The CHAIRMAN. To that extent, then, it would increase the Metropolitan police force? Mr. WILSON. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. What would be the approximate cost of increasing this force? Mr. WILSON. The approximate cost of increasing this force would be $47,200. The additional sum required for additional salaries of the 20 privates is $44,300. We are also requesting an additional sergeant, a lieutenant, and an additional amount of money required for them which will be $1,000 a year, and the uniforms and their equipment will amount to about $1,800. So the approximate amount required for one year will be $47,200. The CHAIRMAN. Of course we are all anxious to have adequate protection at the White House, and our questions are simply to elicit the information in order that we may know, for our own use, and be able to present on the floor of the House the circumstances which justify this legislation and give the considered information of the gentlemen who are proposing this bill, that it is necessary to have the force increased. Mr. WILSON. Mr. Chairman, we made a very careful survey of the entire situation before we asked to have this bill introduced. First, Captain Marcey, and then Colonel Starling, made a further survey and conferred with me. After that, we conferred with the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury and with the Bureau of the Budget, and after giving it most serious consideration we felt that in order for the White House police force to properly perform and fully perform all of the functions which Congress expects them to perform, that it would be absolutely necessary to have this number of men. The CHAIRMAN. May I ask this question: Concerning this written information here that has been given, it seems to me, some of it might very appropriately be put in the hearings for the perusal of the Members of Congress as well as the members of the committee. Mr. WILSON. Yes. If you wish, we will be glad to give you this record, and you can embody the entire matter in your proceedings, if you care to. I would particularly call attention to the fact that, at the White House, we have had one and a half million persons visiting there during the past year, and that we have many large groups of persons. On one occasion during the last year we had over 52,000 on the White House grounds at one time, and we have, as you know, a great many receptions and other public meetings at the White House and some of them have in excess of 2,200 persons there at one time. Each year reflects a marked increase in the number of visitors. (The matter referred to is as follows:) WHITE HOUSE POLICE, March 6, 1940. Re proposed increase in the White House police force. 1. Under the act of Congress approved September 14, 1922, creating the White House police force, the force was placed under the President and was used principally for patrolling the White House grounds and directing traffic therein. 2. Under the act of Congress approved May 14, 1930, amending the original act, the White House police force was made a part of the United States Secret Service, thus becoming a closely interwoven part of the protection thrown around the President of the United States by the Secret Service. 3. The present White House police force is made up almost entirely of young officers in first-class physical condition. 4. The original White House police force had no training course for its members. 5. The present force has a very complete and necessary course of training for its members. This complete course is repeated each year. It consists of study of the White House police manual; fire prevention and control; use of gas masks; use of gas grenades; use of the riot gun; use of the submachine gun; use of the revolver; physical fitness including boxing, wrestling, jujitsu, disarming of armed persons; calisthenics; and annual physical examination by the United States Public Health Service, with necessary physical corrections being made by the local Board of Police and Fire Doctors. 6. While some of this training course is taken by the members of the force on the service's time (when the President is out of the city), much of it has to be taken on their own time. 7. During recent years, due to the remodeling of a portion of the Executive Mansion and the Executive Office of the President, there has been an increase in the number of outside entrances and ground-floor windows to be guarded and protected. 