3A34 as its first legislative responsibility, the extension of both of these acts in a single legislative proposal. The Department of Defense has today sent in these two bills, and I will introduce them today and hope that we can commence hearings on it next Monday morning. Next, Subcommittee No. 1, under the chairmanship of the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Brooks, and Subcommittee No. 2, under the chairmanship of the distinguished gentleman from Texas, Mr. Kilday, and Supcommittee No. 3, under the chairmanship of the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina, will have many important and responsible bills for prompt consideration. I have referred and asked Mr. Brooks to introduce the bill relating to the new reserve program. Mr. Kilday has been given and has introduced the bill with reference to increased pay. There will be referred many important bills as they come before. the committee to Subcommittee No. 3 for Mr. Durham's consideration. As rapidly as time will permit, the committee and its various subcommittees will consider legislation concerning medical care for military dependents, a military construction bill, a military housing bill, a shipbuilding bill, additional construction for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, and a great many other bills which are of major importance to the national defense. It is quite obvious that we are going to be extremely busy, and it will require the best efforts of all of us to consider all of these matters in a timely and intelligent manner. It is normal procedure, at the beginning of each new Congress, for the committee to be briefed on the overall military situation by appropriate representatives of the Department of Defense. In view of the present international situation, such a briefing is particularly pertinent at this time. In keeping with our practice, I have arranged to have the Secretary of Defense, Mr. Wilson, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Radford, appear before the committee tomorrow in open session, for the purpose of briefing the committee. It may be that security considerations will require some of the testimony to be taken in executive session. But it will be my policy to have as much of the testimony as possible, on this occasion and others, in open session. We must not forget that the people of this Nation are paying the bill. This is their country. We must inform them, to the maximum extent consistent with national security, of the status of their Government. Following the meeting with the Secretary of Defense and Admiral Radford on Wednesday, we will hold executive sessions on Thursday and Friday with the service secretaries, each of whom will be accompanied by the military chief of that particular service. These sessions must be executive since they will involve, to a very large extent, matters of the highest security classification. Now, members of the committee, in this regard I want to say a word of caution which I hope every member will keep. I refer to classified information. I hope no member at any time will impeach his own integrity and endanger the security of the Nation by improperly revealing classified information which is received in executive sessions. of the committee or any of its subcommittees. I realize that the members, from time to time, feel that certain security classifications have little logic to support them. This is particularly true when they receive classified information in executive sessions, and then see the same information, either before or after the hearing, published in the local newspapers or some magazine. But I want to point out that it is not the responsibility of the members of this committee either to classify or declassify military information. For my part, I will accept whatever classification the Defense Department or its agencies places upon any information given to the committee, without question. And that should be, in my judgment, the policy which should govern all members of this committee. Along with the honor of being chairman of this committee, and it is a great honor, there is a corresponding responsibility. As I face that responsibility, I am reminded of the record which this committee made in the 83d Congress, under the outstanding leadership of my friend and colleague, the distinguished gentleman from Missouri, Mr. Short. [Applause.] The committee in the 83d Congress and I measure every word that I utter made a truly magnificent record, and it was due in a very large measure to the outstanding leadership and human qualities. of the chairman, Mr. Short. I hope that in some degree I might approach that record because it was one in which every member could take pride. [Applause.] Mr. Now, the first matter for consideration is the consideration of Mr. SMART. Resolution No. 1: Resolved, That the Armed Services Committee of the House of Representatives be organized to consist of three subcommittees to be known as Subcommittee No. 1, Subcommittee No. 2, and Subcommittee No. 3. Subcommittees 1 and 2 shall be composed of 13 members, 7 to represent the majority to be designated by the chairman, and 6 to represent the minority to be designated by the ranking minority member. Subcommittee No. 3 shall consist of 12 members, 7 to represent the majority and 5 to represent the minority, as designated by the chairman and the ranking minority member, respectively. The chairman of the committee and the ranking minority member shall serve as ex officio members on each subcommittee and shall have the right to vote and participate in all proceedings of the subcommittees. The next ranking majority member of each subcommittee shall serve as the vice chairman of said subcommittee. The subcommittees shall consider only such bills as are referred to them by the chairman of the full committee. Subcommittees shall meet on the call of the subcommittee chairmen. The