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. 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,

United States Navy.

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

States Marine Corps.

No. 8, page 259.-Statements of Admiral Samuel McGowan, Paymaster General; Pay

Director C. J. Peoples; and Mr. Clyde Reed, Bureau of Supplies and

Accounts, Navy Department.

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 McGowan, Paymaster

General, and Pay Inspector David Potter, member of the Compensation

Board.

No. 14, page 511.-Statements of Capt. Noble E. Irwin and Lieut. Commander John

H. Towers.

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

Medicine and Surgery.

No. 17, page 571.-Statement of Admiral C. W. Parks, Chief of the Bureau of Yards

and Docks, Navy Department.

No. 18, page 617.-Statement of Rear Admiral Leigh C. Palmer, Chief of the Bu eau

of Navigation, accompanied by Commander R. B. Coffey, United States

Navy.

No. 19, page 625.-Statements of Rear Admiral Ralph Earle, Chief Bureau of Ord-

nance, and Rear Admiral Charles W. Parks, Chief Bureau of Yards and

Docks.

No. 20, page 663.-Statement of Rear Admiral Charles W. Parks, Chief Bureau of

Yards and Docks.

No. 21, page 695.-Statements of Hon. Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, and

Surg. Gen. William C. Braisted.

No. 22, page 749.-Statement of Capt. E. P. Bertholf, accompanied by Capt. C. A.

McAllister and Capt. C. E. Johnston.

No. 23, page 767.-To admit osteopathic physicians to examinations for commis-

sions in the medical branch of the Navy.

No. 53, page 939.-McConnon, George H.

No. 54, page 941.-Gilfillan, Calvin Willard.
No. 55, page 943.-Williams, Charles E.

[No. 1.]

THE NAVAL APPROPRIATION BILL.

THE COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS, Tuesday, December 11, 1917. 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.

So

Secretary DANIELS. Mr. Chairman, judging by past experience, if 3,128 were appointed, about 2.200 would be there all the time. 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.

(1)

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.
Mr. CONNELLY. But never changed so as to reduce the number.

Secretary DANIELS. We have always needed so many more officers. It is in the power of Congress at any time to change this back to four or three, to reduce it or increase it at any session, if they desire. Mr. CONNELLY. I am aware of that.

Secretary DANIELS. After the war, of course; none of us can see very far into the future. Certainly we have enough ships to demand. this increase of officers.

Mr. CONNELLY. For some years?

Secretary DANIELS. Yes.

Mr. CONNELLY. For a permanent proposition along this line? Secretary DANIELS. I would not like to say permanent, but certainly as far ahead as I can see.

Mr. MCARTHUR. What percentage of those who enter the academy are finally graduated?

Admiral PALMER. It varies very much from year to year. Some years we get as high as 75 per cent.

Secretary DANIELS. Not more than 50 per cent.

Admiral PALMER. Yes; but that is about the highest per cent we get, 75.

The CHAIRMAN. It has been stated here before that the average was about 60 per cent.

Secretary DANIELS. I think that is about right.

Admiral PALMER. Some years it is 50 per cent, but the average is nearly 60 per cent.

Secretary DANIELS. Admiral Earle, who has been an instructor at Annapolis, says that the average is 66 per cent for several years.

Mr. MCARTHUR Is it the experience of the academy that young men who are admitted after a competitive examination are as well qualified as those designated by some other method?

Secretary DANIELS. From my observation, they are better prepared. If I had the power, I would have all admissions to the Naval Academy by competitive examination.

Mr. MCARTHUR. I would leave it to the Army and Navy authori

ties.

Secretary DANIELS. There are some questions along that line that I discussed in my annual report very fully, which I do not think it would be well to bring up in connection with this bill. I think this bill should pass as early as possible so the young men whom you designate, whether you name them or whether in the districts you have competitive examinations-that is within your control-may be able to have some time for preparation.

Mr. PETERS. When would the new number be available?
Admiral PALMER. July would be the first.

Mr. PETERS. That is, they would enter in July?

Admiral PALMER. Yes. We will have the examinations before that time. That is the reason the Secretary made this request, to get that started.

The CHAIRMAN. There are two examinations to be held, one in March and one in April.

Secretary DANIELS. As a rule, a Member who names a midshipman wishes him to have time to prepare for the examination. If you can pass this bill before the Christmas holidays, every Senator and every Member could select his man or order a competitive examination, as

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