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The CHAIRMAN. Now, this is the second group of camps. Do you know how long they are to run?

Capt. DALY. August 15.

The CHAIRMAN. Do they start on August 15?
Gen. SHARPE. They start on the 27th of August.
The CHAIRMAN. How long will they continue?
Gen. SHARPE. Three months, I think.

The CHAIRMAN. Do you know whether any others are contemplated?

Gen. SHARPE. I think not this year. I do not know what they will do this spring.

The CHAIRMAN. So far as you are now aware, this is all they know about?

Gen. SHARPE. Yes, sir; and there are not as many as they first contemplated.

The CHAIRMAN. Not as many men in the camps?

Gen. SHARPE. No, sir; they have 16 camps now, but a number of them are not to be held. For instance, at Madison Barracks they are not to hold one there, because they won't be able to train them there.

Capt. DALY. They are apparently estimating on only 40,000 men for this second group of camps instead of 65,000 men, which they had in the first ones.

The CHAIRMAN. If that number of men qualify, that would be 105,000 officers, and you would have an excess in the number of officers required.

Gen. SHARPE. I saw in the paper, Mr. Chairman, that there was some intention of assigning these men who were not given commissions as noncommissioned officers; that is, those men who have been drafted would be given positions as noncommissioned officers. The CHAIRMAN. So as to utilize the training which they have received.

Gen. SHARPE. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. The mere entrance to a training camp does not exempt them from the draft unless they are commissioned?

Gen. SHARPE. No, sir; not unless they are commissioned.

The CHAIRMAN. On page 93 it is suggested that the following words be omitted: "Terms of enlistment and under such," so that it will read, "under such regulations."

Gen. SHARPE. The reason for that, Mr. Chairman, is this: You remember they authorized the reserve officers to go to these camps. first, and then they opened it up so as to bring in just men who were applicants for commissions. Then they pointed out that reserve officers under the National Defense Act when called for training could get their pay, but these other men would be undergoing the same course of instruction and would get nothing, so they issued this proviso in this bill here providing for the payment of $100 a month. The CHAIRMAN. Are those words needed now?

Gen. SHARPE. The proviso about the pay I do not think is needed

now.

Capt. DALY. That ought to come out.

The CHAIRMAN. How about the words above there?

Capt. DALY. I think they ought to stay in, because the act of June 3 provides for enlistment in training camps. They go through a form of enlistment.

The CHAIRMAN. Then that ought to stay in.

Capt. DALY. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. In what other place is there authority to pay these men, Captain?

Capt. DALY. It is in the Urgent Deficiency Act.

The CHAIRMAN. That would only apply to that appropriation. Capt. DALY. We would construe it as applying throughout the year and pay them out of that appropriation, because there are funds enough to set aside for that purpose.

The CHAIRMAN. Can you furnish us with a statement showing the number of these camps, where they are located, the number of men who entered, and the number who were commissioned?

Capt. DALY. I do not know that we can furnish the latter because they have not commissioned all of them yet. That information, of course, we would have to get from The Adjutant General.

The CHAIRMAN. Then give us such of the information as you can.

No. 354.22-A-E.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE QUARTERMASTER GENERAL OF THE ARMY,

From: Quartermaster General.

To: The Adjutant General of the Army.

Subject: Attendance at officers' training camps.

Washington, July 7, 1917.

For the purpose of furnishing data for hearings on the urgent deficiency bill for the years 1917-18, about to be submitted to the Secretary of War, it is requested that this office be furnished at the earliest possible moment with information as to the attendance at the officers' training camps, listed in your circular (WCD 9524-41) of May 22, 1917, as follows:

Camps at Plattsburg Barracks, Madison Barracks, Fort Niagara, Fort Myer, Fort Oglethorpe, Fort McPherson, Fort Benj. Harrison, Fort Sheridan, Fort Logan H. Roots, Fort Snelling, Fort Riley, Leon Springs, Tex., Presidio of San Francisco; also the Engineer officers' training camps at Belvoir, Va., Fort Leavenworth, and Vancouver Barracks.

A. G. 354.1 (A. R.).

[First indorsement.]

HENRY G. SHARPE,
Quartermaster General.

A. G. O., July 20, 1917.-To the Quartermaster General of the Army.

1. Inclosed is a list of officers' training camps now being held and of those planned.

2. The original 13 camps established May 15, 1917, had originally 5,000 men at the camps listed now for 4,000 and 2,500 at those listed now for 2,000. By order of the Secretary of War.

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No. 354.1-A-E.

OFFICE OF THE QUARTERMASTER GENERAL OF THE ARMY,
Washington, July 23, 1917.

From: Quartermaster General.

To: The Adjutant General of the Army.
Subject: Civilian military training camps.

To enable this office to explain before the Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, a deficiency existing in the appropriation “civilian military training camps," fiscal year 1917, it is requested that this office be advised of purposes for which expenditures out of this appropriation were made in the several Territorial departments and the amount for each purpose reported. HENRY G. SHARPE, Quartermaster General.

(A. G. 354.1.)

[First indorsement.]

MGF-363.

War Department, A. G. O., July 28, 1917.-To the Quartermaster General of the Army.

1. The appropriation for "civilian military training camps," fiscal year 1917, was made in the act approved August 29, 1916, $2,000,000 being appropriated.

