66 period" out at the end of each sentence as they do now. People in running their private enterprise do not send messages of that sort. Mr. KELLEY. The Navy Department has its wireless system connected up with Seattle? Col. SEOANE. Yes, sir. Mr. KELLEY. And it takes commercial business? Col. SEOANE. Yes, sir. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1921. NATIONAL GUARD. STATEMENT OF MAJ. LOUIS C. WILSON, QUARTERMASTER CORPS, UNITED STATES ARMY. ARMING, EQUIPPING, AND TRAINING THE NATIONAL GUARD.. The CHAIRMAN. We have received informally an estimate for arming, equipping, and training the National Guard, as follows: WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, November 7, 1921. The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. MY DEAR SIR: 1. The Army appropriation act, approved June 30, 1921, contained the following amounts for the purposes indicated, with a provision that "20 per cent of the foregoing amounts for arming, equipping, and training the National Guard shall be available interchangeably for expenditures for the purposes named; but not more than 20 per cent shall be added to the amount appropriated for any one of such purposes": Travel of officers and noncommissioned officers of the Regular Army in connection with the National Guard. Transportation of supplies‒‒‒‒ $85,000 175,000 110,000 2. The above amounts have proven insufficient for the needs of the National Guard, and it is estimated that the following additional amounts will be required: Travel of officers and noncommissioned officers of the Regular Army in connection with the National Guard__ Transportation of supplies_. Expenses, sergeant instructors_. $100,000 175, 000 100,000 3. (a) The additional amount shown for "Travel of officers, etc.," is required to carry out the provisions of section 93 of the act of June 3, 1916, making the annual armory inspections; detailing of instructors under the act of March 3, 1911, and sergeant instructors under section 36, act of June 3, 1916, and for travel of such officers and enlisted men while so detailed, as provided by existing regulations promulgated by direction of the President. (b) The original amount provided for transportation of supplies issued by the Federal Government from reports received from the several supply bureaus, has practically been exhausted, and unless additional funds are made available for this purpose, all issues will shortly have to be suspended. In this connection it may be stated that the sum of $5,500,000 was appropriated for the payment of supplies which can not be furnished from the surplus or reserve stores of the Regular Army and these greatly exceed in value the articles for which charge is made, but the funds appropriated for the transportation must cover the cost of the shipment of both classes of issue, so that the original amount provided is totally inadequate to provide for the shipment of supplies amounting to millions of dollars. (e) The additional amount requested for sergeant instructors is necessary for the payment of quarters, heat, light, medicines, and medical attendance of 100 additional sergeant instructors, which number is absolutely essential in order that the proper instruction may be given the organizations of the National Guard, as provided by law and regulations. 4. In order to meet the situation without increasing the total amount appropriated for the National Guard, it is recommended that legislation, substantially as follows, be enacted: 66 In addition to the amounts authorized in the Army appropriation act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1922, the following additional amounts pertaining to other purposes under the title "Arming, equipping, and training the National Guard," or to the appropriation for Arms, uniforms, equipment, etc., for field service, National Guard," may be used for the purposes indicated: For travel of officers and noncommissioned officers of the Regular Army in connection with the National Guard....... For transportation of supplies.. For expenses, sergeant instructors_. $100,000 175,000 100,000 5. The Director of the Budget has been consulted and concurs in the above recommendation. Sincerely, yours, JOHN W. WEEKS, Secretary of War. SIZE OF NATIONAL GUARD. Mr. ANTHONY. What is the size of the National Guard to-day? Maj. WILSON. One hundred and thirty-two thousand two hundred and twenty-one was the strength as of October 31, 1921. Mr. ANTHONY. Is the necessity for this increased appropriation for the transportation of supplies, mileage for officers, etc., occasioned by the extraordinary growth of the guard? Maj. WILSON. The rapid development of the National Guard; yes, sir. Mr. ANTHONY. Is the development of the National Guard exceeding the anticipation of the department? Maj. WILSON. The average ratio of increase at present is 78 or 80 units per month. Mr. ANTHONY. That is the rate of increase? Maj. WILSON. Yes, sir. Mr. ANTHONY. You are recognizing that number of units? Mr. ANTHONY. What do you mean by a unit? Maj. WILSON. The average unit coming in has a strength of 50 men, and in some cases they exceed that by a few men. After such recognition as units they are apparently growing rapidly by recruiting. Mr. ANTHONY. If that rate of growth is maintained until the end of the fiscal year, or until next July, what will be the strength of the National Guard? Maj. WILSON. Very nearly 160,000 men, allowing for a certain degree of uncertainty as to the number of recruits that will go into each unit after recognition. Mr. ANTHONY. When we framed the appropriation bill last January what was the size of the National Guard? Maj. WILSON. The strength on July 1, 1921, was 103,640, and in the year previous, on July 1, 1920, the strength was 56,106. The strength as of the period you mentioned is just about in between those two figures. Mr. ANTHONY. So that, when you made your estimates for the last appropriation bill, they were based upon a National Guard strength considerably smaller than exists to-day? Maj. WILSON. Yes, sir. Mr. ANTHONY. And the growth of the National Guard will be so rapid that it will bring it up to this maximum you mentioned of 160,000? Maj. WILSON. Yes, sir. Mr. ANTHONY. By the end of the fiscal year? Maj. WILSON. Yes, sir. Mr. ANTHONY. Which will be larger than was anticipated at the beginning of the fiscal year? Maj. WILSON. Along about November of last year we figured that we would reach about 160,000 during the year. Mr. ANTHONY. If I remember correctly, we were informed by the War Department that they expected the Guard to expand to about 135,000 during this fiscal year. Maj. WILSON. Yes, sir. Mr. ANTHONY. What do the new units consist of that you are recognizing? Maj. WILSON. Of all arms of the