some certain of the cases there are now existing roads or existing power lines on some of these properties.

Now, what the military engineers may want to do is to shift some of these roads or shift some of these power lines to some other part of the property where they will not interfere with the shooting range. Senator CHANDLER. I have no objection to that.

Senator DOWNEY. That is all that this bill would give them the right to do.

Senator CHANDLER. I cannot agree to that. It states [reading]:

The authority contained in this act shall be in addition to and shall not supersede any authority previously conferred upon the War Department to dispose of property or to grant any leasehold or other interest therein. The proceeds from sales, grants, and leases made hereunder shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States as miscellaneous receipts.

Colonel O'BRIEN. Those are customary provisions.
Senator CHANDLER. I know; but it says [reading]:

Property acquired by the United States by exchange may be occupied, used, and improved prior to the approval of title by the Attorney General as required by section 355, Revised Statute, as amended.

Colonel O'BRIEN. That was put in, Senator, by the Attorney General.

Senator CHANDLER. That does not make me any stronger for it, that he put it in.

(Discussion off the record.)

Senator CHANDLER. May I suggest you rewrite it; put in the language of section 1351 that gives you easement under certain conditions, put that language in for us and make the changes Senator Revercomb suggested and then let us taken another look at it.

Colonel O'BRIEN. I will rewrite it and bring it back this afternoon.

88251

REPEALING LAW PROVIDING FOR THE FORFEITURE OF PAY BECAUSE OF VENEREAL DISEASE

HEARINGS

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS

UNITED STATES SENATE

SEVENTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

ON

S. 1250

A BILL TO REPEAL SECTION 2 OF THE ACT APPROVED MAY 17,
1926, WHICH PROVIDES FOR THE FORFEITURE OF PAY OF
PERSONS IN THE MILITARY AND NAVAL SERVICE OF
THE UNITED STATES WHO ARE ABSENT FROM
DUTY ON ACCOUNT OF THE DIRECT EFFECTS

OF VENEREAL DISEASE DUE TO

MISCONDUCT

JUNE 24 AND 30, 1943

Printed for the use of the Committee on Military Affairs

UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 1943

COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS

ROBERT R. REYNOLDS, North Carolina, Chairman

WESLEY E. MCDONALD, Clerk
WALTER I. SMALLEY, Special Assistant

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

JUL 19 '43

REPEALING LAW PROVIDING FOR THE FORFEITURE OF PAY BECAUSE OF VENEREAL DISEASE

THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 1943

UNITED STATES SENATE,

COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS,

Washington, D. C.

The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 11: 15 a. m., United States Capitol, Senator Robert R. Reynolds (chairman), presiding. Present: Senators Reynolds, Kilgore, and Gurney.

The CHAIRMAN. We will next take up S. 1250, a bill to repeal section 2 of the act approved May 17, 1926, which provides for the forfeiture of pay of persons in the military and naval service of the United States who are absent from duty on account of the direct effects of venereal disease due to misconduct."

(S. 1250 is as follows:)

[S. 1250, 78th Cong., 1st sess.]

A BILL To repeal sction 2 of the Act approved May 17, 1926, which provides for the forfeiture of pay of persons in the military and naval service of the United States who are absent from duty on account of the direct effects of venereal disease due to misconduct.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 2 of the Act approved May 17, 1926 (44 Stat. 557; 10 U. S. C. 847b; 34 U. S. C. 882b), is hereby repealed.

STATEMENT OF SECOND LT. JOSEPH F. HAWKINS, MILITARY PERSONNEL DIVISION, WAR DEPARTMENT, LT. COL. T. B. TURNER, SURGEON GENERAL'S OFFICE, MEDICAL CORPS, AND LT. COL. D. A. ROBERTSON

Lieutenant HAWKINS. Mr. Chairman, this bill is to repeal section 2 of the act approved May 17, 1926, which you have just read. That section reads as follows:

SEC. 2. That hereafter no person in active service in the military service who shall be absent from his regular duties for more than 1 day at any one time on account of the direct effects of a venereal disease due to his own misconduct shall, except as hereafter provided, be entitled to any pay, as distinguished from allowances, for the period of such absence: Provided. That such absence is within a period of 1 year following the appearance of the initial symptoms of such venereal disease and regardless of whether the appearance of the initial symptoms occurs prior or subsequent to the date of entry into the service.

That section was enacted in 1926 with the approval and recommendation of the War Department. At that time it was felt that such a aw would act as a deterrent to this disease and operate to control it. Such a law has really been in effect since 1912, the forerunner of the