2. The appropriation was made in time of peace with the idea of training civilians for appointment in the Officers' Reserve Corps at camps of which the typical one was held at Plattsburg Barracks.

3. When war came it was at once seen that a large number of reserve officers must be selected and trained. The only appropriation available for the necessary expense was the one mentioned above. It was known that this would not be adequate, but it was hoped that an additional appropriation would be made before this was exhausted.

4. Necessary expenditures were therefore made for establishing 13 training camps for reserve officers at selected locations in the United States. About 40,000 men have been under training at these camps, and from these men about 23,000 will be commissioned in the Officers' Reserve Corps.

5. A list of the items of expenditure would be of little use, but cantonment buildings were constructed to shelter the 40,000 candidates, and all necessary expenditures in securing and examining applicants, in establishing the camps, and in conducting them as indicated in Special Regulations No. 49, of which a copy is attached.

By order of the Secretary of War.

P. T. HAYNE, Jr.,

Adjutant General,

AUGUST 16, 1917.

From: The Adjutant General of the Army.

To: The Quartermaster General.

Subject: Training camps.

In reply to your letter of August 7. file 111-1000-A-E. your attention is invited to table showing officers graduated at the training camps and table showing number of men enlisted at these camps.

It is thought these two tables will furnish you the desired information.
By order of the Secretary of War.

OFFICE QUARTERMASTER GENERAL,

P. T. HAYNE, Jr., Adjutant General.

Washington, D. C., August 17, 1917.

Camps:

Men enlisted at training camps, May 15 to Aug. 15, 1917.

Plattsburg Barracks..

Madison Barracks_

Fort Niagara.

Fort Myer.

Fort Oglethorpe

Fort McPherson_.

Fort Benjamin Harrison, eighth (not including Engineer Corps).
Fort Benjamin Harrison, ninth (not including Engineer Corps).
Fort Sheridan, tenth__.

Fort Sheridan, eleventh_

Fort Logan H. Roots__

Fort Snelling__

Fort Riley

Fort Leon Springs

Presidio of San Francisco___.

Total.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

5, 541 2,464

2,347

2, 491

2,548

2,501

2, 177

2, 340

2, 409

2, 374

2,280

2,405

2, 559

3, 124

2, 643

40, 203.

THE ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington.

Table showing officers graduated from training camps conducted from May 15 to August 14, 1917-All have been assigned to duty with the 16 National Army divisions or elsewhere, and, with few exceptions, report for duty August 29.

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1 Appointed in 1916. Attended training camps and recommended for retention in service.

H. P. MCCAIN, The Adjutant General.

QUARTERMASTER'S DEPOT, ST. LOUIS, MO.

The CHAIRMAN. For the construction of buildings for additional storage, including the necessary mechanical equipment, handling devices, etc., you are asking $339,000. Please explain this item.

Gen. SHARPE. It is proposed to construct a fireproof warehouse to increase the storage facilities at the St. Louis depot. The building is to consist of six units, 60 by 80 feet each, two wings, and a central administration building, the total cost being $884,000. It is proposed to put up now the central pavilion or administration office, including the mechanical equipment, at a cost of $189,000. The CHAIRMAN. What is the character of that building? Gen. SHARPE. It is to be of fireproof construction. The CHAIRMAN. I mean, is it just an office building?

Gen. SHARPE. An office building with all the equipment required in the way of heating and elevators. Then there will be required a revision of the track system, at a cost of $30,000; two units, one on each side of the central administration portion, costing $70,000 each, or $120,000; making a total of $339,000.

The CHAIRMAN. Out of this $339,000 you get about 33,000 cubic feet of storage space?

Gen. SHARPE. Yes, sir They are each to be five stories high. There will be 48,000 feet of storage space in those buildings.

The CHAIRMAN. The nine units contemplated will give 3,000,000 cubic feet of storage space?

Gen. SHARPE. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And two of them would give you, or ought to give you, about 66,000 cubic feet, and yet you say only 48,000 cubic feet. Gen. SHARPE. Each unit is to contain 240,000 cubic feet, if the six units are built.

The CHAIRMAN. The original proposition as submitted here was that these nine units would give you 3,000,000 cubic feet, so that would be 33,000 cubic feet to a unit.

Gen. SHARPE. The wings will be larger than those two units.
The CHAIRMAN. How much will each unit give?

Gen. SHARPE. Two hundred and forty thousand cubic feet of storage space.

The CHAIRMAN. That is about one-third less than contemplated. We had this before us in January when you asked money for the construction of a field-supply depot, and each unit was to cost $45,000, the nine units intended to provide 3,000,000 cubic feet. If that is so, two of them ought to provide 66,000 cubic feet. Now, the estimated cost has been increased 33 per cent, and the estimated capacity has been reduced 33 per cent, so that there must be something wrong about that.

Capt. DALY. The capacity of the two units will be 480,000 cubic feet, 240,000 cubic feet in each unit.

The CHAIRMAN. I thought you said 22,000.

Gen. SHARPE. No: 240,000 cubic feet.

The CHAIRMAN. What is the necessity for storage facilities at St. Louis?

Gen. SHARPE. That is one of the main depots that we have in the country.

The CHAIRMAN. I know, but your army is going to be in France.

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