APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1942

HEARINGS

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
GHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEVENTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

EDWARD T. TAYLOR, Colorado, Chairman

PARTICIPATING IN HEARINGS ON NAVAL ESTIMATES

NAVY DEPARTMENT SUBCOMMITTEE
JAMES G. SCRUGHAM, Nevada, Chairman

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

AUG 8-1941

DIVISION OF DOCUMENTS

FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL NATIONAL DEFENSE APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1942

Hearings conducted by the following subcommittees of the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives:

Subcommittee on Deficiencies: Messrs. Edward T. Taylor, Colorado (chairman); Clifton A. Woodrum, Virginia; Clarence Cannon, Missouri; Louis Ludlow, Indiana; J. Buell Snyder, Pennsylvania; Emmet O'Neal, Kentucky; George W. Johnson, West Virginia; Louis C. Rabaut, Michigan; John Taber, New York; Richard B. Wigglesworth, Massachusetts; William P. Lambertson, Kansas; J. William Ditter, Pennsylvania.

PARTICIPATING IN HEARINGS OP MILITARY ESTIMATES

War Department Subcommittee: Messrs. J. Buell Snyder, Pennsylvania (chairman); David D. Terry, Arkansas; Joe Starnes, Alabama; Ross A. Collins, Mississippi; John H. Kerr, North Carolina; George H. Mahon, Texas; D. Lane Powers, New Jersey; Albert J. Engel, Michigan; Francis H. Case, South Dakota.

PARTICIPATING IN HEARINGS ON NAVAL ESTIMATES

Navy Department Subcommittee: James G. Scrugham, Nevada (chairman); Joseph E. Casey, Massachusetts; Harry R. Sheppard, California; Harry P. Beam, Illinois; Albert Thomas, Texas; J. William Ditter, Pennsylvania; Charles A. Plumley, Vermont; Noble J. John

THE HEARINGS WERE HELD ON THE DAYS FOLLOWING, NAMELY:

FRIDAY, JULY 11, 1941.

MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT

SUPPLEMENTAL ESTIMATES FOR 1942

STATEMENT OF MAJ. GEN. R. C. MOORE, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF: ACCOMPANIED BY MAJ. GEN. C. C. WESSON, CHIEF OF ORDNANCE: COL. ALBERT E. BROWN, GENERAL STAFF; LT. COL. H. S. AURAND, GENERAL STAFF; LT. COL. W. A. WOOD, Jr., GENERAL STAFF; AND MAJ. T. G. McCULLOUGH, FINANCE DEPARTMENT

The CHAIRMAN. We have before us in House Document No. 308 supplemental estimates for the War Department for 1942, and Mr. Woodrum will conduct the hearing.

Mr. WOODRUM. General Moore, have you a statement to make to the committee in reference to these supplemental estimates? General MOORE. Yes, sir.

1

GENERAL STATEMENT

Mr. WOODRUM. Will you proceed?

General MOORE. Mr. Chairman, I am appearing before this committee to present for your consideration War Department supplemental estimates in the amount of $4,770,065,588, for the procurement of additional items of equipment. The equipment to be provided with the funds requested is, for purpose of procurement, divided into two general classifications; namely, critical items, or items not obtained commercially and which take a long period of time to produce; and essential items, or items which, to some extent, are procurable commercially but which cannot be readily procured in the amounts required.

PROVISIONS MADE IN PREVIOUS APPROPRIATIONS

The munitions program of June 30, 1940, provided critical items of equipment for a force of approximately 2,000,000 men, with certain exceptions, the major portion of which was ammunition; and essential items of equipment for a force-P. M. P.-of approximately 1,200,000 men, and the airplanes to complete the 18,000 airplane program. This program was partially covered by the Second Supplemental National Defense Appropriation Act, fiscal year 1941, which was approved on September 9, 1940. Of the total, $5,804,745,519, representing the cost of the munitions program, the second supplemental appropriation financed $3,911,995,417, leaving to be deferred to meet the above program the sum of $1,892,753,102.

