AWARDING A NAVY CROSS TO JOHN W. THOMASON (H. R. 3661).

MR. VINSON OF GEORGIA

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, January 19, 1937.

The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. SPEAKER: There is transmitted herewith a draft of a proposed bill "Awarding a Navy Cross to John W. Thomason." The purpose of the proposed legislation is to authorize the award of the Navy Cross to Maj. John W. Thomason, United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism in the Battle of Soissons on July 18, 1918, in destroying a machine-gun nest and capturing two machine guns. Legislative authority for this award is necessary because of the provisions of section 7 of the act of February 4, 1919 (40 Stat. 1057; U.S. C., title 34, sec. 360).

Enactment of the proposed legislation would not result in any cost to the Government.

The Navy Department recommends the enactment of the proposed legislation.

The proposed legislation is in accord with the program of the President.

Sincerely yours,

CLAUDE A. SWANSON.

91216-37-No. 12

(23)

О

TO AMEND SECTION 5 OF THE ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE CONSTRUCTION, REPAIR, AND PRESERVATION OF CERTAIN PUBLIC WORKS ON RIVERS AND HARBORS, and for OTHER PURPOSES", APPROVED MARCH 3, 1925, TO AUTHORIZE THE PAYMENT OF A PER DIEM IN CONNECTION WITH NAVAL AERIAL SURVEYS AND FLIGHT CHECKING OF AVIATION CHARTS (H. R. 3604). MR. VINSON OF GEORGIA

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, January 19, 1937.

The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. SPEAKER: There is transmitted herewith a draft of a proposed bill "To amend section 5 of the act entitled 'An act authorizing the construction, repair, and preservation of certain public works on rivers and harbors, and for other purposes', approved March 3, 1925, to authorize the payment of a per diem in connection with naval aerial surveys and flight checking of aviation charts."

The purpose of the proposed legislation is to enable naval personnel to receive the same per diem allowances when engaged in making naval aerial surveys and flight checking of Hydrographic Office aviation charts as are now authorized by law in connection with aerial surveys of projects other than those pertaining to the naval or military service proper.

The act of March 3, 1925 (43 Stat. 1190) authorizes per-diem allowances, in lieu of other travel allowances, for officers, warrant officers, and enlisted men of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps engaged in the aerial surveys of rivers and harbors, or other governmental projects. The Comptroller General of the United States has stated in a letter to the Secretary of the Navy, dated April 15, 1925 (4 Comp. Gen. 854), that one of the conditions necessary to the receipt of per-diem allowances under the act of March 3, 1925, is that the aerial survey duty must be upon projects other than those pertaining to the naval or military services proper.

Naval aerial surveys and the flight checking of Hydrographic Office aviation charts are necessary for the safe operation of naval aircraft, particularly outside the continental limits of the United States, where no aerial surveys are made by the Department of Commerce. It is likewise essential that accurate aviation charts be available in areas where the fleet operates if naval aircraft are to be of the utmost military value to the fleet. It has been necessary, for example, to make an aerial survey of the Republic of Panama and also of the route from Seattle, Wash., to Dutch Harbor, Aleutian Islands.

Naval personnel ordered to perform aerial survey duty are required in many cases to be absent from their permanent duty stations and consequently they are subjected to additional abnormal expenses. Under existing law, those extra expenses must be borne by the personnel concerned, unless the survey is in connection with a nonnaval or nonmilitary Government project. Specifically, the personnel of the naval aviation detachment who made the aerial survey of the route from Seattle, Wash., to Dutch Harbor, Aleutian Islands, did did not receive reimbursement for their necessary expenses incident to that survey, nor did they receive the per-diem allowances authorized by the act of March 3, 1925, because the survey was a naval one. On the other hand, naval aviators who were engaged in conducting an aerial survey in Alaska for the Department of the Interior were compensated for their necessary expenses by receiving the per-diem allowance. In each case the personnel were subjected to additional expense.

It is estimated that the additional cost to the Government of the legislation submitted will be approximately $1,500 per annum. The Navy Department recommends the enactment of the proposed legislation.

The proposed legislation is in accord with the program of the President.

Sincerely yours,

CLAUDE A. SWANSON.

о

FOR THE RELIEF OF MAX DOLE GILFILLAN (H. R. 714). MR.

SANDERS

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, January 30, 1937.

The CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The bill (H. R. 714) For the relief of Max Dole Gilfillan, was referred to the Navy Department by your committee with a request for report and recommendation.

The purpose of this bill is to authorize and direct the President to appoint Max Dole Gilfillan, a former captain in the Marine Corps, a captain on the Marine officers' retired list of the United States Marine Corps, with the rank of captain, with retired pay of that rank, as provided by law, for officers retired by reason of physical disability incident to the service.

The records of the Navy Department show that Max Dole Gilfillan was born March 22, 1894, and enrolled as a second lieutenant provisional in the Marine Corps Reserve on May 21, 1917. He entered on active duty June 14, 1917. On September 18, 1917, he was disenrolled from the Reserve to accept appointment as a second lieutenant, temporary, in the regular Marine Corps. He was temporarily promoted to first lieutenant September 6, 1918, and temporarily promoted to captain March 5, 1919. He was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps August 7, 1919.

Lieutenant Gilfillan served overseas with the American Expeditionary Forces from November 19, 1917, to February 6, 1919. The records show performance of the following duties during this period:

On November 20, 1917, joined the Sixty-sixth Company, Fifth Regiment, Marines, in training at Breuvannes.

On detached duty at the Fourth Corps British School at Boves, from January 1 to January 22, 1918, taking the bombing and trench raid courses.

In Verdun sector with the Sixty-sixth Company from March 17 to May 12, 1918. Participated in raid on enemy trenches on the night of April 18, 1918, in command of a detachment of 30 marines.

Participated in the Aisne-Marne defensive (Chateau Thierry) from June 1 to June 6, 1918; attached to the Sixty-sixth Company. Wounded on June 6, 1918, in action against the enemy and evacuated to hospital at Jouilly the same date; evacuated to American Hospital No. 44, at Paris, June 7, 1918, and to Base Hospital No. 1, at Vichy, July 15, 1918; discharged from hospital September 1, 1918.

On duty at prisoner of war enclosure, St. Pierre des Corps (Central) from September 6 to September 18, 1918, and on duty with Prisoner of War Escort Company No. 1, at Is-sur-Tille and Poincon-les-Larrey, from September 20 to December 18, 1918.

On December 18, 1918, ordered to casual camp, St. Aignan, and assumed command of the Casual Company No. 994 on February 1, 1919, and proceeded to Le Havre, France, for return to the United States, February 2, 1919.