CONTENTS. No. 1, page 1.-Statement of Hon. Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, accom- panied by Rear Admiral Leigh C. Palmer, Chief Bureau of Navigation, and Rear Admiral Ralph Earle, Chief Bureau of Ordnance. No. 2, page 11.-Statement of Capt. William C. Watts, Judge Advocate General, No. 3, page 25.-Statement of Rear Admiral Leigh C. Palmer, Chief Bureau of Navigation, Department of the Navy. No. 4, page 19.-Statement of Rear Admiral Ralph Earle, United States Navy, Chief of Bureau of Ordnance, Navy Department. No. 5, page 107.-Statement of Rear Admiral Robert S. Griffin, Chief of Bureau of Steam Engineering, Department of the Navy. No. 6, page 131.-Statement of Surg. Gen. William C. Braisted, United States Navy, Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Navy Department. No. 7, page 153.-Statement of Maj. Gen. George Barnett, Commandant United No. 8, page 259.-Statements of Admiral Samuel McGowan, Paymaster General; Pay Director C. J. Peoples; and Mr. Clyde Reed, Bureau of Supplies and No. 9, page 339.-Statement of Capt. E. W. Eberle, Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy, accompanied by Capt. W. H. Standley, Com- mander John Downes, and Pay Inspector Samuel Bryan. No. 10, page 391.-Statement of Capt. Evers, Commander Nelson, and Commander Macklin, National Naval Volunteers; and Commander R. A. Koch and Ensign F. G. Blasdel, United States Navy. No. 11, page 411.-Statements of Rear Admiral Charles W. Parks, Chief Bureau of Yards and Docks, and Civil Engineers Archibald L. Parsons and Kirby Smith, Bureau of Yards and Docks. No. 12, page 463.-Statement of Hon. Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy No. 13, page 491.-Statement of Hon. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, accompanied by Rear Admiral Samuel MeGowan, Paymaster General, and Pay Inspector David Potter, member of the Compensation No. 14, page 511.-Statements of Capt. Noble E. Irwin and Lieut. Commander John No. 15, page 537.-Statements of Rear Admiral Leigh C. Palmer, Chief of the Bureau of Navigation; Capt. Ellsworth P. Bertholf, Captain Commandant of the Coast Guard; Capt. William C. Watts, Judge Advocate General of the Navy; Capt. Charles McAllister, Engineer in Chief of the Coast Guard; Capt. Johnson, Capt. Laning, and Commander Coffey. No. 16, page 559. Statement of Rear Admiral William C. Braisted, Chief Bureau of· No. 17, page 571.- Statement of Admiral C. W. Parks, Chief of the Bureau of Yards No. 19, page 617.- Statement of Rear Admiral Leigh C. Palmer, Chief of the Bu eau of Navigation, accompanied by Commander R. B. Coffey, United States No. 19, page 625.- Statements of Rear Admiral Ralph Earle, Chief Bureau of Ord- rance, and Rear Admiral Charles W. Parks, Chief Bureau of Yards and No. 20, page 663.- Statement of Rear Admiral Charles W. Parks, Chief Bureau of No. 21, page 635. Statements of Hon. Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, and No. 26, page 773.-To regulate precedence of officers of United States Marine Corps. No. 27, page 775.-Thompson, John K. No. 23, page 777.-Taft, Clarence Clement. No. 29, page 779.-Torpedo-boat destroyer, to name Augustus P. Gardner. No. 30, page 781.-Taylor, Elwin Carlton. No. 31, page 783.-Heffley, Armor S. No. 32, page 785.--Bisset, Henry O., major, United States Marine Corps. No. 33, page 787.-Davis, Henry C. No. 31, page 789.-Richards, Clarence A. No. 35, page 791.-Konrad, Fred C. No. 40, page 801.-McNamara, Ellen. No. 41, page 303.-Report regarding the loss of the U. S. S. Cherokee. No. 42, page 811.-Yorke, Louis A. No. 49, page 825.-Statements of Rear Admiral Leigh C. Palmer, Chief Bureau of Navigation; Commander J. S. McCain; and Commander F. B. Freyer. No. 50, page 839.-Purchase of dry dock from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. No. 51, page 875.-Statements of Hon. Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy; Rear Admiral L. C. Palmer, Chief Bureau of Navigation; Rear Admiral E. W. Eberle, Superintendent Naval Academy; Capt. H. Laning, Bureau of Navigation; and Capt. Charles W. Crosse, Commandant Naval Station, No. 52, page 893.-The United States Navy: Remarks delivered in the House of No. 53, page 939.-McConnon, George H. No. 54, page 941.