Following the preparation of the munitions program, the protective mobilization plan force was increased by 200,000 men, bringing it to a total of approximately 1,400,000 men. The Third Supplemental National Defense Appropriation Act, fiscal year 1941, provided largely for the essential items to meet the requirements, as then computed, for this augmented protective mobilization plan force.

The fiscal year 1942 estimates provided $1,577,000,000 for the procurement of the deferred critical items of the munitions program of June 30, 1940, and in addition $81,000,000 for critical items and about $43,600,000 for essential items of equipment for certain new units to be activated during fiscal year 1942.

In order to take advantage of the production capacity of our rapidly developing munitions industry and thus expedite procurement, it was deemed advisable at the time of presentation of estimates for the Fifth Supplemental National Defense Appropriation Act, 1941, to request that $1,300,000,000 of the $1,577,000,000 included in the fiscal year 1942 estimates for deferred items of the munitions program be made immediately available in the form of contract authorizations. Cash to liquidate this contract authorization remained in the fiscal year 1942 estimates.

BASIS OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL ESTIMATES FOR 1942

STRENGTH FACTORS

The active Army will attain during the present fiscal year a strength of approximately 1,418,000 enlisted men, the authorized strength of the protective mobilization plan force. The Military Appropriation

Act, 1942, makes provision for the addition of 152,000 men to provide for the expansion of pilot and technician training under the 30,000 pilot and 100,000 technician training program for the Air Corps. Included in the 1,418,000 strength is approximately 460,000 National Guard, including approximately 250,000 actually enlisted as National Guardsmen and 210,000 selectees assigned to the National Guard for training. The new units for which provision for critical and essential items of equipment have been made in the 1942 Appropriation Act, as previously stated, will require 157,000 men for their activation. Should the National Guard leave the Federal service this requirement will be met from the 212,000 selectees remaining after the guard leaves the service. Should the guard remain in the Federal service, the strength for the activation of these new units must be sought elsewhere. In any event, if the National Guard is to be maintained available as a reserve subject to call in time of emergency, equipment must be provided for its maintenance at war strength. The estimates for equipment now before you have, therefore, been based on increasing the protective mobilization plan force from a strength of 1,418,000 to a strength of 1,727,000 (1,418,000 plus 152,000; 30,000 pilot program plus 157,000 for the organization of new units).

The second objective of the ground Army was a force of 2,828,000 enlisted men. Adding to this force the 152,000 for which provision has been made under the 30,000-pilot and 100,000-technician program. increases the over-all strength of this force to 2,980,000, that is, approximately 3,000,000 men.

The Air Corps increment in the force of 2,828,000 is the 54-group program, the first aviation objective. Funds appropriated by the Congress will provide sufficient combat airplanes to meet the requirements of the second aviation objective. Delivery of these airplanes will actually commence in the fall of 1941. No personnel has yet been provided nor requested of the Congress for the activation beyond the 54-group program. Approximately 231,000 additional enlisted men over and above all strengths previously stated will be required for this expansion. The estimates now before you provide in general for the items of equipment required to activate the tactical units to be organized for the expansion from the first to the second aviation objective.

The War Department General Staff has prepared tables of organization which show by numbers and grade the personnel strength requirement for each type of tactical unit comprised in the strength totals above stated. Tables of allowances have been similarly prepared which show by classification the number of each item of equipment required for the individuals of each tactical organization and for the organization.

Based on the strengths previously stated and on the tables of organization and the tables of allowances the supply services of the War Department have, under the supervision of the Supply Branch of the War Department General Staff, computed the requirements for each item of equipment. These requirements have been reviewed and balanced as of June 9, 1941. In arriving at this balance, credit was taken by item for stock on hand, for stock on order, and for stock not yet ordered but financed, including the funds set up in the Military Appropriation Act, 1942. The result of this audit is set forth in detail in the expenditure program pertaining to the regular fiscal year 1942