A REVIEW OF CERTAIN LEGISLATION INCLUDING THE FOLLOW- HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The committee this day met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. Fred A. Britten, chairman, presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. We have before us this morning a priority list of legislation pending on the various House calendars, and I have requested the Navy Department to cause a number of officers to be here this morning to explain the various bills as a matter of refreshing our memories of them. The first bill on the priority list in question is H. R. 11616, which reads as follows: AN ACT To authorize alterations and repairs to certain naval vessels Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That for the purpose of modernizing the United States ships Pennsylvania and Arizona alterations and repairs to such vessels are hereby authorized at a total cost not to exceed the sum of $14,800,000 in all. The alterations to the capital ships herein authorized shall be subject to the limitations prescribed in the treaty limiting naval armaments, ratified August 17, 1923. The CHAIRMAN. This bill, H. R. 11616, covering repairs to the Pennsylvania and the Arizona, is now on the House Calendar and will probably be considered on Wednesday next. Admiral Campbell, the Judge Advocate General of the Navy, is with us this morning. Mr. VINSON. Mr. Chairman, if I may interrupt. The CHAIRMAN. Certainly. Mr. VINSON. I suggest that the committee authorize its chairman to fix the priority of these bills. Mr. DARROW. I think that is a good idea. The CHAIRMAN. Then if there is no objection, the first bill will be H. R. 11616, which provides for alterations and repairs to the battleships Pennsylvania and Arizona, at a total cost of not to exceed $14,800,000. Mr. DARROW. If that other bill is reported out it would take its place on this calendar? Mr. VINSON. Yes. Mr. MILLER. This [indicating] is the list you are going to report out? The CHAIRMAN. Yes. STATEMENT OF REAR ADMIRAL EDWARD H. CAMPBELL, UNITED STATES NAVY, JUDGE ADVOCATE GENERAL The CHAIRMAN. Admiral Campbell, will you please take the witness chair and tell us just why the Navy Department feels that the bill providing for alterations and repairs to the battleships Pennsylvania and Arizona is the most important of all the bills on the calendar? Admiral CAMPBELL. It is one of the most important bills now pending because it would increase the fighting efficiency of the fleet. It is necessary to get the bill through Congress in order that we may at once go to the Committee on Appropriations for the necessary money to carry on the work in question. We are about ready to start this work, but we have to get the authorization first. The CHAIRMAN. Has any change occurred in the minds of Navy Department officials, or have any conditions changed since the last session of Congress, so far as this bill is affected? Admiral CAMPBELL. Not that I know of. The CHAIRMAN. There have been no increases? The CHAIRMAN. There have been no changes? The CHAIRMAN. It has been suggested by the minority leader on this committee that the prospective calling of a conference any place looking toward naval limitation might have some effect upon the wisdom of going ahead with this construction. Do you, Mr. Vinson, desire to interrogate Admiral Campbell along that line at this time? Mr. VINSON. I would like to ask the admiral one question. How much money have we expended in altering and repairing the Florida, Utah, Arkansas, Wyoming, Teras, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Nevada? Admiral CAMPBELL. I am not prepared to talk on this bill. It comes under another bureau chief. Mr. VINSON. I know that. Admiral CAMPBELL. I requested the chiefs of the material bureaus having cognizance of this matter to be here with substantiating data and to be ready to answer questions that gentlemen of the committee may desire to ask. The heads of the material bureaus concerned can answer questions and explain things in connection with this bill better than I. The CHAIRMAN. Are the other chiefs of bureaus here? Admiral CAMPBELL. The Chief of the Bureau of Engineering and the Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance are here. Unfortunately, the Chief of the Bureau of Construction and Repair, who is the principal witness in connection with this bill, is not present. I telephoned to learn why he is not here and was told that the Secretary of the Navy had detained him in connection with another bill that is to come up. However, he will be here within 10 or 15 minutes, I am sure. Mr. WOODRUFF. Let me suggest that we proceed with the next bill, pending arrival of the Chief of the Bureau of Construction and Repair. Mr. VINSON. I just wanted to know how much money we have expended in altering and repairing those seven battleships I named a little while ago. The CHAIRMAN. Do not our prior hearings in connection with this subject show how much has been expended? Mr. VINSON. No; because I have read them only this morning. The CHAIRMAN. If there is no objection, let us proceed to consideration of the shore construction bill. Admiral CAMPBELL. On each of these bills the chief of the bureau concerned, or a representative of the bureau concerned, is present, and he can much better than I explain the bill to the committee. The CHAIRMAN. Very well. We will hear Admiral Beuret in connection with this bill later and now proceed to the consideration of another bill. STATEMENT OF REAR ADMIRAL LUTHER E. GREGORY, CIVIL ENGINEER CORPS, CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF YARDS AND DOCKS The CHAIRMAN. Let us now consider H. R. 13884, which is a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Navy to proceed with the construction of certain public works, and for other purposes, and reads as follows: AN ACT To authorize the Secretary of the Navy to proceed with the construction of certain public works and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Navy is hereby authorized to proceed with the construction of the following-named publicworks projects at a cost not to exceed the amount stated after each item enumerated: Naval station, San Diego, California: One small floating