of agreement denies them the right to operate for profit. In addition to any other condition imposed by the Secretary of the Navy, the transfer agreement shall include an undertaking by the transferee that such vessel shall be maintained in a condition satisfactory to the Navy Department: Provided, however, That no expense shall result to the United States as a consequence of such transfer, or as a consequence of the terms and conditions prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy, or as a consequence of the use and maintenance of the ship by the transferee subsequent to transfer.

SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Navy is authorized, in his discretion, to loan or give to any of the several States, Territories, or possessions of the United States, and political subdivisions or municipal corporations thereof, the District of Columbia, Canal Zone, soldiers' monument associations, posts of the Grand Army of the Republic, posts of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, posts of The American Legion, and other recognized war veteran associations, State museums, libraries, historical societies, and incorporated museums operated and maintained for educational purposes only, whose charter denies them the right to operate for profit, and posts of the Sons of Veterans Reserve, captured, condemned, or obsolete ordnance, guns, projectiles, books, manuscripts, works of art, drawings, plans, models, and other condemned or obsolete material and trophies, flags, and other material of historical interest which may not be needed in the service of the Navy Department.

Such loan or gift shall be made subject to such rules and regulations covering the same as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy, and the Government shall be at no expense in connection with any such loan or gift.

SEC. 3. The Secretary of the Navy is authorized, to transfer, without reimbursement, such devices and trophies as the Secretary of the Navy in his discretion shall determine, to the Secretary of the Treasury for the promotion of the sale of war or victory bonds, and to any other Government agency for scientific, experimental, monumental, or display purposes. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to sell or donate such war devices and trophies for the promotion of the sale of war or victory bonds.

The CHAIRMAN. This is Captain Robillard?
Captain ROBILLARD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. From the Bureau of Ships?

Captain ROBILLARD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. What do you say about this bill?

STATEMENT OF CAPT. GEORGE N. ROBILLARD, BUREAU OF SHIPS, NAVY DEPARTMENT

Captain ROBILLARD. Well, the Bureau of Ships, Mr. Chairman, favors the bill because it will eliminate the necessity of obtaining legislation for each transfer, particularly in such cases as the transfer of ship's silver service and will greatly reduce the administration that is necessary in taking care of such transfers.

It would facilitate the disposal and permit us to immediately grant to the proper organization the relic or trophy for which they have made application without any individual legislation-subject, of course, to the rules of the Secretary of Navy, which he sets up.

The CHAIRMAN. Without this bill you would have to get permission of Congress in each case?

Captain ROBILLARD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. What are some of these trophies and vessels and relics?

Captain ROBILLARD. Well, particularly on the vessels such as we have had recently, and on the silver service, these are the most important items.

The CHAIRMAN. We have had some of those bills?

Captain ROBILLARD. Yes; we have had a number of those recentlythe silver service of the New Orleans, of the Nevada, and Wyoming,

and we have had to get special legislation for the transfer of the Texas to the State of Texas.

The CHAIRMAN. Yes.

Captain ROBILLARD. And as to contemplated legislation, New York is interested in an aircraft carrier, and in each instance it requires congressional legislation.

The CHAIRMAN. What is the situation concerning the Enterprise? Captain ROBILLARD. I don't know. Do you have anything further! Captain NUNN. Mr. Chairman, I understand that the commandant of the Third Naval District in New York is negotiating with the New York State authorities regarding a proper berth for the Enterprise; they are thinking of putting it in place of the Prairie State and retaining title in the United States similar to the title to the Prairie State which is in the United States, and leave it there with the State of New York taking care of it, providing maintenance funds for it from time to time. That is under consideration, sir. I have not heard yet from the commandant in New York as to how far he has progressed.

The CHAIRMAN. Some of the newspapers have made quite an agitation about it.

Captain NUNN. Yes, sir; there is a bill before the Bureau of the Budget to transfer title to the State of New York. I believe that the Navy Department doesn't want to do that but is trying to arrange to have the Enterprise placed in New York Harbor as a naval memorial.

The CHAIRMAN. This is just a general bill giving the Secretary general authority to do what-to have him distribute these relics and trophies and avoid the necessity of legislation in each case. Captain ROBILLARD. Yes, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Do you care to say anything on this?

