Fla. As a result of the accident Mr. Wilson's arm was broken near the elbow tearing a portion of the elbow off. He incurred a hospital bill amounting to $161 and was unable to work for some 9 weeks after the date he was dismissed from the hospital. Since the accident Mr. Wilson has been unable to continue work in his former capacity and was put back on the job as a caretaker in a temporary capacity. This only lasted until January 1936, when he was dropped from employment altogether, and he has not since been able to obtain employment, because of the injury received in this accident, which causes him to hold his arm in a stiff and rigid position. At the time of the accident, Mr. Wilson was only 35 years of age and was married, with one child. The War Department admits that the claimant suffered personal injuries as a result of the collision, due to the misconduct and negligence of Government employees in the operation of a Government vehicle, but denies any responsibility for the accident, due to the fact the said Government employees were acting beyond the scope of their employment. It has consistently been the opinion of your committee that where it can be shown, as it is shown in this case, that the Government took absolutely no steps to withhold this and other vehicles from the use of the employees, outside of the scope of their employment, they are guilty of gross negligence and responsible for any damages which follow. The evidence shows that this truck, as were the others, was left at the end of the day parked with the keys in it, which not only |