MILITARY INSTRUCTOR FOR HIGH-SCHOOL CADETS MAY 9, 1935.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. PALMISANO, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 1023] The Committee on the District of Columbia, to whom was referred the bill (S. 1023) to provide for the payment of a military instructor for the high-school cadets of Washington, District of Columbia, having considered the same, report favorably thereon and recommends that the bill do pass. For nearly 3 years past a retired Army officer has been giving instruction in military science and tactics to the high-school cadets in the District of Columbia without receiving any compensation for his services, certain provision of present law precluding him from the receipt of public funds aside from his retirement pay. This school subject requires an instructor who has had special training and possesses specific qualifications. The purpose of the bill is to permit the employment of those best qualified to supervise the training of cadets. The bill has the endorsement of the Board of Education and Commissioners of the District of Columbia. O UNITED STATES PARTICIPATION IN THE INTERPARLIAMENTARY UNION MAY 9, 1935.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. McREYNOLDS, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 2276] The Committee on Foreign Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (S. 2276) to authorize participation by the United States in the Interparliamentary Union, having considered the same, after conducting hearings thereon, report it to the House with the recommendation that it do pass. For the information of the House in regard to the history and purpose of the Interparliamentary Union and the reasons in support of the contribution of the United States toward the maintenance of the Bureau of the Interparliamentary Union, and of the authorization of the appropriations mentioned in the bill, there is appended hereto and made a part of this report a letter under date of April 8, 1935, from the Honorable Alben W. Barkley to the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, which letter is as follows: UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, Washington, D. C., April 8, 1935. Hon. KEY PITTMAN, Chairman Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR SENATOR: Complying with your request, I am glad to give you a statement in support of the bill which your committee has agreed to report authorizing an annual appropriation of $20,000, $10,000 of which is to be for the support of the Interparliamentary Union itself and $10,000 of which is to be used to assist in defraying the expenses of the American group of the Interparliamentary Union in attending the annual sessions of the Union. The Interparliamentary Union has existed since 1899. It had its origin in a number of conferences prior thereto participated in by members of the various parliaments of the nations of the world, but it became known as the Interparliamentary Union in the year 1899. It grew out of numerous conferences held in different parts of the world looking toward the reduction of armaments and the settlement of international disputes by peaceful methods. Many members of the House and the Senate have attended these annual conferences and have received great benefit from the contacts with members of the various parliaments of the world. These conferences have been held in nearly all the capitals of Europe and on a number of occasions have been held in Washington. From 30 to 60 nations usually send representatives to these conferences, and subjects of great and vital importance to the solution of international controversy and international relations are discussed by the delegates. Out of these conferences have grown resolutions endorsing peaceful methods of settling international disputes and contributed very largely to the organization of the machinery for the peaceful settlement of disputes throughout the world. Some of the ablest statesmen who have exercised authority at various times during the life of the Union have participated in the conferences and the discussions which have been held during the last 36 years by the Interparliamentary Union. In addition to the calling of the First Hague Conference in 1899, the Second Hague Conference in 1907 was directly promoted by the Interparliamentary Union. For many years Congress has appropriated the sum of $10,000 as the contribution of the United States toward the maintenance of the Inter parliamentary Union. This appropriation has during the last 2 or 3 years been reduced to $7,500 which really means only a little more than $6,000 when we consider the exchange value of the American dollar. For a number of years Congress appropriated $10,000 per annum to help defray the expenses of the American delegates to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. While the Inter-Parliamentary Union is a voluntary international organization composed of the members of the various parliaments of the world, it has been of great educational value to all of those who have participated and this value has been reflected in a better understanding among the parliaments of the world of the serious questions which arise in disputes among the nations. It is greatly desired that the United States be among those properly represented at the annual meetings of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. It is not fair to expect Members of Congress who would be disposed to attend, and who could contribute to the value of the delegation, to pay their own expenses. Some of them have done it on occasion, but it seems to me a serious reflection upon our Government not to be willing to expend this modest sum to assist in having our country suitably represented at these annual conferences. It is beneath the dignity of our Nation to allow a situation to exist, where the Members of the House or Senate who might be able to attend, must either defray their expenses out of their own modest incomes or depend upon a contribution by some private peace society to enable them to attend. I believe all of the Members of Congress who have attended these conferences have come back with a broader knowledge and a more comprehensive understanding of the problems that confront the nations of the world. At this particular time it is our advantage to grasp every opportunity to obtain first-hand information as to what is going on in the rest of the world and in other nations. These annual meetings of the Inter-Parliamentary Union are a sort of clearing house for international discussion and international information. For these reasons and many others which I could recite, this small appropriation ought to be speedily authorized and provided for, and I trust that prompt and favorable action may be taken. Thanking you for the courtesy shown me in connection with this measure, I am, Sincerely yours, ALBEN W. BArkley. For the further consideration of the House, wish to state the Honorable Fritz G. Lanham appeared before your committee and after his statement he filed with your chairman a letter in support of this bill, which is as follows: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, Hon. SAMUEL D. MCREYNOLDS, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Permit me briefly to bring to the attention of the Committee on Foreign Affairs some of the considerations which prompt favorable action with reference to the bill which I recently introduced in the House of Representatives, providing for participation of the United States in the Interparliamentary Union. A similar bill was introduced in the Senate and has passed that body. The Interparliamentary Union had its beginning in certain international conferences which started in 1888 and resulted in the establishment of the Union itself in 1899. The purpose which prompted the formation of the Union was the affording of an opportunity for representatives of various nations to discuss parliamentary, social, and economic questions which were largely common to them all. This organization has never had and will not have any binding effect upon the nations participating in it. Our Government has taken a part in each annual meeting of the Interparliamentary Union with the exception of the first six, and the Congress has appropriated for the expenses of the International Bureau since 1911. On two occasions the annual meeting of the Union has been held in the United States: at St. Louis in 1904 and at Washington in 1925, and on each occasion the Congress appropriated $50,000 for the care and entertainment of the delegates from foreign countries. In The $10,000 authorized in this bill as the contribution of our country is in keeping with similar contributions made by larger nations of the world. The money so contributed is used to good purpose in the necessary organization and the preparatory study of the various matters discussed at the annual meetings. These meetings involve no entangling alliances of any sort whatever, but they do afford an opportunity for an interchange of ideas on problems of common interest. my judgment, it is the most desirable and least expensive and most profitable friendly contact which our Nation has with peoples abroad. These annual sessions are attended by representatives from more than 40 nations of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres and lead naturally to a better understanding among them. After much study I am firmly convinced of the worth of this institution and of the benefits which we derive from it. Very sincerely yours, О FRITZ G. LANHAM. |