Col. PENROSE. At the end of 1922. The CHAIRMAN. At the end of the fiscal year 1922? Col. PENROSE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. How much of this unexpended balance will be expended this year, or what will be your balance if you are allowed this authority that you seek here? How much will your unexpended balance be then? Col. PENROSE. Approximately that much less. Mr. BYRNS. There seems to be some difference in those statements. Col. SMITH. My record is from the Chief of Finance. I obtained the unobligated balances for 1921 and 1922. Mr. BYRNS. But your statement includes the obligated and unobligated balances? Col. SMITH. The total unobligated balance is $5,840,248.55. Col. SMITH. That does not represent the absolutely unexpended balance, but procurement authorities have been issued for specific purposes. NOTE. The following is the status of the appropriations in question, as shown by the records of the office of the Chief of Finance: "Disposition of remains of officers, soldiers, and civilian em ployees, 1922": Appropriated_ Transferred from 1921 appropriation_ Total Apportioned Unobligated balance Third quarter Fourth quarter Total "Disposition of remains of officers, soldiers, and civilian em ployees, 1921": Appropriated Transferred from 1921 to 1922 appropriation__. Apportioned Saving Unobligated balance Total unobligated balance, 1921 and 1922_ $1, 000, 000, 00 9, 000, 000. 00 10, 000, 000. 00 10, 000, 000, 00 5,735, 086. 02 100,000.00 5,835, 086. 02 21, 549, 000. 00 9, 000, 000.00 12, 549, 000. 00 9, 549, 000. 00 3, 000, 000. 00 12, 549, 000. 00 5, 162. 53 5, 840, 248, 55 The CHAIRMAN. Both of the statements may be correct. One represents the obligated balance and the other the unobligated balance? Mr. BYRNS. That is what I was trying to ascertain. Mr. SISSON. How much will you expend this year out of that fund for purposes authorized by the statute? Col. PENROSE. For 1922 we expect to spend approximately $6,315,300.92. Mr. SISSON. That is for the removal of how many dead? Col. PENROSE. We have already removed 44,000 and something over, and there are remaining in France about 33,000. The CHAIRMAN. How many were brought home during 1922? The CHAIRMAN. You may supply that for the record. NOTE. Total number of bodies returned to the United States since January 1, 1922, up to February 24, 1922, 1,007. Mr. SISSON. Do you expect those still in France to remain there? Col. PENROSE. We expect about 1,100 that are still there to come home. Mr. SISSON. That expense will be paid out of this unexpended balance? Col. PENROSE. Yes, sir. Mr. SISSON. About what will that amount to? Col. PENROSE. On an average, about $232.11. Mr. SISSON. That includes caskets and transportation? Col. PENROSE. Yes, sir. Mr. SISSON. So that the fund at the end of the fiscal year will not be $5,000,000? The CHAIRMAN. Yes; it would be. Col. SMITH. It might be more. Mr. SISSON. Those 1,100 men are accounted for in that $2,000,000 which would come out of the $5,000,000 unobligated balance? Col. PENROSE. We will have that at the end of the fiscal year. Mr. SISSON. Five million dollars? Col. PENROSE. Yes, sir. Mr. SISSON. That, of course, is simply an estimate? Col. PENROSE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Will the remains of those 1.100 be brought back during this fiscal year? Col. PENROSE. Yes, sir; we will bring them back during this fiscal year. The CHAIRMAN. So that, as a matter of fact, the expenditures for this and all other purposes will leave you a little over $5,000,000 balance at the end of the year? Col. PENROSE. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. How much of that do you expect to spend for any other purposes? Col. PENROSE. For this fiscal year? The CHAIRMAN. For any time. Col. PENROSE. For the next fiscal year we expect we will need as a working balance approximately $250,000, exclusive of any of those improvements on the permanent cemeteries in Europe. There will be a certain amount of transportation involved in moving them from isolated cemeteries, because we are now concentrating the bodies in the permanent cemeteries. The CHAIRMAN. That $250,000 will become virtually an annual charge, then? Col. PENROSE. No, sir; only for 1923. The CHAIRMAN. That will continue? Col. PENROSE. No, sir; it will simply involve the upkeep of the e cemeteries. The CHAIRMAN. Of course, there will be some charge from those who must look after them? Col. PENROSE. Yes, sir. Mr. SISSON. That will be an excuse for wonderful and princely expenditures of money, and we will not be able to deny them. Col. PENROSE. I do not believe it will, and I do not see any reason why it should be. Mr. SISSON. I do not either, and the only reason which will be assigned is that we ought to glorify our dead heroes. Col. PENROSE. And that can be done with a moderate amount. Mr. SISSON. And nobody will be found with nerve enough to vote against those propositions. Col. PENROSE. I do not see any necessity for it. We have these cemeteries to keep up and we can estimate to-day approximately what it is going to be. The first two or three years after we complete this work the upkeep will be very little. We seriously need this money to go on with our work and we are going to turn back quite a sum when we get through. We are not asking any more money; what we want to do is to have authority to spend the money we now have for the purpose stated in the bill. Mr. SISSON. You have all the money you need but you need some legislation to authorize you to spend the money you already have? Col. PENROSE. Yes, sir. PROPOSED LAND TO BE PURCHASED-COST OF. Mr. SISSON. How much land do you expect to get? Col. PENROSE. There will be 130 acres at Romagne: at Belleau Woods, 34 acres. Mr. SISSON. And you estimate $20,000 for it? Col. PENROSE. It is estimated at $20,000; yes, sir. At Suresnes, near Paris, 7 acres. Mr. SISSON. How much is that? Col. PENROSE. That is cut out. The CHAIRMAN. They are going to give you that land? Col. PENROSE. Yes, sir. At Bony, the Somme, there will be 22 acres; at Brookwood, 4 acres; that is an improved cemetery to a large extent; St. Mihiel, 30 acres. The CHAIRMAN. You have done away with Romagne? Col. PENROSE. No, sir; but France has already given us the land. at Romagne. Serringes at Nesles, 48 acres; Waereghem, Belgium, 5 acres. The CHAIRMAN. They are giving you that land? Col. PENROSE. The Belgian Government cabled the other day that they would be willing to cede that land, but we have not completed the papers as yet. That is a total of 280 acres. The CHAIRMAN. You cut out two items, one of $9,000 and one of $5,000? Col. PENROSE. Yes, sir; and we have cut down Brookwood from $31,000 to $23,182.50. The CHAIRMAN. Have you cut anything else? Col. PENROSE. No, sir; not that we know of now. