ments commenced the preparation of detailed plans for development along the lines approved by the President. Estimates of the cost of this development based on a minimum of 25 years' occupancy were then prepared. It is proposed that military bases-primarily air bases-with only sufficient ground troops for the protection of Army and Navy installations, be constructed at Newfoundland, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia, Trinidad, and British Guiana. These projects are being closely coordinated with the Navy, in order that there will be no duplication of facilities. Construction of permanent facilities will be limited to the minimum necessary to accommodate the garrisons which must be permanently stationed at the base for the operation, control, and administration necessary over the 99-year lease period. TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION FOR OUTLYING BASES Senator ADAMS. General Marshall, in the preceding sentence or two you spoke of making plans on the basis of a minimum of 25year occupancy. General MARSHALL. Yes, sir. Senator ADAMS. Does that mean that the contemplation is on a 25-year basis rather than on a 99-year basis? General MARSHALL. No, sir; the leases are on a 99-year basis. I shall ask Colonel Crawford to discuss that. Colonel CRAWFORD. That was just to establish the type of construction to be built at the bases. We are planning for 25 years' lifefor the construction of buildings. Senator ADAMS. That was the type of construction? Colonel CRAWFORD. That was the type of construction. Senator ADAMS. That was the type of construction having a real life of 25 years? Colonel CRAWFORD. Yes, sir. Senator MCKELLAR. It has nothing to do with the intended occupancy of the bases? Colonel CRAWFORD. No, sir. The leases provide for 99 years. General MARSHALL. May I repeat that construction of permanent facilities will be limited to the minimum necessary to accommodate a portion of the garrisons which must be permanently stationed at the base for the operation, control, and administration necessary over the 99-year lease period. For use by any emergency garrisons,. we are proposing camp sites with water and other utilities, with especial attention to sanitation, similar to that which has been provided in Panama, so that if any troops are hastily put in there they will have the basic facilities around which the tents will be grouped.. LAND LEASED TO BE BUILT ON FOR 25-YEAR OCCUPANCY OR RETAINED AS CAMP SITES Senator ADAMS. General Marshall, that means that in addition to the sites definitely improved in the way of buildings, there will be available adjacent land on which you will have a lease or will have some privilege of occupancy for the camp sites? General MARSHALL. It will all be on the same acquired under lease from the British for 99 years. plots, the plots. We will either build for a 25-year occupancy or put up camp sites for temporary use or both. Senator ADAMS. But the additional land occupancy would be acquired along with the leases? General MARSHALL. Yes, sir. At certain localities, in order to avoid unnecessary costs, we will actually provide only water, sewerage, walks, and roadways, so that we can quickly camp a garrison on the leased land if such becomes necessary; we will provide facilities only sufficient to care for the size of the garrison we anticipate may be required should a serious situation develop in that section of the Atlantic. This is an economy measure in order to avoid constructing permanently for the emergency garrisons, because if it becomes necessary to move additional troops to such localities it will be for temporary occupancy only and they will be taken out when the issue abates in that particular area. Some temporary construction is necessary because of the prevalence in some sections of yellow fever and malarial fever. The development for military purposes at the several islands varies, since some of the islands are to be much more extensively developed than are others. The amounts contained in the bill are based on thorough surveys at each of the base sites by experienced engineering parties which have been in the field for 2 or 3 months. SEACOAST DEFENSE The bill provides contract authorization in the amount of $5,220,000, deferred in the munitions program, to enable the immediate initiation of the manufacture of carriages for 16-inch guns. The guns are now on hand. Provision is also made for the liquidation of contract authorization utilized for the procurement of searchlights and for the construction of batteries. The new funds allowed provide for manufacture of guns for outlying bases, for procurement and installation of fire-control equipment at Puerto Rico, the Philippine Islands, and for outlying bases; for certain access road construction in the Philippine Islands and the Panama Canal Department; for the completion of construction of batteries in Puerto Rico; for certain emergency installations in the Philippine Islands; and for the completion of several projects for shore installations in continental United States. RELOCATION OF SECTION OF ALASKA RAILROAD The bill contains an item to provide for the relocation of a section of the Alaska Railroad. Anchorage, where our main military base in Alaska is nearing completion, has very limited communication facilities. Supplies and reinforcements for the garrison at Anchorage, as well as for the one at Fairbanks, can be shipped only via the Alaska Railroad, which runs from Seward on the Gulf of Alaska to Fairbanks in the interior. While Anchorage itself is located on an arm of Cook Inlet, supplies cannot be brought in by water because of the fact that those waters are full of ice in the winter, and subject to a 36-foot tide at all times. The port that serves Anchorage is Seward, which is connected to Anchorage by the Alaska Railroad. In this section there are many tunnels, snowsheds, and bridges; and in the vicinity of the town of Tunnel, a place 51 miles from Seward, the rail road twists and turns in a very limited area, passing over one wooden trestle after another. This area is ideal for sabotage. If one of these trestles should be set on fire, all supply north of Seward would be absolutely and definitely stopped for an extended period of time. Relocation of this railroad has been urged on several occasions by the commanding general, Alaska defense command, and the commanding general, Fourth Army-that is, the one on the Pacific coast-as a vital necessity to defense in Alaska. The funds in this estimate provide for construction of a new section of railroad that will eliminate the dangerous situation just discussed, and will greatly improve the efficiency of the defense of Alaska. This is an urgent national-defense requirement. CHANGES IN ALASKA RAILROAD AFFECTS TOWN OF SEWARD Senator ADAMS. General Marshall, there are a couple of gentlemen here who have asked to be heard. I think they represent the town of Seward; do they not? General MARSHALL. Yes, sir. Senator ADAMS. They apparently have a somewhat different view of that matter. General MARSHALL. Yes, sir; because this vitally affects the town of Seward. Seward's reason for existence is the port. Senator