dry dock, $425,000. Naval station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii: Water-front development, $1,200,000; to continue improvements to harbor and channel, $500,000. Submarine base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii: General facilities buildings, $290,000; officers' quarters, $100,000. Naval air station, San Diego, California: Metal aircraft structures shop, $130,000; physical instruction, gymnasium and welfare building, $150,000; seven land-plane hangars, $275,000. Navy yard, Puget Sound, Washington: Accessories and crane, pier numbered 6, $1,310,000; equipment house, $100,000; paint and oil storehouse, $125,000. Naval air station, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii: Hangar, $224,000; torpedo storage and charging plant, $25,000. Naval air station, Coco Solo, Canal Zone: Aircraft-overhaul shop, $90,000; bachelor officers' quarters, $120,000. Naval training station, San Diego, California: Mess hall and galley for enlisted men, $173,500; barracks for enlisted men, $348,000. Navy yard, Mare Island, California: Barracks and mess hall for submarine Crews, $195,000; battery storage and overhaul building, $240,000. Naval air station, Lakehurst, New Jersey: Barracks for enlisted men and marines, $250,000; gas cell shop and storage building, $200,000; quarters for married officers, $90,000. Marine barracks, Quantico, Virginia: Barracks for enlisted men; roads; walks; and distributing systems, $1,450,000. Marine Corps flying field, Quantico, Virginia: Filling and grading flying field, $500,000. Navy yard, Norfolk, Virginia: Purchase or condemnation of land and dredging, $65,000. Naval air station, Anacostia, District of Columbia: Offices and barracks and mess hall for two hundred and fifty men, $275,000; heating plant and distributing system, $25,000. Navy yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Storage facilities for gear, dry dock numbered 3, $10,000. Naval base, Canal Zone: Commandant's quarters, $35,000, officers' quarters, $58,000. Submarine base, Coco Solo, Canal Zone: Officers' quarters, $240,000. Naval air station, Hampton Roads, Virginia: Administration building, $200,000. Naval training station, Hampton Roads, Virginia: Barracks and mess hall, $600,000. SEC. 2. That the Secretary of the Navy is hereby authorized to enter into contract, at a cost not to exceed $35,000, for the removal of certain private lines of poles supporting telegraph, power, signal, and telephone wires and cables located on private rights of way, adjoining the Marine Corps flying fields at Quantico, Virginia, and for the placing of said wires and cables underground; for providing additional ducts and laying of cables for the Government's power and telephone service at said flying fields, and for the construction of the necessary manholes for the separate or joint use of all interested parties; the contract to be placed with such party or parties, with or without competition, and on such terms and conditions as the Secretary of the Navy may, in the interests of the Government, deem most advantageous. SEC. 3. That the Secretary of the Navy be, and he hereby is, authorized to acquire on behalf of the United States by purchase or condemnation, after an appropriation of the necessary funds has been made therefor, the site of the Marine Corps flying field at Reid, Quantico, Virginia; and for that purpose a sum not in excess of $15,000 is hereby authorized to be appropriated and made available in addition to the amount of $20,000 made available by section 6 of the act of March 4, 1925, under the appropriation "Aviation, Navy, 1924." SEC. 4. That the Secretary of the Navy be, and he hereby is, authorized to acquire on behalf of the United States by purchase or condemnation, after an appropriation of the necessary funds has been made therefor, the site of the naval air station at Sumay and the naval station at Piti, Guam; and for that purpose a sum not in excess of $9,000 is hereby authorized to be appropriated and made available. SEC. 5. That the Secretary of the Navy is authorized, when directed by the President, to transfer to the city of San Diego, California, free from all encumbrances and without cost to said city of San Diego, all right, title, and interest to so much of the property now constituting the site of the submarine and destroyer base, San Diego, California, together with any improvements thereon belonging to the United States, as lies to the north of a line running due east from station 300 on the United States bulkhead line as established in 1918, in consideration of the transfer to the United States by said city of San Diego, free from all encumbrances and without cost to the United States, of all right, title, and interest to the following described property, together with any improvements thereon, now belonging to the said city of San Diego: Beginning at station 300 on the United States bulkhead line, as established in 1918; thence south forty degrees thirty-eight minutes thirty-six seconds east along said bulkhead line, a distance of eight hundred and ninety-nine and thirty-eight one-hundredths feet to the southwest corner of that tract of land conveyed by the city of San Diego, to the United States of America for a dry-dock station or similar purposes, by deed dated September 3, 1919; thence north sixteen degrees no minutes east along the westerly line of said tract a distance of seven hundred and nine and ninetythree one-hundredths feet to a point; thence due west seven hundred and eightyone and forty-nine one-hundredths feet to the point or place of beginning. SEC. 6. That the Secretary of the Navy is hereby authorized to establish boundary lines of the United States property constituting Governors Island, in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts, as follows: Beginning at a point in the pierhead and bulkhead line established by the Secretary of War December 1, 1921, in latitude south two thousand one hundred and forty-seven and two-tenths and longitude east twelve thousand six hundred and twenty-five and six-tenths; thence running north thirty-three degrees fifteen minutes fifty-five and sixtenths seconds east two thousand feet to a point in latitude south four hundred |