total of $327,654. How does that item compare with the item for the current year?

Commander SCHOFIELD. For the current year it is $369,034. Mr. FRENCH. You are asking for a little less for 1926? Commander SCHOFIELD. It is a little bit smaller. We have decreased the number of men retained permanently on these vessels. It seemed possible to do that so we took a number of these men off. and we think we are going to get through in that way, and have therefore asked for a smaller amount under this subhead.

Mr. FRENCH. This fund does not provide the pay for the officers and men of the regular Naval Establishment detailed to this work. does it?

Commander SCHOFIELD. This fund pays for naval reservists of classes 2 and 6, who are detailed to active duty as ship keepers on these vessels assigned for the training of the Naval Reserves.

PAY FOR TRAINING CRUISES

Mr. FRENCH. The next item is for pay for training cruises. $573.588, for the seagoing reserve, and $43,607 for the aviation reserve. a total of $617,195.

Commander SCHOFIELD. That compares with a total of $603,859 for 1925. There is a slight increase there because of the 100 midshipmen, and also on account of the advancement of some of these reservists in rating over what we carried in 1925.

Mr. FRENCH. What do you mean when you refer to the 100 midshipmen?

Commander SCHOFIELD. We are planning, with the appropriation of $3,900,000, on carrying 100 midshipmen in the Naval Reserve Force for the fiscal year 1926.

They will be young men who will be given a special course of instruction at colleges to be selected, as part of their college training, very much as the Reserve Officers' Training Corps of the Army is carried on for the Reserve Corps of the Army.

It is planned to give these 100 midshipment three months' active duty for training during the summer months but keeping them in class 6 until they have finished their four years' college course, at which time they will be examined for commissions as ensigns in the Naval Reserve, and the commissions will be issued if they pass the examinations.

Mr. FRENCH. What are the ages of these young men?
Commander SCHOFIELD. From 18 to 22.

Mr. FRENCH. There is such a demand for this branch of the service that you can see it will spring right away into the size you hope for?

Commander SCHOFIELD. It was started this year experimentally at St. Johns College. Annapolis. We have there now 22 freshmen just entering this year who are interested in this and who expect to take their full four years at St. Johns College, Annapolis, and at the end of that time be commissioned as ensigns in the Naval Reserve Force, carrying on such technical studies as navigation, ordnance, and seamanship, and performing certain drills each week, carrying this on in connection with their school work, and for which they receive certain credits in their school work.

Mr. FRENCH. Then, in addition to that, they do the regular drill work for retainer pay?

Commander SCHOFIELD. They are in class 6, and do not receive retainer pay.

PROVISIONS FOR SHIP KEEPERS

Mr. FRENCH. The next item is for provisions for ship keepers, with a total of $97,829. How does that compare with the appropriation for the current year?

Commander SCHOFIELD. The appropriation for the current year is $135,780,

PROVISIONS FOR TRAINING CRUISE

Mr. FRENCH. The next item is for provisions for the training cruise, the total amount being $100,893.

Commander SCHOFIELD. As against $95,681 for 1925. There is a slight increase in the item for provisions for the training cruise, due partly to the addition of the 100 midshipmen, and also due partly to somewhat more accurate figures we were able to get when this was figured out than when this part of the appropriation for 1925 was figured out.

FUEL AND TRANSPORTATION

Mr. FRENCH. The amount for fuel and transportation will be $300,000?

Commander SCHOFIELD. As against $317,735 for the fiscal year 1925. Later information indicates that we can probably get by on $300,000 for 1926.

Mr. FRENCH. Is it more economical to use destroyers than it is to use Eagle boats, from the standpoint of the number of men handled?

Admiral SHOEMAKER. It is much more expensive, so far as fuel is concerned.

Mr. FRENCH. On the other hand, you can handle a good many more men on the destroyers?

Admiral SHOEMAKER. You can carry more men; yes. You can probably take 80 or 90 men on a destroyer, and only al about 50 on an Eagle boat.

Mr. FRENCH. On a destroyer you also give them more training that would be of value, do you not?

Admiral SHOEMAKER. They get better instruction on a regular naval vessel.

Commander SCHOFIELD. It might be well to bring out the fact, in connection with the drilling and training of the various divisions throughout the country, that the recruiting officers, the hydrographic officers and the inspecting officers of the regular Navy have been detailed to additional duty in connection with the instruction of the Naval Reserve organizations in the vicinity where these officers are on duty.

Mr. FRENCH. There is one other thought I would like to refer to. There has been pressure for increased appropriations for the Naval Reserve, yet for the last two or three years you have not trained as many officers and men as the estimates indicated you hoped to What is the outlook under that head, and do you think that on the basis of the money you are estimating you will be able to reach the number of officers and men on which you have based the estimate for the coming year?

Commander SCHOFIELD. It will be noted that for the fiscal years 1923 and 1924: In the fiscal year 1923, for instance, we did not train as many officers as we had hoped to train. But in the fiscal year 1924, although we increased by a considerable number the officers we trained, we were still below the number we had hoped to train.

But during the fiscal year 1924 we trained more men than we had originally planned to train that year. We were able to train these additional men because fewer officers had been trained.

We have in class 6 of the Naval Reserve Force at the present time approximately 2,500 officers. Most of these 2,500 officers are officers who were originally in class 2 and who took their transfer to class 6 in preference to disenrollment, thereby manifesting an interest in the Naval Reserve Force. Although these officers have not responded to the invitation to come back and train as readily as we had thought they would, they are responding in increasing numbers right along. So we have reason to believe that the number in training this year will more nearly approximate the figures we have based this esti

mate on.

Mr. TABER. Then you figure that the estimate allowed by the Budget Bureau will just take care of those who will report for training and comply with the requirements?