-Gilfillan, Calvin Willard. [No. 1.] THE NAVAL APPROPRIATION BILL. THE COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS, The committee this day met, Hon. Lemuel P. Padgett (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen of the committee, at the request of the Seecretary of the Navy I have introduced three bills. The one which we will take up first is H. R. 6967, to increase the number of midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy. It provides for the appointment of 5 midshipmen for each Senator, Representative, and Delegate in Congress; 1 for Porto Rico; 2 for the District of Columbia; 15 for the President; and 100 from the enlisted men of the Navy, as now authorized by law. Mr. Secretary, I want to ask you to state to the committee your recommendations and the reasons for them, but before doing so I want to call your attention to a fact or two. There are 435 Members of the House, 96 Members of the Senate, and, as I remember, 5 Commissioners and Delegates. That makes 536. Then 5 appointees for each one would make 2,680, then 1 for Porto Rico and 2 for the District of Columbia would make 2,683, then 100 annually from among the enlisted men and 15 at large by the President would make 460. That would be altogether 3,143. STATEMENT OF HON. JOSEPHUS DANIELS, SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, ACCOMPANIED BY REAR ADMIRAL LEIGH C. PALMER, CHIEF BUREAU OF NAVIGATION, AND REAR ADMIRAL RALPH EARLE, CHIEF BUREAU OF ORDNANCE. Secretary DANIELS. Three thousand one hundred and twenty-eight, I think it is. The CHAIRMAN. You make it 3,128? Secretary DANIELS. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. I want to ask you, Mr. Secretary, to speak to the committee on the question of accommodations for that number of midshipmen. Secretary DANIELS. Mr. Chairman, judging by past experience, if 3.128 were appointed, about 2,200 would be there all the time. So many fail on the entrance examinations and physically and so many fail afterwards that the experience of the past would show that with so many appointments we would have about 2.200 midshipmen at Annapolis all the time, and with the completion of the addition to Bancroft Hall and the additional space which we have in the marine barracks, which have been turned over to us, we will be able to accommodate 2,200 men at Annapolis all the time. The CHAIRMAN. The marine barracks will provide accommodations for 400? Admiral PALMER. For about 250. The CHAIRMAN. It was first understood that the marine barracks would provide accommodations for about 400? Admiral PALMER. They have put something else in there; they have put classrooms in there and that took up some of the space. Secretary DANIELS. If it should chance that the proportion would be larger, in other words, that out of the appointment of 3,100 more than 2,200 should come in any one year, we have erected during the summer a number of wooden buildings at Annapolis for the reserve officers, which will last for several years, and if during the period of the war there was any overflow, we would be able to accommodate them. There is no trouble about accommodating the number. We are so much in need of training officers that I think this is, perhaps, the most important piece of legislation that would strengthen the Navy. The CHAIRMAN. I wanted to have clearly presented before the committee for the information of Congress the question of accommodations. What number will the two wings to Bancroft Hall accommodate? Secretary DANIELS. That will make the total of 2,200. The CHAIRMAN. That is, Bancroft Hall will accommodate 2.200 ? Secretary DANIELS. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. And the marine barracks will accommodate 250 more? Secretary DANIELS. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. That would make 2,450? Secretary DANIELS. Yes; then these temporary houses will accommodate others during the war if a larger proportion should pass than has passed heretofore. Mr. CONNELLY. Mr. Secretary, it has just occurred to me to ask this question: Whether, instead of making it absolutely mandatory, it would not be better to make the law so that you could by proclàmation, or the President could by proclamation, call for these extra midshipmen? The CHAIRMAN. No; we have three permanent and one temporary right now. Mr. CONNELLY. It will take a special act of the legislature, after this war is over, to reduce the number, and you do not think it would be necessary to keep on this line of training so fast? Secretary DANIELS That would depend. I think it would, certainly, for some years. Mr. CONNELLY. That is, even though our casualties should be light and with the trained men that we have from other sources? Secretary DANIELS. Yes; because we will have so many more ships. The additional ships which we are building will call for a large number of extra officers. Mr. CONNELLY. I think there is every disposition to give you absolutely what you want in these matters, but I wondered about whether this should become a permanent matter. The CHAIRMAN. That has been changed from time to time. |