he chose, they would have some time to prepare before the examination in March.

The CHAIRMAN. There will be an examination in April also?
Secretary DANIELS. Yes.

Mr. VINSON. There will be examinations in March and April?
Secretary DANIELS. Yes.

Mr. MCARTHUR. The midshipmen contemplated by this bill, will they enter the Naval Academy at the same time as the others whom you are having the examination for now?

Secretary DANNIELS. Yes; next July.

Mr. MCARTHUR. They will all enter at the same time?
Secretary DANIELS. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Secretary, I should like to ask if for this addi-
tional number you might not arrange an examination even in May?
Secretary DANIELS. That could be done very well.
Admiral PALMER. That is, make a third examination?

The CHAIRMAN. Yes; one for these appointees.
Secretary DANIELS. That could be done very well.

The CHAIRMAN. That is, you could arrange to have an examination, even in May for them?

Secretary DANIELS. Yes; we could do that very well.

Mr. Chairman, I have a statement, prepared at my request by the Bureau of Navigation, which I should like to have inserted in the record.

The CHAIRMAN. Very well; just place the whole statement in the record.

The statement submitted by Secretary Daniels follows:

Referring to the bill before Congress-subject, “To increase the number of midshipmen at the Naval Academy "-it is recommended that this bill be favorably considered, for the following reasons:

At present there are allowed four appointments for each Congressman and Senator, one of which, however, is temporary only. The present bill increases this number to five for each Congressman and Senator and makes this number permanent. If this bill passes, the total authorized quota for the Naval Academy will be as follows:

Judging by past performances, it is estimated that if the proposed bill passes Congress there will be at the academy about 2,200 midshipmen. This is assuming that we have the same percentage of failures from mental and physical causes in the future as we have had in the past. The Naval Academy, after the 1st of October, 1918, will be able to accommodate 2,000 midshipmen in Bancroft Hall and in the Marine barracks, and when the present authorized addition to Bancroft Hall is completed the academy will be able to accommodate 2,300 midshipmen. The bureau believes that it is necessary to have under instruction at the academy as many midshipmen as can possibly be accommodated. If the war should end to-morrow and the Navy returned to a peace basis, we would be short 1.326 line officers in the permanent establishment. If the permanent establishment is increased, as is absolutely necessary and recommended by the bureau, we will be short 3,446 line officers. By keeping the academy filled to its limit, and assuming that we graduate the usual per

certage of midshipmen at the end of four years from now, when the first class is graduated, which feels the effect of the increase in the number of midshipmen, we should graduate about 385 officers. Of this number approximately 325 will be available for the line establishment of the Navy, the others being detailed to the Marine Corps, Pay Corps, Construction Corps, etc. If we assume the number of casualties each year, due to deaths, resignations, and retirements, at 75, we will get a net increase in the Navy each year of 250 officers. At this rate it would take more than nine years-that is, four years before the increase is felt and five years afterwards-before the present permanent establishment is filled; and if the permanent force is increased, as has been recommended and should be done, it will take about 18 years to fill vacancies in the permanent establishment.

Aside from the urgent need of the Regular Establishment at this time, the bureau believes that it is good policy to keep the Naval Academy filled, because it is always easy enough to discharge surplus graduates to civil life, where they will form an excellent reserve, which can be utilized in times of emergency. The needs of the Navy would have been much easier met in the present emergency had we been able to call upon a large reserve from civil life who had received their education at the Naval Academy.

Congress has appropriated money for a large increase in several buildings at the Naval Academy, including Bancroft Hall, which is the midshipmen's dormitory. The added expense of keeping these buildings filled will not be great, and it certainly seems a wise move from every point of view.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Secretary, we will now take up the bill H. R. 6982, to authorize and empower the Secretary of the Navy to enter into and contract for the construction of a line of railway from a point in the District of Columbia to Indianhead, Md. I should like to invite your attention, Mr. Secretary, to a suggestion. In lines 6 and 7 it says "from the point at or in the vicinity of Bennings, District of Columbia, to Indianhead. Md." Suppose we should strike out the words" from the point at or in the vicinity of Bennings, District of Columbia, to Indianhead." and say "from a point in the District of Columbia to Indianhead, Md.," and leave it open for you to select and designate hereafter, upon mature investigation, such point. Would that be advisable?