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1922. STATEMENT OF MAJ. GEN. LANSING H. BEACH, CHIEF OF LEGISLATION FOR EXPENDITURES MADE FOR TEMPORARY SANITARY MEASURES AT PUEBLO, COLO. The CHAIRMAN. We will take up the next item, which reads: The action of the Secretary of War in directing the expenditure of funds from the appropriations General appropriations, Quartermaster Corps, 1921," for temporary sanitary measures at Pueblo, Colo., under the provisions of Public Resolution No. 5, approved June 8, 1921, is approved, and funds so expended shall be allowed in the settlement of accounts of officers of the Army, regardless of whether such expenditures were for obligations incurred during the fiscal year 1921 or the fiscal year 1922. Tell us what this was all about. Gen. BEACH. I would state that I had nothing whatsoever to do with the expenditure of that money; that I was sent out to the locality by the Secretary of War to confer with the people of Pueblo to see what could be done with regard to the prevention of any such disaster again, and the information which I can give you is only in connection with what I learned when out there about the conditions during the flood and such as are given by the report of the officer who was there in charge. The CHAIRMAN. This was where they had a terrible catastrophe in the form of a flood at Pueblo a couple of years ago? Gen. BEACH. No, sir; it was last June. The CHAIRMAN. That was not a very severe flood, was it? They had one a few years ago that was terrific. Gen. BEACH. This is the worst one they have ever had. It caused a property loss of about $10,000,000 and considerably over 100 lives were lost. The total number of lives will probably never be known, because the lower section of the city, the part that was inhabited by the poorer class, was swept absolutely bare; some whole families were lost and there is no way of making a check. The CHAIRMAN. How much was expended that is proposed to be covered by this legislation? Gen. BEACH. Is not the amount given? The CHAIRMAN. It is not; no. There is no mention of what the amount is. Col. SMITH. I have some of the details. The amount authorized to be expended was $206.000; payments have been made and obligations incurred to the amount of $205,743.43; there are a few obligations the amount of which have not yet been definitely ascertained, but it is probable that the amount authorized to be expended will cover the obligations. The CHAIRMAN. This was authorized by the Secretary of War. was it? Col. SMITH. Yes; in pursuance of resolution, Public, No. 5. The CHAIRMAN. What is the necessity for this legislation if the Secretary authorized it? Col. SMITH. It is an approval and ratification only. Mr. BYRNS. If it requires approval I do not think we have jurisdiction. RELIEF OF SUFFERERS OF FLOOD AND STORM AT CORPUS CHRISTI, TEX. The CHAIRMAN. The item for Corpus Christi, Tex., is on the same basis, is it not? Col. SMITH. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. I do not think they require approval. These things were done by authority of law, were they not? Col. SMITH. My understanding is that they were. The CHAIRMAN. Then, that ought to end it. Mr. BYRNS. The only object of this would be to secure additional legislation. Col. SMITH. In order that the accounts of the disbursing officers may be passed. Mr. BYRNS. The accounts of the disbursing officers will be passed under the regulations, I should think. Col. SMITH. I think it will take congressional authority before the accounting officers would pass them. Mr. BYRNS. It is not an appropriation, but a matter of legislation. Col. SMITH. No appropriation is required. Mr. SISSON. I really think it is a matter for the Committee on Military Affairs. The CHAIRMAN. These are matters of legislation, and we have no legislative jurisdiction. We are making appropriations, and these are not appropriations. Mr. SISSON. These gentlemen may be in trouble about their books. The CHAIRMAN. We do not keep their books. Mr. SISSON. I know that, and you should get the Committee on Military Affairs to straighten out the matter for you. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1922. PAYMENT OF CLAIMS OF CRANFORD PAVING CO., LITTLEFIELD, ALVORD & CO., AND CHRISTIAN HEURICH. STATEMENT OF LIEUT. COL. CLARENCE 0. SHERRILL. The CHAIRMAN. You have an item reading: Payments of claims of the Cranford Paving Co. et al.: To pay the Cranford Paving Co., $16,766.66; Littlefield, Alvord & Co., $1,479.80; and Christian Heurich, $1,531.36, as adjudged by the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia upon its findings of fact, $19,777.82. Tell us about these claims and whether these cases are on appeal or whether the judgment is final. Col. SHERRILL. The judgment is final. The CHAIRMAN. Tell us about the facts. Col. SHERRILL. These cases were brought before the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia to determine the rights of the United States in certain lands adjoining the proposed Rock Creek and Potomac parkway, which were occupied by certain private cor |