S. 1872 The CHAIRMAN. We will now consider Docket No. 183, S. 1872, a bill to provide for the rank of original appointments in the Corps of Civil Engineers of the United States Navy, and for other purposes. (S. 1872 is as follows:) [S. 1872, 79th Cong., 2d sess.] A BILL To provide for the rank of original appointments in the Corps of Civil Engineers of the United States Navy, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That hereafter, original appointments as officers in the Corps of Civil Engineers of the United States Navy shall be in the grade and rank of ensign or of lieutenant (junior grade) in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary of the Navy may prescribe. SEC. 2. The second paragraph under the heading "Fuel and transportation" in chapter 180, Thirty-ninth Statutes at Large, 1168, which is the first paragraph on page 1184, is hereby repealed. The CHAIRMAN. Captain Nevins, are you familiar with this? STATEMENT OF CAPT. J. H. NEVINS, PLANNING AND CONTROL, BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL, NAVY DEPARTMENT Captain NEVINS. The purpose of the proposed legislation is to provide statutory authority for original appointments of officers in the Civil Engineers Corps of the Navy in the rank of ensign. Such authority would be in addition to the existing authority for original appointments in the rank of lieutenant (junior grade), conferred by the act of March 4, 1917 (39 Stat. 1184; 34 USC 256). The proposed legislation is desired in order to meet the needs of the Navy Department (Bureau of Yards and Docks) in the procurement of officer personnel. Original appointments in the rank of ensign (which would be the lowest commissioned rank in the Civil Engineer Corps) would be made from civil life and from Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps units of candidates who lack the experience qualifications for original appointment in the higher rank of lieutenant (junior grade). Original appointments in the rank of lieutenant (junior grade) would be confined to applicants in civil life who hold scientific degrees in engineering and have had a reasonable period of actual experience in construction engineering and to officers of the line of the Navy who have had postgraduate instruction in civil engineering. All original appointment as officers in the Civil Engineer Corps would be made in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy. Enactment of this proposed legislation would entail no additional cost to the Navy Department. The Navy Department recommends the enactment of the proposed legislation. The Navy Department has been advised by the Bureau of the Budget that there is no objection to the submission of this report to the Congress. The CHAIRMAN. After the young man graduates from the Naval Academy, he is an ensign for 2 years or 3 years? Captain NEVINS. Three years. The CHAIRMAN. You could not take him into the Corps of Civil Engineers under the present law because he is only an ensign; is that right? Captain NEVINS. That is correct. In any event, before he was transferred to the Civil Engineering Corps, he would have to take postgraduate instruction if he were of Naval Academy grade. The CHAIRMAN. This bill applies to the procurement of officers for that Corps from civilian life mostly? Captain NEVINS. Yes, sir; mostly, under a proposed plan of procurement which is contemplated by the Navy. We will obtain graduates from the civilian colleges and also the NROTC units. They would be commissioned in the Civil Engineer Corps is they met the requirements. However, instead of commissioning them as lieutenants, junior grade, they would be commissioned as ensigns. During the war, in the Corps of Civil Engineers, we found that ensigns commissioned in the Naval Reserve, not in the Regular Navy, performed very well; they did very good service. In order that some of those officers may be transferred into the Regular Navy with the rank of ensign, it is desirable that appointments be permitted by law to the Corps of Civil Engineers in the rank of ensign. This bill would do that. The CHAIRMAN. I see. This would be by way of supplementing the bill H. R. 4421, in the matter of taking in Reserve officers. Captain NEVINS. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. And, also, you might take MIT graduates and make ensigns out of them? Captain NEVINS. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Otherwise, you would have to take them as lieutenants, junior grade? Captain NEVINS. Lieutenants, junior grade, under present law; yes, sir. There is one suggested amendment, Mr. Chairman, to the bill as it is worded now. In line 5, after the word "grade," it is recommended that the "and" be deleted and the words, "of assistant civil engineer with" be inserted, so that it will now read, "that hereafter, original appointments as officers in the Corps of Civil Engineers of the United States Navy shall be in the grade of assistant civil engineer with rank of ensign or of lieutenant, junior grade," and so forth. The reason for that is that the grade, in the staffing, denotes the office. It is better language. The CHAIRMAN. Is there any objection? (No response.) The CHAIRMAN. It may be reported, as modified by your amendment. That completes the work for today. (Whereupon, at 12: 15 p. m., an adjournment was taken, subject to the call of the Chair.) HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS SECOND SESSION ON S. 1871 A BILL TO AUTHORIZE THE CONVEYANCE OF A PARCEL OF LAND AT THE NAVAL SUPPLY DEPOT, BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, TO THE AMERICAN RADIATOR AND STANDARD SANITARY CORPORATION H. J. Res. 307 A JOINT RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE USE OF NAVAL VESSELS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF ATOMIC WEAPONS UPON SUCH VESSELS AN ACT TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN AUGMENTING AND MAINTAINING A NAVAL ESTABLISHMENT, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 84727 MARCH 19, 1946 Printed for the use of the Committee on Naval Affairs UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1946 COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS DAVID I. WALSH, Massachusetts, Chairman MILLARD E. TYDINGS, Maryland RICHARD B. RUSSELL, Georgia HARRY FLOOD BYRD, Virginia PETER G. GERRY, Rhode Island CHARLES O. ANDREWS, Florida ALLEN J. ELLENDER, Louisiana JOHN L. MCCLELLAN, Arkansas JAMES O. EASTLAND, Mississippi WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Washington FRANCIS J. MYERS, Pennsylvania CHARLES W. TOBEY, New Hampshire EDWARD V. ROBERTSON, Wyoming M. E. GALLAGHER, Clerk |