Estimated cost to Government of surplus war materials delivered to State highway departments and retained by Department of Agriculture.

The value of the materials above listed is exclusive of the material delivered to the States from the surplus at Camp Grant, Rockford, Ill.

၁

26866-S. Doc. 286, 67-4-8

4th Session.

1 No. 287.

INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS FOR CATTLE BREEDING.

MESSAGE

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,

TRANSMITTING

A REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE CONCERNING THE APPOINTMENT OF A DELEGATE TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS FOR CATTLE BREEDING TO BE HELD AT THE HAGUE, IN AUGUST, 1923.

JANUARY 9 (calendar day, JANUARY 10), 1923.-Read, referred to the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, and ordered to be printed.

To the Senate and House of Representatives:

I transmit herewith a report by the Secretary of State concerning a request made by the Secretary of Agriculture that specific authorization be obtained from Congress that will enable the Department of Agriculture to be represented by a delegate in the International Congress for Cattle Breeding to be held at The Hague in August, 1923, by the payment of the expenses of such delegate (estimated at $1,500) out of the regular funds provided in the Agricultural appropriation act for animal husbandry investigations (general expenses, Bureau of Animal Industry) for the fiscal year 1924.

I commend the request of the Secretary of Agriculture to the favorable consideration of Congress as in the interest of an important industry of the United States.

THE WHITE HOUSE, January 10, 1923.

WARREN G. HARDING.

The PRESIDENT:

The undersigned the Secretary of State has the honor to lay before the President with a view to its transmission to Congress for the consideration of that body, if his judgment approve thereof, the following matter:

On June 17, 1922, the Government of the Netherlands, through its legation at Washington, invited the participation of the Government of the United States in an International Congress for Cattle S D-67-4-vol 12-39

Breeding which the Netherlands Government contemplates calling to meet at The Hague in the latter part of August, 1923.

The invitation was referred to the Department of Agriculture for consideration and on July 13, 1922, the Secretary of Agriculture advised the Department of State of his department's belief that information of great value to the live-stock industry in this country would be obtained from the exchange of ideas at such a meeting, but that it would be impossible to definitely accept the invitation so far in advance.

The Secretary of Agriculture has now, in a letter to the Department of State dated December 18, 1922, stated reasons why, in the opinion of the Department of Agriculture, participation by that department in the congress would be to the interest of the stock industry of the United States. These reasons are as follows:

We believe that the United States should participate in this congress for the following reasons: It is expected that the meeting will be attended by the leading authorities on the various phases of cattle breeding from all parts of the world. It is certain that much new information of value and new points of view on cattle problems will be brought out at this conference. While these data could be obtained to some extent from the reports published after the meeting, in such a congress as that to be held at The Hague the information that can be obtained from informal discussions with delegates from other countries will be even more valuable than that which may be secured from the published papers. The personal contact established with the foreign delegates should be of value to the work of the department in later years. Participation in this Congress would tend to give a world viewpoint of the cattle situation which should be of great value. Furthermore, as one of the largest cattleraising countries in the world, we believe that the United States should do its share in contributing to the success of this congress. The failure of the United States to do so in this case would have an unfortunate effect on the future international exchange of ideas and cooperation in agricultural matters and doubtless in other respects as well. The wide field covered by the program, dealing as it does with both beef and dairy cattle, with technical questions such as heredity and nutrition, and with practical questions such as registration, Government intervention, etc., makes it very desirable that this department be represented.

Secretary Wallace adds that if specific authorization is provided by Congress for representation by the Department of Agriculture in the Cattle Breeding Congress, the

expenses of one delegate (estimated at $1,500) can be financed from the regular funds provided in the Agricultural appropriation act for animal husbandry investigations (general expenses, Bureau of Animal Industry) for the fiscal year 1924.

It has been indicated to the Department of State that the Government of the Netherlands attaches great importance to the value of United States representation in this international congress because of the advance made by American scientists in the study of several subjects regarding cattle breeding, and is furthermore desirous that delegates on the part of the United States may be named promptly in order that they may cooperate with the executive committee of the Cattle Breeding Congress during the first month of 1923 in its organization and the preliminary studies of the subjects to be treated. Prompt consideration of the Secretary of Agriculture's request by the Congress of the United States would therefore seem to be desirable. Respectfully submitted.

CHARLES E. HUGHES.

A REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN THE MATTER OF ARBITRATION OF CLAIMS OF NORWEGIAN SUBJECTS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES ARISING OUT OF REQUISITIONS BY THE UNITED STATES SHIPPING BOARD EMERGENCY FLEET CORPORATION AND RECOMMENDING AN APPROPRIATION.

JANUARY 9 calendar day, JANUARY 12), 1923.-Read; referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed.

To the Senate and House of Representatives:

I transmit herewith a report of the Secretary of State respecting the arbitration of claims of Norwegian subjects against the United States arising out of requisitions by the United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation requesting that I recommend that an appropriation be made to satisfy the award rendered by the arbitral tribunal against the United States, with interest to date of payment, and that in making the appropriation authorization be granted to withhold from the total amount of the award the sum of $22,800 with which to pay the claim of Page Bros., Americancitizens, mentioned in the agreement of June 30, 1921, and in the award of the tribunal.

I recommend that in order to effect prompt satisfaction of the award made by the arbitral tribunal, the Congress authorize the requisite appropriation.

A copy of the award is attached hereto.

THE WHITE HOUSE, January 12, 1923..

The PRESIDENT:

WARREN G. HARDING.

By special agreement, signed at Washington, June 30, 1921, to which the Senate gave its advice and consent to ratification on July 27, 1921, the United States and Norway, comfortably to The Hague