ADAMS. They came to my office with a photograph, and they were pointing out some of these trestles; and apparently their view, which they want to present to the committee, was that while these arestles are hazardous now, they could be filled in under the trestles, and make a solid fill rather than a trestle. General MARSHALL. I think that Mr. Olson, chief engineer of the Alaska Railroad, will be available to appear before you, and our engineer officers are available to present this matter in detail, sir. I do not think they can replace those trestles so as to remove the danger. CONDITION OF RAILROAD TRESTLES Senator THOMAS of Oklahoma. How much is asked for this particular work-the improvement of the railroad? General MARSHALL. $5,300,000. Senator THOMAS of Oklahoma. I have been over that line, and I am somewhat familiar with it. General MARSHALL. I have not been over it myself. I have just seen the pictures of it and the maps of it. Senator THOMAS of Oklahoma. At some points on the line the tracks resemble a figure eight in a pleasure resort that had been abandoned for some years. In other words, the track at points is badly located, and if the line is to be maintained, it should be, in places, relocated and, of course, rebuilt. General MARSHALL. It puts us in a very perilous situation, with the rapidly growing Alaska command. All supplies and material for Fairbanks and Anchorage, including supplies and material which must be transshipped by air or otherwise from Anchorage to Kodiak, all hinge on this perilous bit of railroad. Senator ADAMS. Those towns are all along the coast except Fairbanks? General MARSHALL. Fairbanks is in the interior; and Anchorage is on the coast. Senator THOMAS of Oklahoma. Does this proposal make necessary the relocation of the line at Seward? Would Seward be destroyed? General MARSHALL. Seward would just be eliminated, that is all. Senator THOMAS of Oklahoma. The line would not start at Seward, then; it would start at some other place on the coast? General MARSHALL. Yes, sir; at Portage Bay. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS General MARSHALL. The Third Supplemental National Defense Appropriation Act, 1941, provided funds for the maintenance of the expanded Army of the United States, including the National Guard in the Federal service and 800,000 selective trainees a force which, prior to the end of fiscal year 1941, will attain an enlisted strength of 1,418,000. In computing estimates of funds required for the maintenance of this large force, peacetime experience figures used in computing estimates for the small Regular Army were applied. These experience factors were modified downward in several instances where the sum derived from their application appeared larger than was thought necessary for the requirements. It has developed that the experience factors utilized have not given the funds required for the maintenance of the large Army. It should be remembered that at the time of the preparation of these estimates the expanded Army was a paper Army only. As this force developed, requirements have arisen which were not previously visualized. The additional miscellaneous requirements contained in the bill result largely from the causes stated. Senator ADAMS. General, I gather from that that you started to base the estimates of the cost of the enlarged Army on the per-man cost of the Regular Army? General MARSHALL. On experience factors used in computing estimates of cost for maintaining the Regular Army. Senator ADAMs. And that instead of the sort of mass production lowering the cost, you found that the per-man cost increased rather than corresponded with the Regular Army cost; or was it due to different facilities? General MARSHALL. Different reasons; sir. One is that we are doing a great deal more for these men. The Government is providing specifically things that were not provided for the regular establishment. For instance, welfare of enlisted men-appropriated funds were not provided for the Regular Army for this purpose. Welfare activities were provided and financed from sources other than appropriated funds. Funds provided in the bill include: WELFARE OF ENLISTED MEN At the time of the preparation of estimates for the Third Supplemental National Defense Appropriation Act, 1941, the detailed method of handling the new soldier from the time of acceptance for military service until he reported for duty with the unit with which he was to serve had not completely crystallized. Since that time it has been found that welfare requirements had been underestimated, and that there is required equipment for 29 recruit reception centers and 42 service clubs to be located at replacement centers, Air Corps stations, and camps with population in excess of 5,000, for which no provision has been heretofore made. The bill also makes provision for the hostesses and furnishings for the service clubs; the librarians, books, and periodicals for the libraries; and, in addition, a minimum of athletic equipment and facilities at recruit reception centers. Of the total funds requested, $500,000 is being advanced from fiscal year 1942 estimates, and a corresponding reduction may be made in those estimates. WELFARE REQUIREMENTS AT RECRUIT RECEPTION CENTERS AND REPLACEMENT CENTERS The War Department initially failed to make provision for welfare requirements of recruit reception centers and replacement centers. The first thought was that such provision would not be necessary. However, experience shows that need when the newly inducted man first enters the service is greater if anything than it is late ron. very unfortunate reaction is produced if a newly inducted man finds himself for the first time in strange surroundings with nothing to occupy such free time as he may have. A Senator HAYDEN. How long do men remain in these reception. centers? General MARSHALL. A period of about 3 to 7 days; somewhere around a week. MISCELLANEOUS OPERATING SUPPLIES The bill makes provision for administrative equipment and supplies for recruit-reception centers, for replacement centers, for four new quartermaster depots, and to meet additional general supply require ments. CLOTHING AND EQUIPAGE The clothing and equipage item includes $50,700,000 for the liquidation of prior contract authorizations. On War Department request, this item was removed from our estimates for fiscal year 1942 by the Bureau of the Budget in order that we may meet payments on deliveries now being made under authority of this contract authorization. The remaining funds requested provide clothing and equipment for 19,300 enlisted men not included in the estimates previously submitted; provision for additional requirements, and also to replace unserviceable clothing and equipment in the hands of the National Guard on induction into the Federal service; and certain miscellaneous organizational equipment for which no previous estimates have been submitted. One example of the latter is scabbards for submachine guns of certain motor-vehicle drivers of the armored force. ARMY TRANSPORTATION The principal item other than the $101,595,929 previously mentioned for the procurement of motor vehicles is approximately |