available, the Department's prediction is, assuming all planes which heretofore have been provided for and which are provided for in the accompanying bill will have been delivered by July 1, 1940, that the full authorized quota of 2,320 serviceable airplanes will have been attained by such date, and that commencing with the fiscal year 1940, beginning July 1, 1939, new procurement will be wholly in the way of replacement of airplanes, unless, in the meantime, the authorized number should be increased. Before that should occur, it is the judgment of the committee that the needs of the Army and Navy should be considered by a joint committee, which should weigh the probable demands upon both services when acting independently or jointly. In this connection, attention is invited to the testimony on pages 428-431 of the hearings. There is evidence in the possession of the committee that we greatly excel any power in the world in naval aviation, and that, from the standpoint of project airplanes on hand, on order, and remaining to be ordered under funds heretofore made available, both Army and Navy, we are only excelled by the British Empire. CORPS OF ENGINEERS Including a supplemental estimate of $900,000, the Budget proposes an increase of $1,038,980 over the current appropriation. The supplemental estimate, in conjunction with an amount of $75,000 in the regular estimates, will provide all but 3 of the authorized 60 searchlight units for the four mobile antiaircraft regiments of the Regular Army in the United States. The increase of $138,980 in the regular Budget, aside from an additional amount for searchlights, is composed chiefly of an item of $88,000 for aerial mapping equipment, and $15,000 for a mobile waterpurification unit. The apparent reduction of $180,000 proposed by the committee results from the substitution of a like amount of contractual authority. ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT Ordnance service and supplies, Army.-Including a supplemental estimate of $14,172,062, the Budget proposes an increase of $14,244,034 over the current appropriation. In other words, were it not for the supplemental estimate, the amount requested would exceed the current appropriation by $71,972 (net). The supplemental estimate divides: Special machinery, equipment, and gages... Augmentation of critical items of antiaircraft equipment. Total. $5, 780, 000 6, 392, 062 2, 000, 000 14, 172, 062 The foregoing items, in conjunction with supplemental items under other heads totaling $2,707,938, previously have been discussed herein under the head of "Supplemental estimate." While the regular estimates show but a relatively small increase over the current year, owing to nonrecurring items and reduced amounts requested under other items, they do provide for a number of new projects and increased amounts for continuing other projects, some of Continuation of semiautomatic rifle program__ $900,000 912, 000 385, 367 260,000 Tooling and machinery to increase production of semiautomatic rifles. 600,000 The amount set opposite the last of the foregoing items is but a third of the sum considered to be desirable and will need to be supplemented later. The amount above appearing for semiautomatic rifles will provide for the manufacture of approximately 2,500 of such weapons. By October 1, of this year, it is expected that there will have been manufactured 7,540 for the Regular Army. The committee has added $250,000 to the estimates of the National Guard as a start toward outfitting that organization with this very splendid gun. The reduction of $4,149,000 under this head appearing in the table at the end of this report is purely facial. It is composed entirely of the substitution of a reappropriation of current funds administratively withheld from obligation and contractual authority in lieu of appropriation. The committee has made a reduction in this sense: It provides that of the total sum appropriated ($33,481,034, which excludes $2,900,000 of contractual authority), $100,000 shall be available exclusively for going forward with the equipment of 75 millimeter guns with high-speed adapters. Rock Island Bridge.-The Budget increase of $12,000 is for painting the bridge, last done in 1933. One-half of the cost will be reimbursed by the railroad company using the bridge, which bears one-half of the cost of maintenance and operation. Repairs of arsenals. The reduced amount ($172,425) for repairs of arsenals is attributable to nonrecurring items. The appropriation proposed ($914,855) certainly is not adequate for the proper care and preservation of property in which there is a capital investment of more than $106,000,000, but, at the same time very substantial assistance has been received in the past through the medium of relief appropriations, and is being received at the present time under grants of relief funds currently available. CHEMICAL WARFARE SERVICE Including a supplemental estimate of $300,000, the Budget proposes an amount $202,120 in excess of the current appropriation. The committee proposes to add $30,000 to the estimate, such sum having been deducted from the experimental and research project, where it is not deemed wise to require any curtailment. As previously indicated herein, the supplemental estimate is intended for the procurement of certain machinery and equipment required for the early production of gas mask component parts in time of emergency. SEACOAST DEFENSES For the improvement and maintenance of our coast defense establishments, fixed and mobile, the Budget recommends and the accompanying bill provide as follows: The total above indicated is $1,745,238 in excess of current