Gen. BIDDLE. After the first of July that subscription of $1,500 will lapse.

Mr. TALBOTT. You avoid the trouble by a change of location?

Col. MCCAWLEY. Not at all. The provision in this bill authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to permit this new road to run on part of the proposed purchased land, but it is of no value whatever without the $7,000 to purchase the land. In the meantime, if we do not get the $7,000 our rifle range is of no use beyond 600 yards, and all the money that has been spent on it will be thrown away. The butts are there and the range exists in very good condition, but these people will not lease us the land any longer, and so we will have to abandon the whole thing. It is a very small sum and, I believe, was omitted from this bill unintentionally. I think the Secretary intended to put it in with the authorization for the right to grant the right of way through this new land, but in some way it was omitted. The two things must be considered together that is, the appropriation of $7,000 and the authorization to the Secretary. Here is the wording of the original estimate, which was stricken out:

For the purchase of the necessary land required in the development of a rifle range in the vicinity of the naval station, Bremerton, Washington, seven thousand dollars. Gen. BIDDLE. It is equally for the use of bluejackets and the marines.

Mr. MACON. Until the Government purchases the land you speak of the Government has no right of way to grant ?

Col. MCCAWLEY. None at all, because the county road as it now exists went through the Government land at the time of purchase. Mr. BUTLER. Gen. Biddle, you spoke of Philadelphia having been designated as the base of supply for the advance base?

Gen. BIDDLE. Yes, sir.

Mr. BUTLER. What is an advanced base?

Gen. BIDDLE. An advanced base is a position (harbor) ordinarily beyond the limits of our own country occupied and rapidly fortified against attacks from land or sea, its purpose being to serve as a point for further operations against an enemy. The force of marines needed, of course, varies according to location, character of enemy, etc., but the organization assigned to an advanced-base outfit is normally taken as two regiments of about 1,300 men each, one regiment being for the fixed defenses against an attack from the sea and the other regiment for the land defenses, each regiment being available as a reserve for the other, depending on the direction from which the attack comes.

Mr. BUTLER. Is that the new program?

Gen. BIDDLE. Yes, sir. It is not fully developed yet. We are assembling the guns, gun platforms, mines, etc., at Philadelphia now. We have established our advanced base school there, and have supplied the department with the list of the various material required for the standard outfit, though experience will probably show that various details will have to be changed.

Mr. BUTLER. The department has assigned the marines to occupy this base?

Gen. BIDDLE. Yes, sir; positively. The material and everything is being supplied by the Bureau of Ordnance of the Navy. We have not been put to any expense, though they expect us to provide the men. They will do nearly everything else.

Mr. BUTLER. And the marines have been directed to occupy it? Gen. BIDDLE. The advanced base outfit has been turned over officially to the Marine Corps.

Mr. HOBSON. Have you included in your policy the preparation of the marines for the occupation of the advanced base?

Gen. BIDDLE. They are being as thoroughly prepared as the men and material available will permit.

Mr. HOBSON. Have you added to the appropriation?

Gen. BIDDLE. We have to provide the men and barracks. The Ordnance Bureau of the Navy Department will supply the material, guns, platforms, and mines.

Mr. HOBSON. Will you put in the hearings an estimate of the number of marines which will be required to occupy the bases now definitely settled upon?

Gen. BIDDLE. Two regiments are to be assembled at Philadelphia and the same at Mare Island.

A small advanced base outfit is already established in the Philippines, consisting of two regiments, with a total of approximately 1,200 men. The guns pertaining to this were installed in 1907 for the defense of Subig Bay, but were removed later.

I a pend a tabulated statement showing organization of one of the advanced base forces:

Table showing number of officers and enlisted men of the Marine Corps and Navy in an "advanced base expeditionary force.

[Estimated on the basis of one-half per cent total force medical officers and 4 per cent for enlisted hospital force.]

Mr. HOBSON. That would give us some idea as to the increase of the Marine Corps.

Gen. BIDDLE. Yes, sir.

Mr. CHAIRMAN. We are very much obliged to you, gentlemen.
Col. MCCAWLEY. I thank you very much for your attention.

Thereupon, the committee adjourned to meet to-morrow, Wednesday, February 14, 1912, at 10.30 o'clock a. m.

[No. 10.]

THE COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS, Wednesday, February 14, 1912. The committee this day met, Hon. Lemuel P. Padgett (chairman) presiding.

STATEMENT OF CAPT. JOHN J. KNAPP, UNITED STATES NAVY, HYDROGRAPHER.

The CHAIRMAN. On page 36 there is an item: "Ocean and lake surveys: Hydrographic surveys, including the pay of the necessary hydrographic surveyors, cartographic draftsmen and recorders, and for the purchase of nautical books, charts, and sailing directions, $75,000. Captain, I will ask you to make to the committee a full and detailed statement, as you may think proper, to fairly set forth the merits of this proposition, or the demerits, or whatever may be needed to enlighten the committee.

Capt. KNAPP. I think that amount has been in the yearly appropriation bill for a number of years-certainly before I went to the Hydrographic Office.

The CHAIRMAN. Did you have any unexpended balance last year? Capt. KNAPP. I asked for that information from the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, and they could not tell from the outstanding bills whether or not there would be any unexpended balance. Anticipating that the appropriation would not be expended before the end of the fiscal year, I endeavored to have certain charts printed upon zinc. I made a contract for that with the idea that the cost of those, according to the contract, would still leave quite a balance, but on account of subsequent returns from various parts of the world where the appropriation has been expended, I think that the appropriation will be practically exhausted.

The object of the appropriation stated there is twofold-the purchase of charts and making surveys upon which the books and charts are founded.

As I stated to this committee in the hearings last year, we are dependent upon the British Admiralty for about 50 per cent of the charts and accompanying sailing directions which are necessary to cover the waters of the world. Our annual expenditure in purchasing from the agent of the British Admiralty has averaged about $10,000. The remaining portion of that appropriation, about $65,000, has been utilized in making surveys and work of that

nature.

We have this year, at present in the field, four parties in Cuba and one party off the east coast of Nicaragua. One of the parties in Cuba, aboard the U.S. S. Eagle, is making a hydrographic survey of that portion extending from Cape Cruz to Cape Maisi, in other words, the