STATEMENT OF COMMANDER J. W. LEVERTON, BUREAU OF ORDNANCE, NAVY DEPARTMENT

Commander LEVERTON. Just that the Bureau of Ordnance has on file many requests from State governments of relics.

The CHAIRMAN. The Bureau of Ordnance has?

Commander LEVERTON. Yes, for a gun to be put on the capitol steps. We are perfectly willing to give it to them but we have no authority.

The CHAIRMAN. You have no authority now?

Commander LEVERTON. That is right, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. That hereafter a community could apply for a gun and if the Secretary saw fit to do so, if this bill passes, he could present it?

Commander LEVERTON. That is correct, sir, surplus property.

The CHAIRMAN. What kind of obsolete guns have you got in your Bureau of Ordnance?

Commander LEVERTON. Mostly obsolete guns; a 5-inch gun that would be taken off a battleship that was being disposed of; things of that nature; otherwise it would be scrapped.

The CHAIRMAN. No larger guns than 5-inch?

Commander LEVERTON. We have no requests for anything larger than that, sir, mainly because of transportation difficulties.

All 51 of the American jurisdictions have legislation affecting grounds for annulment. There is no uniformity, however, in the grounds upon which annulment is allowed. Nor do the various jurisdictions give the same consequences to marriages that are annulled on the same grounds.

In some the decree may operate to make the relationship an absolute annuflity from the beginning, and in others it may be void only from the date of the decree. In some States alimony may be awarded the wife, as in divorce.

The harshness of the present law is obvious as it affects marriages entered into by service personnel in good faith who have to reimburse the Government in the amount of the increased allowances for the period prior to the judicial determination as to validity of the marriage.

It is believed, in view of the cases which have already come to light, and others which will undoubtedly be revealed in the future, that remedial legislation is necessary and, therefore, the Navy Department recommends enactment of the proposed legislation.

The CHAIRMAN. This would prevent the repayment if payment was once made?

Commander WALTERS. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. It would prevent the Government from making claim on the enlisted man or the officer?

Commander WALTERS. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, will you give an illustration, some illustration of this.

Commander WALTERS. We have had in my office several cases, and we have one now pending where the officer had at the time of the entry into the service a lawful wife, and he was drawing the increased allowances on her behalf. During the period of service, while outside the United States or probably in the United States, he had registered to her an allotment of his pay.

Subsequently she sued for annulment of the marriage, and the marriage was so annulled by the court having jurisdiction.

Well, the marriage having been annulled by judicial decree, under the interpretation of the terms dependent, as made by the Comptroller General, there was no alternative but to check the accounts of the officer for all amounts paid him as increased allowances for the wife, because the marriage was held a nullity from its inception, and is the same as though no marriage had ever taken place.

The CHAIRMAN. But there was the appearance of a wife, and there

was

Commander WALTERS. Yes, sir, for some time; for a period of a year or two.

The CHAIRMAN. In other words, there was, after what appeared to be a legal marriage, a petition for annulment, and an annulment granted on some ground or other that either party had been married before, something of that kind so that there was really no legal status of wife, but money had been paid in the meantime.

Commander WALTERS. Yes, sir.

Capt. P. P. BROWN. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Under the present law what would happen?

The other items on this chart represent naval research laboratories as well as Chesapeake Annex, Chesapeake Bay Annex down at Randall Cliffs; the underwater sound reference laboratory at Orlando, and the special devices laboratory at Sans Point, Long Island.

Now, in order to do our job, we have memberships on some 64 different committees. In addition to that we have certain naval research and development facilities which we can turn to.

This chart was prepared to sum them up briefly.

We have also prepared a booklet which indicates all of the facilities available to the Navy and with whom the Navy does business for both research and development work.

Now, you might be interested to know how these research contracts work. One of the bureaus of the Navy Department was having certain dielectric failures, installation failures, and they didn't feel that they should undertake the job of finding out what the trouble was, so they asked the Office of Research to undertake that work.