Secretary DANIELS. I think that would be an improvement.

The CHAIRMAN. I introduced the bill as sent to me; but it has occurred to me that perhaps it might be well to have it to start in some point in the District of Columbia without designating by legislation the precise point from which it was to start.

The SECRETARY. Yes; there is a plan on foot by gentlemen who have a charter to build a railroad from Washington via Indianhead to Newport News. Before the war began they had secured permission to build the railroad across the river-the War Department and Congress had given them permission to cross the Potomac. That would give a direct route from Washington via Indianhead to Newport News of the greatest value to the Army and to the Navy. They were prepared to build this road. Indianhead is our powder factory and proving ground. Now, everything that goes to Indianhead has to be delivered at the Washington Navy Yard and transported by tugs and carried on the river. In the winter sometimes the river freezes and it is very difficult. Just at this time it is almost impossible to secure enough barges, enough shipping, to deliver promptly this heavy freight. We take the armor plate there to test it and we test all our guns there. It is very heavy freight. Moreover, we find it difficult to secure the best skilled men at Indianhead because there is no transportation except by water, and a railroad

from here to Indianhead would be of great value to us. These gentlemen now propose that they will not wait to build the whole railroad; but they will build the railroad from Washington to Indianhead, if the Government will advance them $360,000, which will be accepted for that amount in transportation. It is a proposition that I ordinarily would not consider or recommend, but in the present stress of affairs, I think it is a very wise thing to do.

Mr. VINSON. What is the distance by rail?
Secretary DANIELS. 224 miles.

Mr. VINSON. What is the distance by water?
Admiral EARLE. About the same-22 miles.

Mr. CONNELLY. Have you ascertained, Mr. Secretary, how much this road will cost?

Secretary DANIELS. It is estimated that it will cost about $700,000 to build this road.

Mr. CONNELLY. That is, without the rolling stock?

Secretary DANIELS. Yes.

Mr. CONNELLY. Just at this time there is a good deal of talk about the Government taking charge of the railroads, and I wondered if you had given the matter of the Government building this road any consideration?

Secretary DANIELS. I would much prefer to do that.

Mr. CONNELLY. I would much prefer to vote for that proposition. Secretary DANIELS. I had thought about bringing that matter to the attention of the committee for consideration; that is, whether it would be wiser to pay this $360,000, to be returned in freight, or whether the Navy Department should not build this road. It is a short road; it is a war measure. When the war was over we could sell it to the company which wishes to build. There are many reasons why it would be better to build it.

Mr. VINSON. The activities at Indianhead have to be utilized in peace time as well as in war?

Secretary DANIELS. Yes.

Mr. HICKS. If it will cost $700,000 to build the road, how much will it cost to equip it in order to carry the supplies?

Secretary DANIELS. I do not know. I have made no estimate. Admiral EARLE. The Pennsylvania Railroad would run their cars right on these tracks.

The CHAIRMAN. What about the local transportation from the navy yard?

Admiral EARLE. The local transportation in the yard-we have engines for that work now.

The CHAIRMAN. I understand, but I am speaking of transportation from the navy yard to Indianhead. There is a great deal of business between those two yards-between the Washington Navy Yard and Indianhead. What about your connections and terminals here in Washington?

Secretary DANIELS. I suggest, Mr. Chairman, that you do not act on this bill to-day, and let us secure all of the data as to cost of the road and the cost of equipment we would need and bring it before you next week.

The CHAIRMAN. Very well.

Mr. ESTOPINAL. I think that would be better.

Mr. LITTLEPAGE. It seems to me, Mr. Chairman, since the road is to be used by the Army and Navy, and a good many people believe in public ownership, and we will have to advance this money, and the road is a necessity, that the Government should build it and own it.

The CHAIRMAN. We will discuss that matter when we have secured all of the facts and circumstances.

There is another thing I would like to call your attention to. Mr. Secretary. We have some Army reservations, etc., and I should like for you, in considering the proposition, to consider it in connection with the Army needs and the military necessities down there.

Admiral EARLE. We have done that. We have thought of this matter carefully for about three years.

The CHAIRMAN. In the information which you will give us, I want you to have that in mind.

