TO AID THE NATIONAL DEFENSE BY FOSTERING SHIPBUILDING ON THE PACIFIC COAST IN ORDER TO MORE PERFECTLY PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SHORE SUPPORT FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF THE PACIFIC FLEET BY ENCOURAGING SHIPBUILDING ON THE PACIFIC COAST (H. R. 9652). MR. WELCH NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, January 27, 1936. The CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The bill (H. R. 9652) to aid the national efense by fostering shipbuilding on the Pacific coast in order to more perfectly provide the necessary shore support for the maintenance and peration of the Pacific Fleet by encouraging shipbuilding on the Pacie coast was, on January 13, 1936, referred to the Navy Department your committee with a request for comment and recommendation. The purpose of the proposed legislation is to allocate a certain perentage of naval shipbuilding to shipbuilders on the Pacific coast rovided the bids of responsible Pacific-coast shipbuilders do not -xceed those of the Atlantic coast by more than 6 percent of the bid f the Atlantic-coast shipbuilder. It has been the experience of the Navy Department since the World Tar that ships can be constructed fully as economically on the Pacific ast as they can be on the Atlantic coast, and that the transportation rates are so small in proportion to the contract prices that they may be eglected without prejudice to the west-coast shipyards. The estiated cost of transportation does not represent more than 1 percent the total cost. The Navy Department therefore believes that a ,percent differential in favor of Pacific-coast shipbuilders would be a scrimination against builders located elsewhere and that furtherZore an increased cost to the Government of 6 percent for those ships Located to the Pacific-coast shipyards would result. The bill (H. R. 9652) is not in accord with the financial program of the President. The Navy Department recommends against the enactment of the bill H. R. 9652. FOR THE RELIEF OF CLYDE W. SNELL (H. R. 9683). NAVY DEPARTMENT, The CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The bill (H. R. 9683) for the relief of Clyde W. Snell was referred to the Navy Department by your committee with a request for comment and recommendation. The purpose of this bill is to consider Clyde W. Snell as having been honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps as & private on October 5, 1917. The records of the Navy Department show that Clyde W. Snell enlisted as a private in the Marine Corps on April 16, 1917, for a period of 4 years, giving his date of birth as August 5, 1898. Private Snell's parents furnished evidence that he was born on August 5, 1900, and was therefore under 17 years of age when he enlisted without their knowledge, and they requested his discharge from the service. He was accordingly discharged on October 5, 1917, "as undesirable, Caving fraudulently enlisted by concealing fact of minority." Under the provisions of the act of January 19, 1929 (45 Stat. 1084; T. S. C. 34:204), Private Snell is held and considered to have been honorably discharged from the Marine Corps on October 5, 1917. This bill, if enacted into law, would result in no cost to the Navy; however, it is probable that a charge under the Veterans' Administration would be involved now or in the future. As the proposed legislation is considered unnecessary for the reasons stated, the Navy Department recommends against the enactment of the bill H. R. 9683. If Private Snell will make request therefor, the Navy Department vill grant to him a discharge certificate showing that he is held and considered to have been honorably discharged from the Marine Corps Ender the provisions of the above mentioned Act. Sincerely yours, CLAUDE S. SWANSON. 23697-36-No. 462 (1957) TO AUTHORIZE THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MODEL BASIN ESTABLISHMENT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES (H. R. 10135). MR. VINSON OF GEORGIA NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, January 28, 1936. The CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The bill (H. R. 10135) to authorize the onstruction of a model basin establishment, and for other purposes, as on January 14, 1936, referred to the Navy Department by your mmittee with request for comment and recommendation. The purpose of the bill is to authorize the Secretary of the Navy to quire 55 acres of land, more or less, in the vicinity of Cabin John, Md., and to construct thereon a model basin establishment for the se of the Navy Department in connection with the design of United States vessels, including aircraft. The limit of cost of the project s set at $3,500,000. Under the terms of the bill the Secretary of the Navy may authorize experiments for private parties at this establishzent, the cost of which shall be defrayed by such parties under reguations to be issued by the Secretary of the Navy. The results of sch private experiments shall be regarded as confidential, the right wing reserved to the Secretary of the Navy, however, to use data obtained for Government purposes, subject to the patent laws of the nited States. The Navy Department is in favor of this project, and in fact inded it in the public works items requested, as a result of which it appears on page 475 of the Budget of the United States, 1937, aproved and forwarded by the President to Congress. The bill is in accord with the financial policy of the President. In order to permit the Navy Department to have the freedom of tion necessary to acquire a suitable site at a reasonable cost, it is ommended that the bill be amended by deleting, after the word acquire" in line 4 of page 1, the words "fifty-five acres of land, more less, in the vicinity of Cabin John, Maryland", and inserting in lieu cereof, the words "a site at a cost not to exceed $100,000 in the icinity of Washington, District of Columbia". Sincerely yours, CLAUDE S. SWANSON. 23697-36-No 463 (1959) |