For some years the Navy Department accepted for appointment in the Medical Corps of the regular Navy candidates who were at the time graduates of medical schools, who had completed their periods of internship after graduation, and who had qualified as practising physicians. Under this system, however, the Navy was unable to fill the vacancies occurring each year in the Medical Corps; and hence the practice was adopted of appointment in the regular Navy, immediately after completion of the standard 4-year course of study in a "Class A" medical school, candidates selected according to the standing attained in competitive examination, the Navy agreeing to give these men the fifth or intern year required by most medical schools preliminary to conferring a degree.

During this period of internship, it may happen that certain individuals are discovered to have some physical ailment, or other defect, tending to lessen their desirability for permanent service; but, they being regularly commissioned, they remain in the service indefinitely unless and until separation is brought about by resignation, dismissal pursuant to sentence of court-martial, failure to pass subsequent professional examinations, or retirement due to physical unfitness.

In order to obviate the necessity of placing permanently on the retired list officers developing a physical disability during the period of internship, and, further, in order to introduce a second opportunity to exercise selection prior to commissioning in the regular corps, the Navy Department desires to appoint all candidates for the Medical Corps as acting assistant surgeons for temporary duty, then to commission in the regular corps those who have satisfactorily completed their internship and conclusively demonstrated their desirability.

The Navy Department could inaugurate the proposed method of securing applicants for the Medical Corps at the present time if the number of annual vacancies did not exceed 25, the maximum number of acting assistant surgeons for temporary duty that can be appointed under the law, but the number of annual vacancies in the Medical Corps is approximately 75. To appoint some of this number as acting assistant surgeons for temporary service and later commission them in the regular Navy, and at the same time appoint the others as assistant surgeons in the regular Navy from the beginning, would cause much dissatisfaction. For this reason, the Navy Department recommends the enactment of the proposed legislation.

The proposed legislation does not involve additional cost to the Government because as acting assistant surgeons they are paid from the appropriation "Pay of naval personnel," as are assistant surgeons. Likewise the bill would not increase the number of medical officers in the naval service in view of the limitation provided in the bill. Sincerely yours,

CURTIS D. WILBUR,
Secretary of the Navy.

[H. R. 15205, Seventieth Congress, second session]

A BILL To amend the act of May 4, 1898, as amended by the act of March 3, 1899, relating to the number of acting assistant surgeons in the Navy to be appointed by the President

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the act of May 4, 1898 (Thirtieth Statutes

at Large, page 380; United States Code, title 34, section 21), as amended by the act of March 3, 1899, section 7 (Thirtieth Statutes at Large, page 1006), is hereby further amended by striking out the word "twenty-five," in line 2 of the last paragraph under the heading "Bureau of Medicine and Surgery," on page 380, substituting a colon for the period at the end of the sentence, and adding the following clause: "Provided, That the number of acting assistant surgeons in the Navy plus the number of commissioned officers of the Medical Corps shall not exceed the total number of commissioned officers of the Medical Corps authorized by law.", so that the paragraph as further amended will read as follows:

The President is hereby authorized to appoint for temporary service acting assistant surgeons, who shall have the rank and compensation of assistant surgeons: Provided, That the number of acting assistant surgeons in the Navy plus the number of commissioned officers of the Medical Corps shall not exceed the total number of commissioned officers of the Medical Corps authorized by law."

TO AUTHORIZE THE TRANSFER TO THE LINE OF THE NAVY OF CERTAIN OFFICERS OF THE CONSTRUCTION CORPS WHO ARE EMPLOYED ON AERONAUTICAL DUTIES (H. R. 15378)

OC/A18-1(270901) L

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, December 11, 1928.

The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: There is inclosed herewith a copy of a letter, together with a copy of a proposed bill "To authorize the transfer to the line of the Navy of certain officers of the Construction. Corps who are employed on aeronautical duties," this day forwarded to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Sincerely yours,

CURTIS D. WILBUR,
Secretary of the Navy.

NAVY DEPARTMENT,

Washington, December 11, 1928.

The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. SPEAKER: I have the honor to transmit herewith a draft of a proposed bill "To authorize the transfer to the line of the Navy of certain officers of the Construction Corps who are employed on aeronautical duties."

The purpose of the proposed legislation is to provide that certain officers of the Construction Corps of the Navy of the rank of lieutenant commander and below, employed on aeronautical duties, may, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Navy and upon their own request, be transferred to the line of the Navy for general line duties. With the exception of a few officers appointed during the war, the officers of the Construction Corps are graduates of the Naval Academy and were transferred from the line of the Navy to the Construction Corps. This bill affects such officers permitting their transfer back to the line.

The proposed legislation provides:

(a) That applications for such transfer to the line of the Navy must be made within six months from the date of enactment of the proposed legislation.

(b) That officers of the rank of lieutenant commander and below, may be reappointed in the line of the Navy for general line duties, after serving a probationary period of not less than two years and having established their qualifications for general line duties.

(c) That temporary commissions may be issued to officers of the rank of lieutenant commander or below during the probationary period.

(d) That reappointments to the line of the Navy shall be in the same grade and rank as the appointee would have held had he remained continuously in the line.

(e) That officers so reappointed shall be extra numbers in grade. Certain officers of the Construction Corps of the Navy have been attached to aeronautical duties to the exclusion of any connection with the design or construction of surface or submarine vessels, except in so far as some of their parts are connected with the use of aviation on shipboard. Some such constructors have had flight training and extended flight experience at shore or at sea. The Navy Department is of the opinion that the interests of the service will now be promoted by permitting such of these officers as desire to do so to transfer to the line of the Navy after proper examination and a probationary period. It is the policy of the Navy Department to continue the use of naval constructors in the aeronautical organization on duties for which they are best suited. There is no expectation of excluding them or of compelling the constructors now engaged on aeronautical work either to give it up or to transfer to the line. The necessity of employing technical specialists drawn from a staff corps, so that they may devote themselves continuously to technical duties in aviation, is fully recognized. By allowing certain qualified naval constructors. to transfer to the line of the Navy, however, the scope of the activities to which they may be assigned in the aeronautical field will be considerably broadened and they will be able to alternate between technical and operating duties, between duty on shore and at sea. This will not only be beneficial to the Government, but will also open to these officers a broader career in the naval service.

The proposed legislation will not result in any increased cost to the Government.

For the foregoing reasons, the Navy Department recommends the enactment of the proposed legislation.

Sincerely yours,

CURTIS D. WILBUR,
Secretary of the Navy.

[H. R. 15378, Seventieth Congress, second session]

A BILL To authorize the transfer to the line of the Navy of certain officers of the construction corps who are employed on aeronautical duties

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That any officer of the Construction Corps of the Navy of the rank of lieutenant commander or below, employed on aeronautical duties, may, upon his own request, and in the discretion of the Secretary of the Navy, be transferred to the line of the Navy in the grade and in the rank he would hold on the date of such transfer if he had remained continuously in the line and under the following conditions:

(1) Any such officer who is eligible for transfer to the line of the Navy in the grade of lieutenant commander, or in a lower grade, may be reappointed to the line for general line duty: Provided, That such officer shall perform line duties for a probationary period of at least two years prior to being so reappointed, at the expiration of which time as prerequisite to such reappointment he shall be required to establish to the satisfaction of a naval examing board his physical, mental, moral, and professional fitness for the performance of the duties of a line officer of the Navy.

(2) Any such officer eligible for reappointment to the line of the Nayy in the grade of lieutenant commander, or in a lower grade, and who requests such reappointment, shall be issued a temporary commission of the grade and rank