Admiral EARLE. Yes, sir. We have the location of the road here. The CHAIRMAN. I should like for you to have in mind the advantages and service that it would perform for the Army as well as for the Navy.

Secretary DANIELS. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Secretary, I want to call your attention to the bill H. R. 6975, to authorize and empower officers and enlisted men of the Navy and Marine Corps to serve under the Government of the Dominican Republic, and for other purposes. We have legislation similar to this with reference to Haiti?

Secretary DANIELS. Yes. Admiral Knapp, who is in charge for the Government of the American interests in Haiti and Santo Domingo, recommends that the same legislation be enacted for Santo Domingo that was enacted for Haiti.

The CHAIRMAN. Is it the same legislation as for Haiti?
Secretary DANIELS. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. We had a treaty with Haiti and the legislation that we have for Haiti was pursuant to that treaty. Have we any treaty relations with Santo Domingo?

Secretary DANIELS. I think not. Mr. Chairman, this action is based upon the recommendation of the State Department as well as the Navy Department.

The CHAIRMAN. We have a treaty with the Dominican Republic under Mr. Roosevelt's administration, in 1907, I believe it was, and it is pursuant to that treaty that we took possession of the Dominican Government down there and we are holding possession of it now under and by virtue of the treaty of 1907, if I remember that date. Would that treaty be broad enough so that we could operate under this legislation ?

Secretary DANIELS. Yes. I believe that it would be broad enough for you to operate under this legislation. This treaty refers to the collection of customs, and article 2 of the treaty distinctly states that the United States is obligated to supply adequate protection for the collection of customs.

Mr. HENSLEY. Mr. Secretary, do you think it is a good plan for these men to receive pay from two sources?

Secretary DANIELs. Ordinarily I would say no; but in this partieular case the officers detailed for this duty are ordered into an organi

zation of the San Domingan Government, and fill only temporarily the positions that they occupy. As the San Domingan becomes capable of replacing these officers after training they are withdrawn without disrupting the organization in any way or the moneys appropriated therefor.

Mr. HENSLEY. Is there not some way in which the money could be covered into the Treasury and all of it paid to the officers as from this Government?

Secretary DANIELS. I do not think so.

Mr. HENSLEY. I do not know that there is; but it seems to me that if there could be some way to work it it would look better.

Secretary DANIELS. I do not know that it would look any better. Mr. HENSLEY. Under the system there, of course, no one can complain; but it might be enlarged so that we can imagine a situation where there would be two masters, so to speak.

Secretary DANIELS. If it were a permanent system, possibly; but it is a temporary system. It is working well in Haiti.

Mr. HENSLEY. But precedents, you know, have a tremendous in

fluence.

Secretary DANIELS. We have at Santo Domingo, as the representative of our Government, Admiral Knapp.

Mr. HENSLEY. A very efficient officer in every respect.

Secretary DANIELS. Yes; and whose judgment I would follow almost without question, and for a year he has been insisting that this is the plan we should pursue there in order to secure peace and sanitation.

Mr. HENSLEY. I have not any doubt of that; it is just a question of principle that is involved.

Mr. CONNELLY. Is it submitted to you finally before the matter of pay is received from that Government?

Secretary DANIELS. The act of Congress must authorize the President to do so, otherwise he could not do it.

Mr. FARR. It is working all right in Haiti?

Secretary DANIELS. Yes. There has been a wonderful improvement. The health has improved. The marines have built roads. We have engineers there extending sanitation and it is peaceful and quiet. At one time we had in Haiti, perhaps, 3.000 marines. Now, we have only 500.

Mr. FARR. I have understood that the women pray at their religious shrines that they may be captured by the marines.

Secretary DANIELS. Undoubtedly. It is wonderful what they have accomplished there. Admiral Knapp thinks that the same thing should be done in Santo Domingo and the State Department recommends it.

The CHAIRMAN. You have a recommendation from the State Department?

Secretary DANIELS. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. Please place it in the record.
Secretary DANIELS. Very well.

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, March 19, 1917.

SIR: The formation of the "Guardia Nacional" for the Republic of San Domingo is of prime importance at the present time. No steps have been taken so far to inaugurate this organization, and it is considered that it should be done as soon as possible.