We knew that Massachusetts Institute of Technology had done work during the war, and had a good group who could carry on the research in dielectric failurse. We also knew that the Naval Research Laboratory had men who were quite competent to judge the kind of work that MIT should take and do, and would be able to guide it, so that a contract was entered into.

We had certain consultations with MIT. The contract was made by the Planning Division, which is the scientific division of our organization.

Now, in making that contract, we brought in our Patents Division, the general counsel's office, and the Office of Production Management. This insured that the contract was of the type that the Navy should let, and embodied all the various elements that the law requires. The research work was gotten under way at MIT.

In the meantime, the Army expressed willingness to come in and assist in this contract because it also was of vital interest to them. So they provided certain funds which went into the contract, and as the reports flow out from this research work it goes to what we call our information center. It is then distributed to both the Army, to the Bureau of Aeronautics, and the Bureau of Ordnance, and Bureau of Ships.

We have made contracts throughout the United States with some forty-odd institutions that have already been signed, and some 60 more in the process of being negotiated.

This chart has been prepared. The black spots indicate those that have already been signed as of about 30 days ago, so that it is not quite up-to-date. But it shows a spread throughout the country of our research contracts.

This chart represents the organization we have been talking about. These are the personnel aboard on VJ-day, and these are the present complement. You will notice that the military personnel that were aboard on VJ-day and at present are gradually being replaced with civilian personnel.

I think that is all I have.

Secretary KENNEY. Mr. Chairman, I would like to read, if I may, a letter which we have received from Dr. Bush, commenting on our program. I think that it might be of interest. It is from the Office for Emergency Management, Office of Scientific Research and Development, dated March 26, 1946.

I appeared before the Bureau of the Budget yesterday in connection with the future program of OSRD, and certain matters poncerning the Office of Research and Inventious of the Navy Department came up which I thought you ought to know about. The reason they appeared was this. The Budget officials on reviewing my plans found all research in OSRD would cease on June 30. They were therefore concerned as to whether there would be an unreasonable gap in research programs on military matters and fundamental research relating to them because of this cessation. I therefore told them of the plans of your Office.

I told the officials of the Bureau of the Budget, as I have told you personally before, that I feel that your Office is performing a very useful and necessary service in furthering research at the present time along the lines in which you are engaged. Moreover, I feel that the job is being well done, the subjects well chosen, and the general effect decidedly salutary.

I believe that yours is the only Office at the present time which is carrying on fundamental research of this sort, in a comprehensive manner, except of course, for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in its special field. It is possible that a National Science Foundation will be set up by act of Congress and, in fact, as you know, I hope very much that this will be done. Should this be the case, I have no doubt whatever that the relationships and the allocation of responsibilities between your Office and the Division of the Science foundation concerned with military research could very readily be worked out.

I do not remember in detail just exactly what I told the Budget, but my conversation with them was in general along the above lines, and I am sure that they would be glad to have me let you know that it occurred.

The CHAIRMAN. As I understand it, Admiral Bowen, you do not get any direct appropriation now for research.

Admiral BoWEN. No, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. You have been getting your money to carry on this research by transfer of funds?

Admiral BowEN. That is correct, Senator.

The CHAIRMAN. And if this bill was enacted, you would be in a position to get a special appropriation?

Admiral BowEN. That is correct.

Secretary KENNEY. There is a provision in the present appropriation bill which has passed the House, appropriating certain funds to this Office.

The CHAIRMAN. There is?

Secretary KENNEY. That is correct, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. I think if one branch acts favorably upon a bill, it is possible without a point of order being raised, to incorporate an apropriation; that probably has been done.

(There was a discussion outside the record.)

The CHAIRMAN. Are there any other questions on this matter?
Secretary KENNEY. Pardon me, Senator, just a moment.

Admiral Connolly is here representing Admiral Nimitz, and he has a short statement with respect to this bill.

The CHAIRMAN. We will be glad to have it.

STATEMENT OF VICE ADM. RICHARD L. CONNOLLY, DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION

Admiral CONNOLLY. I merely wanted to present the view that the Chief of Naval Operations has a vital interest in research. He is responsible for the employment of the weapons and equipment that are the end products of research, development, and engineering, and for the results that are obtained at sea with those weapons and equipment.