8. In the past, in order to meet an emergency, it has been necessary to uncover as many as four police posts which should not be uncovered as a matter of proper protection to the President. For example, the taking into custody of a violently insane man without injury to him, and the manning of the various gates whenever necessary. This same condition applies to practically all emergencies that arise from time to time. 9. At the time the White House police force was organized there were 33 police posts here at the White House throughout the 24 hours of the day. Today there are 60 police posts; 24 posts during the day; 19 posts in the early part of the night, and 17 posts after midnight, thus requiring 60 patrolmen or privates for this purpose. It is necessary for 11 men to be on their day off 4 days each week and 12 men to be on their day off 3 days each week in order that each member of the force shall have 1 day off each week as provided by law. This requires a total of 72 patrolmen for the above-mentioned purposes. It requires one patrolman to regulate traffic and parking in the front grounds throughout the day, and to handle tourists in the White House when not engaged in this work. This requires a total of 73 patrolmen or privates for the force. In addition is required a total of 7 officials to serve in a supervisory capacity, namely, 1 captain, 2 lieutenants and 4 sergeants. The captain is in command of the force with a sergeant in direct supervision of the patrolmen from 8 a. m. to 4 p. m.; a lieutenant is in charge of the force from 4 p. m. to 12 midnight with a sergeant in direct contact with the patrolmen, and a lieutenant is in charge of the force from 12 midnight to 8 a. m. with a sergeant in direct supervision of the patrolmen. At the present time one of our lieutenants is a sergeant serving as an acting lieutenant without compensation as such. Two of our sergeants are patrolmen serving as acting sergeants without compensation as sergeants. Thus at the present time we have one captain, 1 full lieutenant, 1 acting lieutenant (sergeant), 2 full sergeants, 2 acting sergeants (patrolmen). The fourth sergeant takes the place of the other sergeants when they are on their day off, on annual leave or sick leave. He also serves as an acting lieuteant when the lieutenants are on their day off, on annual leave or sick leave. Thus, 6 days of each week he is filling in for the other sergeants and the lieutenants. 10. At the present time there are on duty at the White House, in addition to the 60 members of the White House police force, 20 patrolmen borrowed from the Washington police department, in order that we might give the President, his family and the Government property here the necessary police protection as required by the officials of the Secret Service Division. 11. Each of the 80 police officers doing duty here is entitled by law to 26 days' annual leave each year, making a total of 2,080 leave days to be granted each year. This makes it necessary that 5 (plus) police officers shall be on annual leave each day. Each member of the force is also entitled by law to 30 days' sick leave each year, if necessary. Sick leave is granted by the local Board of Police and Fire Doctors. During 1939 we averaged 1 man on sick leave each day. 12. In time of fire or civil disorder we can only have the gates properly manned by uncovering 5 vitally necessary posts, i. e., the east entrance of the Executive Mansion; the main entrance to the White House; the rear of the Executive Office of the President; and the south portico of the Executive Mansion. This is not only highly undesirable, but is quite dangerous insofar as the protection of the President is concerned. An addition of 20 police officers, divided over a period of 24 hours, makes it possible to cover the gates without weakening the line of police protection around the White House and Executive Office. 13. During the year 1939 we handled approximately 1,500,000 persons at the White House. During this same year we were called upon to handle groups in the Executive Mansion numbering as many as 2,282 persons, and groups in the grounds numbering as many as 52,259 persons throughout a single day. Since 1935 the number of persons handled annually has increased about 250,000. 14. In view of the above, it is respectfully recommended that the White House police force be increased from 60 men to 80 men, as follows: 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 4 sergeants, and 73 patrolmen or privates. 1 Sick leave is granted only by the local Board of Police and Fire Doctors. Present police structure: 24 19 17 60 7 60 11+ 5+ 84+ 80 Captain_ Lieutenant_ Sergeants (one is being used as an acting lieutenant) - 80 Total police officers on duty at the White House at the present time. The CHAIRMAN. With your three shifts you never have more than 30 men on duty, do you, at one time? Mr. WILSON. We never do, and if this bill goes through, Mr. Chairman, it will provide, not for 30, but for 24 men being on duty during the daytime, 19 men being on duty from 4 until midnight, and 17 men being on duty from midnight until morning. When you stop to figure the large grounds, the number of entrances that we have there, and the large number of visitors coming there in the morning, noon, and even at night you will better recognize the necessity for this action. I drive through there at night and will see automobiles from every State in the Union calling there, and the visitors to this city are proud to see the Chief Executive's home. They are all anxious to see it, and we have many, many visitors. (Discussion off the record.) The CHAIRMAN. May I ask one question: In the very interesting information here in this report-and this is evidently a photostatic copy of the original-it says: "In view of that fact, I respectfully recommend." This is an unsigned communication, and if we put it in the record, in view of the fact that the first person is used, we ought to know who he is. Mr. WILSON. That is a report prepared