AMENDMENT TO NATIONAL DEFENSE ACT AUTHORIZING THE LOAN OF AIRCRAFT, ETC., TO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. OCTOBER 29, 1919.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. KAHN, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany S. 2676.] The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (S. 2676) to amend section 56 of an act entitled "An act for making further and more effectual provisions for the national defense, and for other purposes," approved June 3, 1916, having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it do pass. This legislation is asked by the War Department and is explained in the following letter from the Secretary of War, under date of July 7, 1919: The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS, House of Representatives. DEAR SIR: The Director of Air Service, Maj. Gen. Charles T. Menoher, has brought to my attention the necessity of legislation which would legalize the loan or transfer of airplane engines or other aircraft equipment belonging to the Government to educational institutions, which do not necessarily maintain units of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, but which do maintain approved courses in aeronautical engineering or along similar lines. A careful study of this matter indicates that section 47 of the national defense act approved June 3, 1916, carries with it sufficient authority for issuing to institutions which maintain one or more units of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps all aircraft equipment it is desired to furnish such institutions. Section 56 of the same act is likewise deemed sufficient to authorize the issuing of like equipment to schools or institutions designated therein. Therefore, under the assumption that aeronautical engineering is not necessarily military training, it is only necessary to provide for institutions which maintain aeronautical engineering courses without courses in military training. 2 AMENDMENT TO NATIONAL DEFENSE ACT. In order to broaden the scope of the War Department in the loaning or transferring of aircraft equipment to educational institutions, it is requested that legislation be enacted approximately as follows: "A BILL To amend section 56 of an act entitled 'An act for making further and more effectual provisions for the national defense, and for other purposes,' approved June 3, 1916. "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 56 of an act entitled 'An act for making further and more effectual provisions for the national defense, and for other purposes,' approved June 3, 1916, be amended by adding at the end of the said section 56 the following: 'Provided, That the Secretary of War is authorized, under such regulations as he may prescribe, to supply aircraft, engines, and aeronautical equipment to any educational institution having a course in aeronautical engineering approved by the Secretary of War.'" Cordially, yours, NEWTON D. BAKER, Secretary of War. Your committee recommend that H. R. 7123, which is the House bill identical to S. 2676, be laid upon the table. CONGRESS ERECTION OF A FEDERAL OFFICE BUILDING AT ST. LOUIS, MO. OCTOBER 29, 1919.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. ANDREWS of Nebraska, from the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 484.] The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, having had under consideration the bill (H. R. 484) to provide for the erection of a Federal office building on the site acquired for the Subtreasury in St. Louis, Mo., recommends that the bill do pass. This bill proposes to eliminate from the following statute the provisions relating to the United States Subtreasury: SEC. 25. That for the purpose of beginning the construction on the site heretofore procured of a suitable and commodious fireproof building for the accommodation of the United States Subtreasury and other governmental offices at St. Louis, Mo., the sum of $200,000 is hereby authorized: Provided, That this authorization shall not be construed as fixing the limit of cost of said building at the sum hereby named, but the building hereby provided for shall be constructed or planned so as to cost, complete, including fireproof vaults, heating and ventilating apparatus, and approaches, but exclusive of site, not exceeding $1,000,000. That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and is hereby, authorized and directed to enter into contracts for the construction of a suitable building for said purpose within the ultimate limit of cost above mentioned. (37 Stat., p. 996.) The establishment of a Federal reserve bank in St. Louis, seems to have reduced the work of the subtreasury to such an extent that its present quarters are fully adequate to its needs. The amendment of existing law as proposed by the pending bill would avoid the expense of vaults and fixtures for subtreasury purposes and thus economize in funds and space for the use of other Government activities located in that city. Report from the Secretary of the Treasury shows that other Government activities located there now occupy 35,125 square feet of floor space, at an annual rental of $28,066.13. The Government owns the site upon which the proposed Federal building is to be erected. The Secretary's report also states that the new building will furnish ample accommodations for all Government activities in the city of St. Louis, if the proposed amendment should be adopted by the enactment of the pending bill. No additional expense or appropriation will be required under its terms. For these reasons your committee urges its passage. O 66th CONGRESS, 1st Session. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. { REPORT BRIDGE ACROSS THE TENNESSEE RIVER NEAR LOUDON, TENN. OCTOBER 31, 1919.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed. Mr. SIMS, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany S. 3193.] The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 3193) to authorize the Tennessee Bridge Co. to construct a bridge across the Tennessee River near Loudon, Tenn., having considered the same, report thereon with a recommendation that it pass. The bill has the approval of the War Department, as will appear by the letter attached and which is made a part of this report. [Second indorsement.] WAR DEPARTMENT, October 15, 1919. Respectfully returned to the chairman Committee on Commerce, United States Senate. So far as the interests committed to this department are concerned, I know of no objection to the favorable consideration by Congress of the accompanying bill, S. 3193, present session, to authorize the Tennessee Bridge Co., a corporation chartered under the laws of the State of Tennessee, to construct a bridge across the Tennessee River near Loudon, Tenn. BENEDICT CROWELL, |