GRANTING RELIEF TO AMERICAN CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OF THE NAVY STATIONED IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS (H. R. 259). MR. JOHNSON OF TEXAS

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., March 5, 1937.

The CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The bill (H. R. 259) granting relief to American civilian employees of the Navy stationed in the Philippine Islands was referred to the Navy Department by your committee with a request for report and recommendation.

The purpose of this bill is to grant the same leave and transportation privileges to certain civilian employees of the Navy serving at the United States Naval Station at Cavite, P. I., as are granted to American civilian employees whose contract of service was entered into while they were in the United States.

Under the act of August 29, 1916 (39 Stat. 557; U. S. C. title 34, sec. 513), civilian employees of the Navy Department who are citizens of the United States, whose homes are within the continental limits of the United States, and who are employed at stations outside the continental limits of the United States, could, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Navy, after 2 years' continuous satisfactory service abroad, be granted the privilege of accumulating annual leave at the rate of 30 days per year, for not to exceed 4 years; i. e., 120 days' leave. Accordingly, the Department issued administrative regulations to the effect that this privilege be granted to employees whose homes are within the continental limits of the United States, and that all other employees be granted 30 days' leave a year, noncumulative.

The act of March 14, 1936 (49 Stat. 1161) provides that "Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent the continuance of any existing leave differential now obtaining for the benefit of employees of the Federal Government stationed outside the continental limits of the United States." The Comptroller General ruled on October 21, 1936, that the administrative regulations issued prior to the passage of the Leave Acts of March 14, 1936, for employees stationed abroad may be continued in full force and effect. Accordingly, on November 5, 1936, the Department authorized, by despatch, the continuance of the leave regulations then in effect.

Under the act of July 1, 1902 (32 Stat. 663; U. S. C. title 34, sec. 506), the Department is authorized to pay salary to civilian employees appointed to positions at activities outside the continental limits of the United States, from the date of their sailing from the United States until they report for duty, and while returning to the United States by the most direct route. In addition to this travel pay, the Department, in the case of employees appointed under a 3-year

contract to such positions, furnishes transportation and subsistence from their homes in the United States to post of duty and while returning to their homes at the expiration of their contracts. The same conditions apply if contract is renewed.

There are four employees at the Navy Yard, Cavite, P. I., who are natives of the United States, and who were discharged from the naval service at the request of the commandant, Navy Yard, Cavite, P. I., to become civilian employees of the Navy Department while in the Philippine Islands immediately upon their discharge from the Navy instead of being returned to the United States for discharge.

If this proposed legislation be enacted estimated cost to the Government will be $550 per annum, assuming that the usual contract period of 3 years starts on passage of the bill.

It is recommended that the bill H. R. 259 be not enacted, as the proposed legislation would be discriminatory in that other natives of the United States who became civilian employees of the Navy Department while in the Philippine Islands and elsewhere outside of the continental limits of the United States, including other employees discharged from the Navy and those discharged from the Marine Corps and the Army, would not enjoy the above privileges.

The proposed legislation is not in accord with the program of the President.

Sincerely yours,

CLAUDE A. SWANSON.

о

TO PROVIDE FOR THE ADMISSION OF 50 FILIPINOS TO THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY PENDING THE CONSUMMATION OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS (H. R. 2282). MR. DINGELL

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, March 17, 1937.

The CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The bill (H. R. 2282) to provide for the admission of 50 Filipinos to the United States Naval Academy pending the consummation of the independence of the Philippine Islands was referred to the Navy Department by your committee with a request for report and recommendation.

The purpose of this bill is to admit 30 additional Filipinos to the Naval Academy at the beginning of the academic year following the enactment of this bill, and at the beginning of each of the 5 academic years following, 5 Filipinos.

The Navy Department has been informed by the office of the Honorable John D. Dingell, who introduced the bill H. R. 2282, that the word "five", appearing as the second word on page 1, line 9, should be changed to "four."

The facilities of the Naval Academy, including quarters, messing facilities, recitation rooms, recreational and athletic facilities, will be strained to the limit in caring for midshipmen under present and proposed laws increasing the size of the regiment. The Naval Academy is already faced with the need for quartering three men in two-men rooms and with extreme crowding of the midshipmen's mess hall. This condition will prevail for a number of years.

The course at the Naval Academy contains much of a confidential nature, particularly with the courses in seamanship and ordnance and gunnery. This should be a matter of serious consideration with regard to the education of prospective foreigners at the Naval Academy.

There is serious doubt as to whether the proposed number of Filipinos could be assimilated in the regiment of midshipmen.

The estimated cost of the enactment of H. R. 2282 is as follows, exclusive of transportation and mileage:

Cost per year per Filipino..

Cost per 4 years per Filipino.

Cost per 4 years for 50 Filipinos

$1, 905. 26

7, 621. 04 381, 052. 00

The Navy Department recommends against the enactment of the bill H. Ř. 2282.

The bill H. R. 2282 is not in accord with the program of the Presi

dent.

Sincerely yours,

CLAUDE A. SWANSON.

91216-37-No. 225

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PROVIDING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF NAVAL VESSELS AND MATERIALS USED THEREIN IN NAVY YARDS, AND PROVIDING FURTHER METHODS THEREUNDER (H. R. 4344). MR. MAGNUSON

NAVY DEPARTMENT, Washington, March 17, 1937.

The CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The bill (H. R. 4344) providing for the construction of naval vessels and materials used therein in navy yards, and providing further methods thereunder was referred to the Navy Department by your committee, with a request for report and recommendation.

The purpose of this bill is to require the construction of all naval vessels, together with their main engines, ordnance equipment, and armor, including the making of castings and forgings, machining the parts, roughing and finishing operations, and assembling and installing the parts, in navy yards, naval stations, naval gun factories, naval ordnance plants, or arsenals of the United States.

In general, it must be emphasized that constructing, equipping, and supplying ships and aircraft of the present naval program cannot be accomplished with personnel and facilities now existing in establishments under the control of the Navy Department or any other department of the Government.

With more detailed reference to manufacturing facilities, it should be pointed out that Government plants are not now equipped or are equipped only in a limited manner to manufacture Diesel engines, large units of electrical equipment, engines and gears, large valves and forgings, drums and headers for boilers, technical fire-control apparatus and instruments, gyrocompasses, gages, and instruments in general for ships and aircraft, aircraft and aircraft instruments, and certain structural steel and shapes.

These facilities, therefore, must be either acquired or greatly expanded to accommodate the volume of work which would be added by reason of the requirements of the bill H. R. 4344.

In addition to plant facilities required for manufacturing the various items that have been enumerated in the preceding paragraph there is for consideration the problem of personnel. If the objects of the bill are to be accomplished, there must be a very large increase in laborers, mechanics, technicians, etc., in the many trades which go to make up an industry having the ramifications of ship and aircraft construction.

In order to make any progress at all in the direction of having ships and aircraft which are even reasonably adequate, there must be maintained many departments of research, together with large staffs of design engineers. It need not be demonstrated that the building up of such organizations requires years of time and the expenditure of huge sums of money.