appropriations, of which $811,725 is included in the regular Budget and $933,513 in H. Doc. 519. These two amounts combined divide as follows: It is not the practice to publish the details of estimates or appropriations under this head. They apply to such objects as long-range guns, antiaircraft guns, fire-control equipment, submarine-mine equipment and control, searchlights, etc. The Congress naugurated a move in the fiscal year 1937 to accelerate the development of seacoast defenses on the Pacific coast and in Hawaii and Panama. At that time the estimated cost to complete the approved projects at those points was: Pacific coast. Hawaii Panama $15, 610, 153 6,765, 321 9, 316, 342 Subsequent studies and changed costs have made necessary the revision of those amounts. However, including amounts recommended in the accompanying bill, they have been reduced to the following levels: Pacific coast... Hawaii... $8, 413, 934 4, 484, 779 8,889, 523 Appropriated, 1938. NATIONAL GUARD Estimates, 1939, including a supplemental estimate of $574,425. Increase... Additions proposed by committee_ Total increase over current appropriations. $40, 958, 487 42, 021, 405 1, 062, 918 1, 303, 328 2, 366, 246 43, 324, 733 The committee is proposing, in lieu of a like amount of new appropriation, the reappropriation of $1,271,151 of the 1938 appropriation, which is being administratively withheld from obligation. Such action makes it appear as if the actual increase over the current appropriation is but $1,095,095, and the actual increase over the Budget recommendations is but $32,177. The portion of the current appropriation barred from obligation is made up of projects and amounts as follows: Gas and oil, armory training. Musical instruments, supplies and repairs. Ordnance equipment, supplies and repairs.... Expense attendant upon an increase of 5,000 in the personnel strength of the National Guard.. Total... $2, 146 13, 000 746, 805 9, 200 500, 000 1, 271, 151 The Budget increase of $1,062,918 (net) is owing principally to the following considerations: Object Total esti- Increase Anticipated larger attendance upon training camps--- $9, 126, 100 The foregoing items total $2,443,562, more than half offset by a reduced amount of $225,293 for articles of the uniform, and $1,147,879 for prime movers for 155 millimeter field artillery. Representatives of the National Guard Association appeared before the committee and urged additions to the Budget totalling $5,139,000, of which $574,425 subsequently has been given the support of a Budget estimate. After carefully weighing the propositions embraced by the remaining amount, the committee concluded to recommend and does recommend additional appropriations as follows: Purchase ($41,500) and forage ($44,000), 250 additional animals. Purchase of motors.. $85,000 400, 000 Upon its own initiative, the committee has included $250,000 for the procurement of 2,500 semiautomatic rifles, previously referred to herein under the head of "Ordnance Department." These additions total $1,355,737. Two reductions are proposed, amounting to $52,409, both because of an excessive estimated cost of gasoline. Thus is reached the net committee increase of $1,303,328. Animals.-The Budget includes provision for the purchase of 747 horses. The increase added by the committee will permit of the purchase of about 1,000 animals, which should result in appreciably reducing the high average age of National Guard horses. The approved total allowance is 4,784. Motors. The current year allocation for new motor vehicles is $210,090. The Budget carries $500,000 for 1939 and the committee, at the instance of the National Guard Association, has raised the amount to $900,000, which is for both replacement and augmentation. This item may be expected to expand, as much of the equipment now on hand (9,270 vehicles) has reached or is fast approaching an uneconomical maintenance condition. Overcoats.-The Budget includes $648,500 for overcoats. Completely to equip the National Guard with overcoats would require an additional amount of $892,149. However, with an addition of $320,237, the committee is advised that this garment can be supplied to all troops in latitudes where it is most essential, and the committee is recommending that course. Such sum is $159,763 less than recommended by the National Guard Association for appropriation at this time. Other articles of clothing.-For articles of the uniform, other than overcoats, the Budget proposes $1,547,316. The National Guard Association urged an additional amount of $600,000, for the reason that the allowance of $7 per man, which prevailed in the fiscal year 1937, is not adequate, properly and decently and comparably with members of the Naval Reserve, to outfit members of the National Guard, and that is particularly true since there has been an advance in the cost of articles of the uniform. The committee is proposing the addition of one-half of the increase advocated by the National Guard Association. Antiaircraft equipment.-The National Guard has 10 active antiaircraft regiments. The $1,148,850 carried in this bill for antiaircraft equipment will supply all critical items of ordnance antiaircraft equipment for seven of such regiments and the training equipment for the remaining three. This is a substantial step forward. Approximately $9,000,000 remains to be appropriated completely to equip these 10 regiments. Personnel strength. The current appropriation act includes $500,000 for increasing the strength of the National Guard from 200,000 to 205,000, effective from and after the 31st of this month. As previously indicated, that amount has been administratively withheld from |