for me by Captain Marcey, and approved by Colonel Starling, and, in turn, I have endorsed it. The CHAIRMAN. Yes. I thought there ought to be something to identify it. Mr. WILSON. Well, you can have that explanation in the record, or I will transmit this to you with a letter of my approval. The CHAIRMAN. I think perhaps the explanation will be sufficient, in the record. Mr. BALL. May I ask a question, Mr. Chairman? The CHAIRMAN. Yes; Mr. Ball. Mr. BALL. When men are detailed from the Metropolitan Police Department for increasing the force, the White House police force, does any rate of increase go with the transfer and increased responsibility? Mr. WILSON. No, sir; they receive the same rate of pay. Mr. WILSON. Yes. And I thought seriously of bringing it to a point several months ago, but because of the fact that there were warnings, and we were urged by our superiors in all departments to keep expenses at a low ebb, we did not think it advisable at that time to do it, but I feel that their responsibilities are heavy and we are allowed to pick the best men from the Metropolitan Police Depart ment. Mr. BALL. There is also the question of possible accidents shall we say that might occur. And these men have families and children, and something might happen to them, as they are in jeopardy. Mr. WILSON. That is true. At times they are in jeopardy. I feel that the Superintendent of Metropolitan Police Department is very considerate in permitting the Secret Service to pick the best men, and I would be very happy if at some future date we could arrange to pay the men a little bit more than they are getting. The CHAIRMAN. This bill, however, does not provide any additional increased compensation for those men now employed in the police force at the White House? Mr. WILSON. No, sir. Mr. CAMP. May I ask a question, Mr. Chairman? The CHAIRMAN. Yes, Mr. Camp. Mr. CAMP. Will you tell me what the salaries of the men in the Metropolitan Police Department are? I imagine they will receive the same salary and grade as the men in the Metropolitan Police Department? Mr. WILSON. Yes, sir. Mr. CAMP. We already have a captain now, and so there is no increase in the grade? Mr. WILSON. No, sir. Mr. CAMP. And you already have two lieutenants? Mr. WILSON. Yes. Mr. CAMP. And so, the only increase in this bill is as to privates? Mr. WILSON. No. Oh, I beg your pardon. We already have one lieutenant, and we will have two lieutenants. Mr. CAMP. In other words, an increase of one lieutenant? Mr. WILSON. Yes. Mr. CAMP. And how many sergeants? Mr. WILSON. One seargeant. Mr. CAMP. And how many privates? Mr. WILSON. Eighteen. Mr. CAMP. What is the salary of a lieutenant? Mr. WILSON. Three thousand dollars. Mr. CAMP. And of a sergeant? Mr. WILSON. Two thousand seven hundred dollars. Mr. CAMP. And of a private? Mr. WILSON. The highest-paid private is $2,400. They get $1,900 the first year, and, progressively, they are increased $100 a year until they get $2,400. The CHAIRMAN. Is it not a fact that each precinct in Washington has two lieutenants? Mr. WILSON. Yes; and some of them three. In this instance we will have a larger quota of men than any precinct in this city or any other city of similar size. In order to function efficiently, we should have 2 lieutenants and an extra sergeant, because when you have a group of 80 men, you want to have it controlled intelligently and consistently, and we feel it impossible to do so now. The CHAIRMAN. Are there any other questions members of the committee would like to ask Mr. Wilson? (No response.) The CHAIRMAN. If not, Colonel Starling, would you like to add anything? STATEMENT OF COL. E. W. STARLING, SUPERVISING AGENT OF THE WHITE HOUSE SECRET SERVICE DETAIL Mr. STARLING. Mr. Chairman, I think the Chief has covered it pretty well. I might say something else that might help. The Chief spoke of the fire protection. If we should have a fire at the White House, that would mean-that is one reason we want a lieutenant on after midnight-that he would make his confidential call to the fire department and tell them exactly the situation. The superior officer of the fire department would then determine what fire equipment he would bring up and when he got there he would make a second call if he found it necessary and bring further equipment sufficient to cope with any situation. That means that we will have two men for gates, the northwest gate, the northeast gate, the southeast gate, and the southwest gate, to allow the equipment to come in, and also to keep the crowd out. That pulls men from our posts. This way, we won't. We will have every post covered and the gates covered and we can let the fire department in and control every situation. I just mention that. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Colonel. Captain Marcey, do you wish to say anything? Mr. MARCEY. Well, no. The CHAIRMAN. You are captain of the White House force? Mr. MARCEY. Yes, Capt. Herbert L. Marcey. The CHAIRMAN. Do you wish to add anything to what has been said? Mr. MARCEY. Well, I don't see that I can add anything at all, outside of explaining the posts, perhaps. The CHAIRMAN. Well, the posts are matters of detail with which you gentlemen are necessarily familiar, and it seems to me that the |