service. Mr. ANTHONY. For some time you have had a rule that you would only recognize certain units of certain different classes in the different States. In other words, you were requiring the National Guard to equip their units in the same proportion as in the regular service. Maj. WILSON. Under an approved plan. Mr. ANTHONY. And the plan contemplates that the State must maintain a certain amount of field artillery, for instance. Maj. WILSON. Yes, sir. EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES. (See p. 538.) Mr. ANTHONY. In other words, an organization of field artillery gets a vast amount of equipment, involving a great deal of transportation. Maj. WILSON. Yes, sir. Mr. ANTHONY. Do you not find it pretty expensive or exhausting on your funds to ship vast amounts of supplies like that to organizations of field artillery? Maj. WILSON. The supplies are vast in the aggregate, but they are consistent and are recognized as being necessary equipment for the National Guard. Mr. ANTHONY. The reason I asked you that question was this: I am familiar with two or three local artillery companies organized at county seats in my home State, and to each one of those companies that were organized there were shipped nine carloads of equipment, including about 40 horses to each battery. There were said to be about nine carloads of equipment, and it rather taxed the capacity of those people to take care of equipment of that kind. Is it not possible for the companies to get along with a less amount. of equipment? Maj. WILSON. They do not get all of the equipment that similar organizations of the Army would get, but they get practically the same equipment. The policy is that they shall be trained while in the State service just as they would be in the regular Army service. Mr. ANTHONY. Still, it would be possible to equip these organizations with a smaller amount of matériel. Maj. WILSON. Yes, sir; but you would be depriving them of training to that extent. Mr. ANTHONY. Does it not cost the Government a great deal of money to supply these batteries with horses that are to be maintained the year around? Maj. WILSON. The basic law, or the national defense act, provides for the issue of horses to Cavalry units and Artillery units, and we have had an appropriation each year for that purpose. Mr. ANTHONY. Of course, that is a matter of military policy? Mr. ANTHONY. At the same time, it involves a tremendous expense to the Government to equip those National Guard batteries so completely. Maj. WILSON. Yes; but Mr. ANTHONY. We refused you a part of that money in the National Guard appropriation last year. Maj. WILSON. For last year; yes, sir. TRAVEL OF OFFICERS OF REGULAR ARMY IN CONNECTION WITH NATIONAL GUARD. Mr. ANTHONY. Do you really need $100,000 additional for officers of the Regular Army for travel in connection with the National Guard? Maj. WILSON. We based that upon the increase of strength which you spoke about. Mr. ANTHONY. What travel does that involve? Maj. WILSON. The continued development of the National Guard units. In the case of instructors we assign one to each regiment, and in the case of sergeant instructors one to each battalion, so far as practicable. Mr. ANTHONY. Have you expended all the money appropriated under this item for travel of commissioned officers? Maj. WILSON. We have either spent or obligated it for the present National Guard forces. Mr. ANTHONY. When will it be exhausted? Maj. WILSON. In other words, we have discontinued the travel of any additional officers assigned for duty in connection with the National Guard. Mr. ANTHONY. How much remains in the item for travel of officers of the Regular Army in connection with the National Guard? Maj. WILSON. There are accounts outstanding, but it is all obligated as far as any available funds go. UNEXPENDED BALANCES OF APPROPRIATIONS, Mr. ANTHONY. Is there any unexpended balance in any of these three funds that you ask to have augmented? Maj. WILSON. In the case of transportation of supplies we still have about $25,000 unallotted, but that is not sufficient at the present rate of increase of new units so far as shipments for the remainder of the year are concerned. Mr. ANTHONY. Does any of the appropriation for expenses, sergeant-instructors, remain, Maj. WILSON. All of the fund has been obligated, but not spent; it will be spent from month to month up to June 30 next for the sergeant-instructors we now have. Mr. ANTHONY. The entire year? Maj. WILSON. Yes, sir. Mr. ANTHONY. But the amount is not sufficient to allow you to cover the whole country? Maj. WILSON. Not as far as the additional assignments for the National Guard are concerned. Mr. ANTHONY. Under that item of expenses of sergeant-instructors, you have allotted for the whole year, but how much have you actually expended of the $100,000? Maj. WILSON. For expenses of sergeant-instructors already appointed, we have provided for their expenses up to date, but their expenses will continue the rest of the year. Mr. ANTHONY. The present appropriation will cover the number you have now? Maj. WILSON. Absolutely. Mr. ANTHONY. But in the item of supplies, that is entirely exhausted? Maj. WILSON. No, sir; we have about $25,000, but it will not go very much farther; in other words, will not carry the proposed additional units, and the Ordnance Department is requesting more than this balance to cover requisitions for units now recognized. Mr. ANTHONY. That is all that I can think of, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Yes, sir. Maj. WILSON. We have not had an accounting with the supply service up to date. If I were to make a rough guess, it would be one-third or a little over. The CHAIRMAN. One-third unexpended? Maj. WILSON. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Is not that spending the money a good deal faster than you ought to pass the money over? Maj. WILSON. In what way, Mr. Chairman? The CHAIRMAN. There is only one-third of the year gone by and you have two-thirds of the year with only one-third of the fund left. NOTE. The original question was misunderstood. The answer was intended to state that approximately one-third of the fund had been expended; twothirds remaining unexpended. Maj. WILSON. Understand, this money is just for such articles as we can not get from the War Department The CHAIRMAK. But it must cover the whole year? Maj. WILSON. In addition to that, I might say that some of these shipments in the fiscal year were to take care of units recognized in the last part of last year. The CHAIRMAN. Yes, sir; but in making the allotments for purchases to be made you should make the allotments based upon the amount of the appropriation and not on the basis of your imagination of the needs, should you not? |