ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES,

Washington, D. C., Tuesday, January 8, 1957.

The committee met at 11 a. m., Hon. Carl Vinson, chairman, presiding.

The CHAIRMAN. Let the committee come to order. Members, of the committee, I congratulate each of you upon your election, both to the Congress and to this committee.

Since this committee held its first meeting in January of 1947, it is perhaps proper to say that we are now observing our 10th birthday. During these past 10 years, the committee has carried a heavy responsibility, one which has increased with the passing years. By the same token, the membership of the committee increased from 33 in the 80th Congress to 37 at the beginning of the 84th Congress. The committee will continue to have 37 members in this Congress, and will continue to be the largest legislative committee in the entire Congress.

We will continue to have 20 members representing the majority and 17 representing the minority.

Thirty-two of the members have been reelected to the committee. The five new members will undoubtedly be elected to the committee by the time of our next meeting. At that time we will meet them and confirm their subcommittee assignments by appropriate amendment to Committee Resolution No. 1.

It has been said that one of the greatest remunerations which comes from service in the Congress is the warm bond of friendship which we establish through knowing and working with each other. Those of us who have been here for some time fully appreciate the truth of that statement. And it is for that reason that we will all sincerely miss our 5 colleagues who have left the committee. Each of them, in his own way, made his full contribution to the success which this committee has attained.

Without lessening in any degree my feeling for each of our former members, I want to make particular reference to my friend, the distinguished gentleman from Missouri, Mr. Short. For 8 of the 10 years of this committee's existence, Dewey and I sat side by side in this committee rostrum. So, I know whereof I speak when I say that he was an able, sincere, and warmhearted man, with unquestioned devotion to the work of this committee and the welfare of the Nation. Each and every member of the committee will miss him.

The passing of events has now brought the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Arends, to the position of ranking minority member. With all sincerity, I congratulate him on attaining this position of importance and responsibility. I assure him of my wholehearted cooperation, and I have no question in my mind but that I shall receive his.

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Members of the committee, I know you realize that this committee has heavy responsibilities. But, at this opening meeting I want to stress this important fact. More than 60 cents out of every tax dollar will continue to be spent, directly or indirectly, in support of national defense. Much of this expenditure must first be authorized by this committee. The greater amount will not require any new authorization by this committee. However, in either case, the subject matter will be within the jurisdiction of this committee and we will, therefore, have a continuing responsibility over all such matters.

The international situation which confronts our Nation today, and the very nature of this committee's jurisdiction, places a very heavy and serious responsibility on every member of the committee. There must be no hesitancy on the part of the members to meet that responsibility.

On this committee there is no room for narrow or partisan considerations. Our sole objective is the defense of the Nation. Certainly all of us hope that we can maintain an adequate national defense, and, at the same time, have national solvency. But, in any event, we must always have an adequate defense.

At this time I cannot give you a precise outline of our legislative program. However, if past experience is any criteria, we will certainly have plenty of work to do. All of our work will be of much interest to the general public, and will be important to the national defense and to the morale and welfare of our military personnel. It will require the best efforts of all of us to give proper consideration to the committee's business in a timely and intelligent manner.

In this connection, I want to say something about the attendance of members to full committee and subcommittee meetings. Each of you has a responsibility to attend all meetings of the committee or its subcommittees in accordance with your assignment. I urge you not to shirk that responsibility.

Under the rules of the House, we are required to keep an accurate record of the business transacted by the committee. This includes a record of each member's attendance. That record is a public record. It is available to the press upon request, except for matters involving national security. So the record which each of you will make is strictly a matter of personal responsibility.

It is normal procedure at the beginning of each new Congress for the committee to be briefed on the overall military situation by appropriate representatives of the Department of Defense. In view of the present international situation, and the rapid advancement in military weapons, such a briefing is particularly pertinent at this time. I have previously alerted the Department of Defense and the military departments of this situation. Now that the committee has been formally organized, I will proceed to arrange a briefing at the very earliest practicable date.

It will continue to be my policy to conduct a maximum amount of the committee's business in open session. This policy will be varied only when security or other overriding considerations require executive session.

I take this position because the people of this Nation are paying the bill. This is their country and we must inform them, to the maximum extent consistent with national security, of the status of their Government.

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Now, members of the committee, I want to say a word of caution in connection with classified or security information. I hope that no member will at any time impeach his own integrity or endanger the security of the Nation by improperly revealing classified information which is received in executive session and then see the same information published in local newspapers or magazines. But I want to stress that it is not within the responsibility or authority of this committee to either classify or declassify documents or information submitted to us under classification. If the Defense Establishment lapses into a policy which produces overclassification or improper classification, we should change the policy. But unless and until that is done, it shall be the policy of this committee to respect the classification.

Now we proceed to the formal organization of the committee by the adoption of various committee resolutions that I desire to lay before the committee.

I thank you.

Mr. Arends.

Mr. ARENDS. Mr. Chairman, I suppose that the part of wisdom would be just to say "Amen" to the statement you have made here this morning. First, let me say that I want to pledge to you, as you mentioned in your statement, my wholehearted cooperation as the ranking minority member of this committee and I am sure that goes for all the other members on our side of the aisle. This is a nonpolitical committee and we have held it as such. In that I think all of us take great pride.

I could not help but mention and emphasize the point that you discussed about former members of this committee whom we all learned to respect and admire, because of our associations, and they have been splendid. I think during our period in Congress we all like to move up on committees. That is natural. It takes a long time to do it. But certainly I express my own feelings in this regard in the matter of the man who sat to my right, Dewey Short, in that I do not in any way relish the idea of moving up on the committee at the expense of a great American like Dewey Short. But we are here now in a new Congress, with new vacancies to fill on our side.

