-Have you had any action yet?

Colonel BARZYNSKI. Yes: the Budget has approved it.

The CHAIRMAN. Under the new scheme, the War Department do not put on any more "Approved by the Director of the Budget." Unless it is approved, we don't get it.

Mr. CRAMTON. So it is approved. I take it that I will not need to take much time on that.

Selfridge Field is located a couple of miles from Mount Clemens. This authority is needed because they want to build mains outside the reservation.

The reference to those townships is that under the arrangement proposed certain suburban development extending out from Mount Clemens adjacent to these mains may be permitted to draw their water supply from these mains; and that they would pay, as I recall, 25 per cent of the cost of the mains for that privilege.

They ran into a little difficulty in getting the proper action by those people. So at the present the people have not put themselves in shape to avail themselves of this scheme.

The bill gives authority to the department in section 2 under such regulations as the Secretary of War may prescribe to lay these connections upon such terms as he shall require.

Mr. MCSWAIN. But the money must be paid down first?

Mr. CRAMTON. The money must be paid down and turned into the Treasury.

But I prefer that you consider it as a $37,000 item. If we get that drawback, it will be so much to the good. But you may consider it as a straight $37,000 item which will meet a very real emergency. In case of fire their water supply is an uncertain one. I am sure that there will be no question about that bill.

Mr. MCSWAIN. What have you from the city of Mount Clemens to show that they will furnish the water?

Mr. CRAMTON. Those negotiations are before you, and the figure. in the record is based on a definite proposal from the city of Mount Clemens.

Mr. MCSWAIN. Is there a supply of water abundant for all probable future needs?

Mr. CRAMTON. Yes.

Mr. MCSWAIN. And no likelihood that they will go up in price as soon as that is the only source of supply?

Mr. CRAMTON. Oh, I think not. Of course, I don't know how long a term is stipulated in the understanding. But I am sure that there will be no attitude of that kind locally.

The CHAIRMAN. Has the War Department any comment on this bill?

General DE WITT. No, sir. I do not think I can add anything to what Mr. Cramton said, except to say that the water main is badly needed at Selfridge Field.

Mr. CRAMTON. I thank you.

The CHAIRMAN. We will now take up H. R. 15616, a bill introduced by Mr. Cramton to authorize an appropriation for the construction of a building at Selfridge Field.

The bill reads as follows:

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That not to exceed $55,000 is hereby author

ized to be appropriated for construction of a quartermaster warehouse at Selfridge Field, Mich.

Mr. CRAMTON. I don't know whether there is a report on this bill

or not.

Colonel BARZYNSKI. The report has not been signed yet. But I do know that the Secretary of War will sign this, and he is in favor of the construction, provided that the cost is absorbed in the $15,000,000 program for the fiscal year 1931.

Mr. CRAMTON. I will state what this item is. It is that not to exceed $55,000 is hereby authorized to be appropriated for the construction of a quartermaster warehouse at Selfridge Field, Mich.

When I went over this subject while I was at the field, the general idea which led me to present this bill was that it is an emergency in that there is not a proper refrigeration system, as I recall, available for the storage of supplies at Selfridge. So it seemed to me that economy would result from providing a quartermaster

warehouse.

I will read the Secretary of War's report and see if I am correct in my understanding. It reads:

The need of this warehouse is very urgent. The building will replace the temporary warehouse which was destroyed by fire November 11, 1922. Since that date the commissary and many quartermaster stores have been housed in the temporary Air Corps school building. The floors of this temporary building are not suitable for warehouse purposes. having never been designed to carry the load.

May I interrupt to remind you that Selfridge Field was built in the war period. A great many of the buildings are of hasty and temporary construction. The chairman is quite familiar with that. [Continuing:]

Floor joists and sills are practically on the ground surface, with the result that many floor failures have occurred

I talked with the Budget. I understood that the report had gone from the Budget to the department, and the department had ap proved it in case it was absorbed in the 1932 or 1933 program.

I don't know just what that would mean. A postponement of the construction until 1932 seems to me wasteful, in that the Government supplies are not properly cared for and there is an entire lack of refrigeration at Selfridge Field.

Mr. MCSWAIN. Do you mean for meats and butter and things like that?

Mr. CRAMTON. That is my understanding. this report to the contrary.

There is nothing in

Furthermore, here is an item: I know that perhaps you are tired of hearing this, but it is a practical question. That is the item that this service to the extent of this expenditure is an unemployment relief. It is a building that manifestly under the report is urgently needed. There is no doubt that it can be built cheaper now than in two or three years from now. And it gives employment in an area that needs it very much.

Many of our unemployment programs reach the common laborer, such as road building and so forth. But the plumber and the mason and the carpenters are not reached to the full extent. This field is within 25 miles of the city limits of Detroit, so that, in addition

to our problems of Mount Clemens, there is the Detroit labor situation as well. So that I do hope not only that this authorization will be passed, but that it might be available for early construction.

The CHAIRMAN. You understand that if this is authorized you, as a member of the Appropriations Committee, can tack it on to any suitable bill.