Commander SCHOFIELD. Yes, as we propose here. With a larger appropriation we could probably recruit additional men and train them, but we do not propose doing that.

REGULAR NAVY OFFICERS DETAILED TO RESERVE FOR INSTRUCTION

Mr. FRENCH. Will you make a further statement in reference to the regular officers detailed for instruction?

Commander SCHOFIELD. Regular naval officers detailed to duty on shore throughout the country, that is, on recruiting duty, duty under the Hydrographic Office, and inspection duty under the matériel bureaus, have orders to additional duty in each case in connection with the inspection and instruction of Naval Reserve units drilling in the vicinity of their places of duty. As a result, the drills being carried forward by these various organizations are carried forward more efficiently than they would otherwise be. We have a total of 42 officers detailed to this additional duty.

Mr. FRENCH. How much of their time does that take? Commander SCHOFIELD. Most of the time spent on this duty is at night, when they are not engaged in their regular work at their offices. It is in addition to their work at their offices.

NAVAL WAR COLLEGE, RHODE ISLAND

Mr. FRENCH. Under the item for the Naval War College we appropriated for the current year $100,000, and you are asking for $115,000 for 1926. Will you make such statement as you desire touching that item, Admiral?

Admiral SHOEMAKER. I have a short statement I would like to submit, Mr. Chairman.

NUMBER OF OFFICERS AT NAVAL WAR COLLEGE

The present policy of the Bureau for the War College for 1926 is to detail a senior class of 50 and a junior class of of 25 officers for a year's course commencing about July 1. There is now at the college a senior class of 45 officers and a junior class of 23 officers-total 68, including 5 marine officers. There were 69 officers on duty there in 1924 and about 55 in 1923. The staff proper numbers at present 15 as compared with 14 last year.

In addition to these student officers about 820 officers throughout the naval service are taking the correspondence courses.

ALLOCATION OF INCREASED ESTIMATE

The budget allotment for 1926 is $115,000, which is sufficient to perate the college with the senior and junior classes combined in one building, as at present. The amount appropriated in 1925 for this purpose was $100,000. The increases are as follows:

This increase is distributed as follows:
Authorized increases, reratings and promotions in clerical force $7, 955. 44
Proposed rerating and increase in pay in labor force
'or civilian lecturers__

Heat, materials, etc___

361.04

800.00

5, 888. 16

15, 015. 64

These items are necessitated by increases in pay already authorzed by the Navy Department or required by the regulations of he civil service; a few well-merited promotions and three addiional but strictly necessary employees have been added. These tems will account for the increase of $7,966.44. The sum of $361.04 s covered by the rerating of a classified laborer to blue printer, the aborer being qualified and serving as blue printer, and by the adancement of one class of the joiner who is and has been serving aithfully in an independent capacity. The sum of $800 for lecurers makes it possible to obtain lecturers of high standing coming rom a distance, while the former honorarium of $50 would not over expenses.

PURPOSES AND ACTIVITIES

Mr. FRENCH. What is the general purpose of the Naval War Colege, Admiral?

Admiral SHOEMAKER. The general purpose of the Naval War Colege is the education of the senior officers of the Navy in the strategic and more extensive tactical branches of their profession.

In the ordinary course of their duties aboard ship and ashore they have not the time to devote to exhaustive studies of this character, Decause too much of their time is taken up with their routine duties. So it has been the policy to select 40 or 50 officers of the rank of commander and up to take the senior course at the War College.

Last year a junior course was established there to take up studies which would fit the officers for staff duties afloat, such as the duties of communication officers, flag lieutenants, etc.

The War College work is necessary because there officers can give their whole time to the strategic, tactical, and other service subjects. including international relations, international law, and the various applications of it which they might have to deal with in the course of their profession.

At the college the course is rigorous, the time of the students is fully occupied; problems are given out which they have to solve, covering different tactical and strategic situations. They have to attend lectures upon subjects pertaining to their profession; they have to pass examinations in the courses given there during the year. in order to get their graduation certificates.

Mr. FRENCH. The time of the course is one year?

Admiral SHOEMAKER. Yes; for each course. In addition to that they carry on there, which they can not do anywhere else efficiently. very extensive work on the game board. The game board is a large board, as large as this room, upon which maneuvers of opposing fleets are carried out. The different officers are directed to command different units. and these officers receive the signals and carry on the work exactly the same as if they were in battle.

All the movements are executed, and certain of what you might call credits are given for certain movements, and the whole system is approximated, as nearly as anything of the kind can be, to the actual conditions of the service in war time.

Mr. FRENCH. Who goes to the War College?

Admiral SHOEMAKER. The present course is being taken by one or two admirals, two or three officers who expect to be admirals next year, if they are selected, a certain number of captains and commanders, and so on down. For instance, at the War College now there are 14 captains and 18 commanders.

Mr. FRENCH. And the others are junior officers?

Admiral SHOEMAKER. Yes, sir; coming along to fill up, lieutenant commanders and lieutenants.

Mr. FRENCH. How are they designated for that duty?

Admiral SHOEMAKER. They are designated by the Bureau of Navigation. The bureau picks these officers out and sends them there for instruction.

Mr. FRENCH. Does their selection have some relation to some particular fitness, some mark of superiority of an officer in some particular line?

Admiral SHOEMAKER. Yes, sir; that is all taken into consideration. Officers who apply for assignment at the War College are given it so far as practicable. That indicates a desire to perfect themselves.

We also send there a certain number of staff officers, such as constructors and officers of the Pay Corps. We also have there one or two officers from the Coast Guard and some from the Army. In that way we are kept in touch with the other services; we get the benefit of their knowledge and they get the benefit of the work at