I want to say to you, Mr. Chairman, that I will cooperate with you in this whole matter as well as considering the requests and thoughts of the members on this side of the aisle and try to get a fine group on the committee-working individuals who will have in their heart and mind, the same hopes and aspirations for the committee, that we have entertained all during the past years.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Arends. I know I can rely entirely upon your wholehearted cooperation, not only the ranking member of the minority, but of the entire membership of the minority. We sit here as a team. We have one objective and that is to do the very best we can for the common good of our great country.

Now, Mr. Smart, Mr. Brooks offers the following resolution, No. 1. Mr. SMART. Resolution No. 1:

Resolved, That the Armed Services Committee of the House of Representatives be organized to consist of three subcommittees to be known as Subcommittee 1, Subcommittee 2, and Subcommittee 3. Subcommittees 1 and 2 shall be composed of 13 members, 7 to represent the majority to be designated by the chairman and 6 to represent the minority to be designated by the ranking minority member.

Subcommittee 3 shall consist of 12 members, 7 to represent the majority and 5 to represent the minority, as designated by the chairman and the ranking minority member respectively. The chairman of the committee and the ranking minority member shall serve as ex officio members of each subcommittee and shall have the right to vote and participate in all proceedings of the subcommittees. The next ranking majority member of each subcommittee shall serve as the vice chairman of said subcommittee.

The subcommittees shall consider only such bills as are referred to them by the chairman of the full committee.

Subcommittees shall meet on the call of the subcommittee chairmen.

The subcommittee chairmen and members of the respective standing committees shall be as follows:

The CHAIRMAN. Any remarks in reference to the resolution offered by the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Brooks?

Mr. VAN ZANDT. Mr. Chairman, could you indicate the responsibilities of the several committees?

The CHAIRMAN. Well, under the resolution the Chair has the authority to refer any bill to any one of the subcommittees.

The policy has been to try to classify along matters of different nature, or subject matter. For instance, Mr. Brooks' subcommittee deals mainly with personnel legislation. Isn't that correct, Mr. Smart? Mr. RIVERS. No.

Mr. SMART. Yes, Mr. Chairman. The experience of the committee over the years produces a situation something like this. About 70 percent of the committee's activities, legislative and otherwise, is in the field of personnel, either the active duty establishment, the reserve establishment, or related matters. The remaining, approximately 25 to 30 percent, comes in the field of materiel, or things, as contrasted to people. Therefore, Subcommittees Nos. 1 and 2, while they have a nonfunctional designation, do, as a matter of practice, concern themselves almost exclusively with the field of personnel. And Mr. Durham's subcommittee, No. 3, deals almost exclusively with materiel matters.

The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, the resolution offered by the gentleman from Louisiana is agreed to.

Now the Chair recognizes Mr. Kilday for offering Resolution No. 2 and Resolution 3.

Mr. SMART. Resolution No. 2.

Resolved, That the following persons be and the same are hereby elected to the professional staff of the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, pursuant and subject to Public Law 601 (79th Cong.), to fill the following positions, respectively, it being understood that according to the provisions of this law, the chairman will fix the basic salary per annum:

Robert W. Smart, Aurora, Mo., chief counsel
John Russell Blandford, Buffalo, N. Y., counsel
Charles F. Ducander, Shreveport, La., counsel
Philip W. Kelleher, Alexandria, Va., counsel

Do you desire to adopt Resolution No. 2 or reject it?
The CHAIRMAN. Any comments on the Resolution No. 2?
Mr. RIVERS. Without objection.

The CHAIRMAN. I want to take this opportunity to say this. I think we are indeed fortunate in having such a staff to assist us. I know of no committee in Congress that has a staff comparable to the staff of the Armed Services Committee. And I certainly trust that the committee throughout the years will continue to have the aid and assistance of these four learned and distinguished staff members. Mr. SMART. In behalf of the staff, we sincerely thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. ARENDS. We accept that, Mr. Smart.

The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, Resolution No. 2 is agreed to. Now, Resolution No. 3.

Mr. SMART. Resolution No. 3:

Resolved, That the following persons be and the same are hereby elected to the clerical staff of the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, pursuant to and subject to Public Law 601 (79th Cong.), and the rules with amendments thereto (84th Cong.), to fill the following positions, respectively, it bring understood that according to the provisions of this law, the chairman shall fix the basic salary per annum:

Janice G. Angell, Ithaca, N. Y., secretary

Berniece Kalinowski, North Judson, Ind., secretary
Oneta L. Stockstill, Sharples, W. Va., secretary
L. Louise Ellis, Crane, Mo., secretary

Marie M. Abbott, Gardenerville, Nev., secretary
James A. Deakins, Pikesville, Tenn., bill clerk

The CHAIRMAN. Now, I want to make the same comment with reference to our secretaries. I think we are indeed fortunate in having such well qualified secretaries as we have. They have been with us, some of them, for a great many years, and they have rendered outstanding service. And I would like for all of them to stand so the committee can see them, all back there. Rise, young ladies. [Applause.]

The CHAIRMAN. Without objection

Mr. BROOKS. Mr. Chairman, I think you ought to say also that they are the best looking group of secretaries, too.

The CHAIRMAN. They are.

[Further applause.]

The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, Resolution No. 3 is agreed to. Now the Chair recognizes the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Durham, for the submission of Resolution No. 4.