Mr. CRAMTON. If this is authorized, I can assure the committee that it will continue to have my careful attention.

The CHAIRMAN. Does the War Department have any comment to make on this bill?

General DE WITT. I do not think I can add anything to what Mr. Cramton has said, except to say that this construction is very badly needed at Selfridge Field. As far as this warehouse is concerned, we are ready to proceed with the construction the moment that we have the money.

Mr. CRAMTON. I thank you for that statement.

(Whereupon, at 12 o'clock noon, the hearing was concluded.)

VARIOUS BILLS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND ACQUISI

TION OF LAND

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1931

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS,

Washington, D. C.

Subcommittee No. 1 of the Committee on Military Affairs this day met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. W. Frank James, chairman, presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The clerk will report the first bill to be heard this morning.

The CLERK. The first one is H. R. 11009, and is as follows:

A bill to authorize the acquisition of certain land for the proper defense of the Atlantic coast.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized to acqu.re, by purchase, condemnation, or otherwise, a tract of land on the Atlantic seaboard, with necessary rights of way thereto, for use in connection with defensive installations of the Atlantic coast, and the sum of $1,000 is hereby authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of this act.

The following report from the War Department concerning the above bill has been received:

The SPEAKER HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

MARCH 19, 1930.

DEAR MR. SPEAKER: There is inclosed the draft of a bill to authorize the acquisition of a tract of land required in connection with the defense of the Atlantic seaboard, which the War Department presents for the consideration of the Congress with a view to its enactment into law.

There are no pertinent provisions of existing law affecting the purchase of this land.

The tract desired is one of three approved for purchase in connection with the defense of the Atlantic coast. Authorization for the acquisition of two is contained in section 6, Public 806, Seventieth Congress (H. R. 13825), approved February 25, 1929. The third is essential to the completion of the project.

Because of the secret nature of this project the draft of legislation herewith has been prepared allowing for a wide scope of selection. However, the tract to be purchased has been definitely determined and such details in the case will be furnished as you may desire.

The amount involved in the acquisition of this land is $1,000.
Sincerely yours,

PATRICK J. HURLEY,
Secretary of War.

The CHAIRMAN. Who represents the War Department on this bill? Colonel LOUGHRY. I do, Mr. Chairman. My name is Lieut. Col. H. K. Loughry, of the war plans division of the General Staff, United States Army, stationed at Washington, D. C.

You perhaps remember, Mr. Chairman, that two or three years ago the War Department requested the authorization of the procure

19.

ment of two fire-control sites for the harbor defenses of Sandy Hook, one of Elberon, N. J., and one at Long Beach, N. Y.; and thanks to you, Congress authorized the procurement of those two sites and they have been procured.

When the board of officers appointed by the Second Corps Area met they approved a project for the procurement of three sites; the third site was to be somewhat to the east of Long Beach, but they were unable to recommend a definite site at that time because of property difficulties, most of the land on the south shore of Long Island being owned either by the New York Park Commission or the town of Hempstead, or the town of Oyster Bay. But they finally located the site we wish to procure now. The site is this right here, and it is owned by the town of Oyster Bay, which indicates that there will be no objection to the procurement of the site from them. The price will certainly be nominal, surely not more than $1,000. This is the chart of Long Island. This is Long Beach [indicating on the chart], and this is Jones Beach to the east of it. This proposed site, 100 by 100 feet, is down here at this point [indicating] which is represented in large scale at this point here.

The CHAIRMAN. Have you any statement in addition to that to go into the record? If you do, give it to the reporter.

Colonel LOUGHRY. No, sir. I believe that is all. A fire-control tower will be erected on this, which will be for the fire-control defenses of Sandy Hook and particularly for the two 16-inch guns at Fort Tilton, which is at Rockaway Beach.

Mr. MCSWAIN. You mean that it is proposed to have a steel tower erected on which an observer or observers will be placed for the purpose of directing the fire of those guns by telephone or radio, or otherwise?

Colonel LOUGHRY. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. There is nothing in your files that we can not use on the floor of the House, is there?

Colonel LOUGHRY. No, sir. In the bill it was worded to refer to it as a site on the Atlantic seaboard in order to conceal its location and purposes, but I do not see why it can not be referred to as part of the defenses of Sandy Hook.

(Thereupon the committee proceeded to the consideration of other business).

The CHAIRMAN. The clerk will report the next bill.

The CLERK. The next is H. R. 15071, introduced by Mr. Snell, and it is as follows:

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That there is hereby authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $150,000 to be expended for the construction of a gymnasium at Plattsburg Barracks, Plattsburg, N. Y., and such utilities and appurtenances thereto as, in the judgment of the Secretary of War, may be necessary to replace the building destroyed by fire in 1917 and the temporary building that was destroyed by fire in 1930.

The following report has been received from the War Department on the foregoing bill:

Hon. W. FRANK JAMES,

JANUARY 28, 1931.

Chairman Committee on Military Affairs, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. JAMES: Careful consideration has been given to the bill H. R. 15071, "To authorize appropriations for construction at Plattsburg Barracks,