subcommittee chairmen and members of the respective standing committees shall be as follows And before each of the members is a list of the subcommittee assignments, and I think it would be repetitious for me to read them at this time, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. I agree with you. Each member can see what subcommittee he has been assigned to. If there is no objection on the part of any member of the committee, we will agree to Resolution No. 1. Resolution No. 1 is agreed to. Now read Resolution No. 2. Mr. SMART. Resolution No. 2, Election of Professional Staff: Resolved, That the following persons be and the same are hereby elected to the professional staff of the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, pursuant and subject to Public Law 601 (79th Cong.), and the rules with amendments thereto (84th Cong.), to fill the following positions, respectively, it being understood that according to the provisions of this law the chairman will fix the basic salary per annum: Robert W. Smart, chief counsel. The CHAIRMAN. Members of the committee, I know it is a pleasure on the part of each one of you to endorse Resolution No. 2. I think this committee is indeed fortunate in having such a well-qualified staff. I may say for the benefit of the new members that Mr. Smart and Mr. Blandford have been with us from the very beginning of the Armed Services Committee, and I think we have by far the most efficient and the most accommodating staff on the Hill. Without objection, Resolution No. 2 is agreed to. Resolution No. 3. Mr. SMART. Employment of Clerical Staff: Resolved, That the following persons be and the same are hereby elected to the clerical staff of the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, pursuant and subject to Public Law 601 (79th Cong.), and the rules with amendmends thereto (84th Cong.), to fill the following positions, respectively, it being understood that according to the provisions of this law the chairman will fix the basic salary per annum: Agnes H. Johnston, secretary Should be Agnes H. Schaeffer. She has now acquired a husband. Janice G. Angell, secretary. Patricia J. Burtner, secretary. Berniece Kalinowski, secretary. Oneta L. Stockstill, secretary, effective February 1, 1955. Mary Ellen Williams, secretary, effective for the period January 10 to 31, 1955, inclusive. The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, we agree to Resolution No. 3. And I want to say for the new members they can call on the staff and on the secretaries to help you with any of your problems in relation to your official duties as members of the committee. It is a very competent staff and I think we are following the right course to assure permanency as long as they are willing to serve us. Without objection, Resolution No. 3 is agreed to. Mr. SMART. Resolution No. 4, Adoption of Committee Rules: Resolved, That the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, adopt the following rules governing the procedure for the committee: 1. The Committee on Armed Services will meet every Tuesday at 10 a. m. and at such other times as may be fixed by the chairman or by the written request of a majority of the members of the committee. 2. A Tuesday meeting of the committee may be dispensed with by the chairman, but such action may be reversed by a written request of a majority of the members. 3. No general proxies may be used for any purpose. A member may vote by special proxy, which must be in writing, dated, signed by the member, and clearly identify the member to whom the proxy is given. The proxy must be filed with the chief counsel of the committee and must identify the particular bill or resolution and amendments thereto, motion, or other specific matter under consideration. A proxy may not be used for the purpose of establishing a quorum. A proxy may be used in subcommittee or in full committee. 4. No measure or reco nmendation shall be reported or tabled by the committee unless a majority of the committee is actually present. 5. A rollcall of the members may be had upon the request of three or more members. 6. The chairman shall have authority to refer all bills, resolutions, or other matters to any and all subcommittees or to the full committee. A subcommittee to which a bill, resolution, or other matter has been referred shall proceed with all possible diligence, if a majority of a quorum so directs, with appropriate inquiry and report its findings and recommendations to the full committee, but the chairman of the full committee shall have authority to discharge a subcommittee from consideration of any bill, resolution, or other matter referred thereto and have such measure or matter considered by the full committee. A majority vote of a quorum of a subcommittee will be required to report a bill, resolution, or other matter to the full committee or to table any such measure or matter in the subcommittee. 7. The chairman and the ranking minority member shall serve as ex officio members of all subcommittees and shall have the right to vote on all matters before the subcommittees. 8. Any member of the full committee may have the privilege of sitting with any subcommittee during its hearings or deliberations and participate therein but shall not have the authority to vote at such hearings or deliberations unless a member of such subcommittee. 9. Reports and recommendations of a subcommittee shall not be considered by the full committee until after the intervention of 3 calendar days from the time the report is submitted and printed hearings thereon are available to the members, except that this rule may be waived by a two-thirds vote of a quorum of the committee. 10. Bills will be taken up for hearing only when called by the chairman of the committee or subcommittee, or by a majority vote of a quorum of the committee or subcommittee. A majority of the committee or subcommittee shall constitute & quorum. 