EXTENDING BENEFITS OF THE WORLD WAR ADJUSTED COM-. PENSATION ACT AS AMENDED TO PETER JOSEPH SLINEY (H. R. 17138) NAVY DEPARTMENT, The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Replying further to the committee's letter of February 18, 1929, transmitting the bill (H. R. 17138), extending benefits of the World War adjusted compensation act, as amended, to Peter Joseph Sliney, and requesting the views and recommendations of the Navy Department thereon, I have the honor to inform you as follows: The purpose of this bill is to provide that in the administration of the World War adjusted compensation act, as amended, Peter Joseph Sliney, formerly a seaman, United States Navy, shall be held to be entitled to the benefits thereof in the same manner and with the same effect as if a separation from the naval forces on December 22, 1920, had been honorable. The records of the Navy Department show that the above-named man was born on April 6, 1898, and enlisted in the Navy on December 12, 1917, to serve for a period of four years. During this enlistment Sliney committed a number of offenses, such as absent over leave for a period of 10 days and disobeying orders. On October 17, 1918, he was declared a deserter and was not delivered on board the receiving ship, navy yard, New York, until January 12, 1919. For this offense he was tried by general court-martial, found guilty of absence from station and duty after leave had expired, and was sentenced to be confined for a period of 18 months, to be dishonorably discharged from the naval service, and to suffer all the other accessories of said sentence. On April 17, 1919, the Navy Department approved the proceedings, findings, and sentence, but reduced the confinement to four months' restriction to ship; his loss of pay was reduced to a period of four months, and the dishonorable discharge was remitted on condition that he, during his period of restriction, maintain a conduct record satisfactory to his commanding officer. Sliney served satisfactorily his probationary period and was restored to duty. On July 18, 1919, Sliney was again declared a deserter from the receiving ship, Boston, Mass., and remained in desertion until he was delivered on board the receiving ship, Boston, Mass., on August 12, 1920. For this offense he was tried by general court-martial, found guilty of absence from station and duty after leave had expired, was sentenced to be confined for a period of six months, to be dishonorably discharged from the naval service, and to suffer all other (889) 2197-29-No. 165 accessories of said sentence. This sentence was approved by the Navy Department on November 2, 1920, and the dishonorable discharge was effected on December 22, 1920. Particular attention is invited to the fact that Sliney's first desertion was during the time that the United States was in war, and his second desertion is termed "technical war-time desertion." In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, it is believed that Sliney was rightly and duly convicted of these offenses and properly discharged. As one of the penalties of this discharge Sliney is debarred from the rights, privileges, and benefits conferred by law upon honorably discharged sailors. Any legislation, such as this bill, restoring these rights, privileges, and benefits to a man given a dishonorable discharge for his offense is a partial revocation of the penalties of the discharge, and by the accumulation of cases in which such remission is accomplished by acts of Congress tends to weaken the force of the subsequent dishonorable discharges. The bill (H. R. 17138), if enacted, will result in no additional cost to the Navy but it is probable that a pension charge will be involved now or in the future. A bill (H. R. 13704) similar to the bill H. R. 17138 was referred to the Bureau of the Budget with the above information as to cost, and a statement that the Navy Department contemplated making an unfavorable recommendation thereon. Under date of May 29, 1928, the Director of the Bureau of the Budget advised the Navy Department that this proposed unfavorable recommendation is not in conflict with the financial program of the President, In view of the foregoing, the Navy Department recommends against the enactment of the bill H. R. 17138. Sincerely yours, C. F. ADAMS, A BILL Extending benefits of the World War adjusted compensaion act, as amended, to Peter Joseph Sliney Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in the administration of the World War adjusted compensation act, as amended, Peter Joseph Sliney, formerly a seaman in the United States Navy, shall be held to be entitled to the benefits thereof in the same manner and with the same effect as if a separation from the naval forces of the United States on December 22, 1920, had been honorable. 70TH CONGRESS 2d Session } HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES { REPORT No. 2274. NAVY DEPARTMENT AND NAVAL SERVICE APPROPRIATION BILL, FISCAL YEAR 1930 JANUARY 30, 1929.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. FRENCH, from the Committee on Appropriations, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 16714] The Committee on Appropriations submits the following report in explanation of the accompanying bill making appropriations for the Navy Department and the naval service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1930, which embraces all regular annual appropriations for the Navy Department at Washington and for the naval service, including certain expenses on account of such of our insular possessions as are administered by the Navy Department in pursuance of law or Executive order: APPROPRIATIONS AND ESTIMATES The estimates of appropriations upon which this bill is based were submitted by the President in the Budget for the fiscal year 1930, Chapter VIII of that document, pages 833 to 879, inclusive, and in House Documents Nos. 527 and 535. A summary of the appropriations for 1929 and the amounts recommended in this bill, together with the increases and decreases in the |