11. When a witness is before the committee, members of the committee may put questions to the witness only when they have been recognized by the chairman for that purpose. 12. Members of the committee will have not to exceed 10 minutes to question witnesses, except that this rule may be waived in the discretion of the chairman. 13. Questions put to witnesses before the committee shall be pertinent to the bill or other subject matter that may be before the committee for consideration. 14. The time any one member may address the committee on any bill, motion, or other matter under consideration by the committee will be limited to 10 minutes, and then only when he has been recognized by the chairman, except that this time limit may be waived in the discretion of the chairman. 15. No private bill will be reported by the committee if there are two or more dissenting votes. Private bills so rejected by the committee will not be reconsidered during the same Congress unless new evidence sufficient to justify a new hearing has been presented to the Congress. 16. Except as otherwise specified, the rules of the House will govern the procedure of the committee when it is in session. Now, Mr. Chairman, for the benefit of the members I would like to advise that I have had a new calendar printed reflecting all the bills so far referred and cataloged. It includes a breakdown of all of the committee organization which will be perfected this morning. Also, in it you will find a copy of the rules of the committee, on page 4, the same rules which I have read and which duplicate the rules which governed the committee in the last Congress. The CHAIRMAN. And the copy of the rules always appears in the calendar. Mr. SMART. That is correct. The CHAIRMAN. I may say to the members of the committee and the new members these are identically the same rules that prevailed in the 83d Congress. They are almost, without the dotting of the "i" and the crossing of the "t", the same rules since the organization of this committee some 8 years ago. Without objection, the rules are agreed to. Mr. SMART. The final resolution, Mr. Chairman, is No. 5, relative to investigating subcommittees: Resolved, That the House Committee on Armed Services shall have a special investigating subcommittee, the size and membership of which shall be determined by the chairman. The members chosen from the majority shall be selected by the chairman; and those from the minority shall be upon recommendation of the ranking minority member of the full committee; be it further Resolved, That the chairman is authorized to prepare and introduce appropriate resolutions in the House of Representatives for the accomplishment of this purpose; be it further Resolved, That upon obtaining appropriate authority from the House of Representatives, the chair nan of the full committee is authorized to designate a special counsel to direct and coordinate professional activities of the special investigating subcommittee; and that the chairman, the ranking minority member and the designated chairman of the special investigating subcommittee are authorized to select such additional staff personnel as may be required by the special investigating subcommittee, the salaries of each to be determined by the chairman of the full committee; be it further Resolved, That the authority of said subcommittee to conduct hearings and take testimony, authorized by resolution of the House, may be delegated by the chairman of the subcommittee to one member of the majority and one member of the minority of said subcommittee who shall constitute a quorum of the subcommittee at all times; be it further Reso ved, That should the need therefor be required, alternate members may be chosen in the same manner as permanent members, for a limited time or for a specific subject; be it further Resolved, That the chairman of the full committee, at such times and for such purposes as he may deem advisable in the interest of committee business, is authorized to appoint additional specific subcommittees for the purpose of investigating specific subjects and that such special subcommittees, when appointed by the chairman, shall have such rights, prerogatives, and authority as the chairman of the full committee shall deem advisable, including the authority set forth in eny House resolution authorizing the committee to investigate and the use of such funds that may be made available through House resolution in support of the committee's investigations. Mr. Chairman. that last paragraph, which is the conclusion of the resolution, represents the amendment offered by Mr. Cole last year and adopted by the committee. Otherwise, this resolution is identical to the resolution at the beginning of the last Congress. The CHAIRMAN. I am glad that you stated that, Mr. Smart, so the committee can understand that we are merely traveling down the identical highway that was blazed out last year, which was very efficient and accomplished a great deal of worthwhile work for the subcommittee. Without objection, Resolution No. 5 is agreed to. Mr. SMART. Mr. Chairman, item 7 on your agenda: I think at this time it would be appropriate to appoint the Real Estate Subcommittee. The CHAIRMAN. All right. Let's take that up, because that is a very important subcommittee. Mr. SMART. The chairman The CHAIRMAN. Now wait 1 minute. I want the committee to understand that under the rules it is the responsibility of the chairman, from the majority, to name the members that serve on the subcommittees, all the subcommittees. It is the responsibility of Mr. Short, the ranking member of the minority, to fill all appointments on the subcommittees from the minority. Now proceed. Mr. SMART. Pursuant to the authority contained in Resolution No. 5, just adopted by the committee, Mr. Vinson hereby constitutes a subcommittee to consider acquisitions and disposals of military real |