ARMY APPROPRIATION BILL HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS SIXTY-SIXTH CONGRESS. SECOND SESSION 179521 ON H. R. 13587 A BILL MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE Printed for the use of the Committee on Military Affairs WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1920 ARMY APPROPRIATION BILL. FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1920. UNITED STATES SENATE, Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to the call of the chairman, at 10.30 o'clock a. m., in the committee room, Capitol, Senator James W. Wadsworth, jr., presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will' come to order. We have before us the Army Appropriation Bill, H. R. 13587, as passed by the House of Representatives. We will commence our consideration of that bill this morning. Gen. Lord is here, and while there will be some matters touched upon in this bill which can not be definitely decided until the nature of the reorganization of the Army is decided, nevertheless there are a great many things in here that do not depend upon the Army reorganization bill and which we can go ahead with and consider. Senator CHAMBERLAIN. May I ask, are you going to confine the hearings to matters which the officers want in addition to what the House gave, because they had extensive hearings in the House? The CHAIRMAN. I believe they did have extensive hearings in the House, did they not, Gen. Lord? STATEMENT OF BRIG. GEN. H. M. LORD. Gen. LORD. Yes; we had extensive hearings in the House, and it is the proposal now to submit to the committee those parts of the bill in which the War Department asks an increase over what the House has appropriated. The CHAIRMAN. Did you intend to take up that class of items this morning, General? Gen. LORD. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Very well, I think we might have the General go ahead in his own way then. Gen. LORD. I should like in the beginning to make a general statement covering briefly the history of the bill that is now before the committee. In the original estimate submitted by the War Department, as it appears in the Book of Estimates, was a call for appropriations for the Army of 576,000 men, that being the strength covered in the proposed reorganization bill submitted to the Congress by the War Department. That estimate, as it appears in the Book of Estimates for this Army of 576,000 officers and men, totaled $982,800,020. When the hearings were finally held before 3 the House Committee on Military Affairs we were instructed by the Secretary of War to revise that estimate and submit figures for the maintenance of an Army of 299,000, the total strength authorized in the House reorganization bill. That amounted to $713,643,234.48. On request of the Committee on Military Affairs of the House there was also submitted in connection with this estimate an estimate for three additional strengths, an Army of 225,000, an Army of 200,000, and an Army of 175,000. The total estimate submitted for an Army of 225,000 amounted to $638,983,101.97; the total estimate for an Army of 200,000 was $607,271,458.81. The total estimate submitted for an Army of 175,000 men was $575,693,121.33. The House committee considered in its preparations the smallest estimate for size that is, an Army of 175,000-and the House appropriation is presumably based upon that strength, and in fact that statement was made in the report submitted by the chairman of the committee when the bill was introduced in the House. In coming before this committee the Secretary of War has instructed us to resubmit the estimate for an Army of 299,000. At this time we are prepared to submit estimates on certain constants, as we term them, which are not affected by any change in organization or by the strength of the Army. An analysis was made of these socalled constants, and also an analysis of certain extraordinary and quasi-military requirements, and that analysis showed that in the estimates submitted, which is practically a constant for this estimate, there will be required for cleaning up war work, and included in all of the estimates that we may submit, a total of $33,441,115.77; quasi-military requirements $15,479,701.67, making a total of extraordinary-that is, war work-and quasi-military requirements of $48.920,817.44. Senator WARREN. Those are not intended to be annual, but are to clean up something of the condition of things after the late war, or what? Gen. LORD. The $33,000,000 is purely an inheritance from the World War. Senator WARREN. Supposed to be only for the coming year? Gen. LORD. That is, if we succeed in closing it up this year it will require that much for the settlement of accounts and the payment of services, and that is purely a war inheritance. Senator WARREN. What about the $15,000,000? Gen. LORD. That is more or less permanent, not connected with the World War. A good illustration of that is $140,000 for the Washington-Alaska military cable and telegraph system. It is used more for civilian purposes than military. Senator WARREN. That is pretty nearly self-sustaining, is it not? Gen. LORD. It is fully self-sustaining. Senator WARREN. The proceeds go into the Treasury; then you appropriate out again? Gen. LORD. Yes. Senator WARREN. Those matters are calculated to avoid entirely deficiencies, are they; you are figuring to cover the expense of the Army so you would not call, at least for anything that is in sight, on the Appropriations Committee for deficiencies? Gen. LORD. Yes, sir. Senator WARREN. I thank you. Senator CHAMBERLAIN. You have given one illustration. Give another illustration, please. I just want to see, in a general way, what that $15,000,000 covers. Gen. LORD. For war work, we are estimating as a war inheritance $16,196,360 for the Transportation Service, settlement of accounts in connection with troops overseas. A typical example of a quasi-military expenditure is the estimate of $100,000 for Alaska roads, bridges, and trails. Senator WARREN. I was about to ask if there were still settlements open with foreign countries. Gen. LORD. We have some amounts still due the British Government for transportation, but we are well cleaned up. Senator HITCHCOCK. These are not matters to be incurred, but expenditures for things that are already obligated? Gen. LORD. Already obligated; yes, sir. And certain expenditures that will be incurred in bringing back supplies which belong to us, and personnel. Senator CHAMBERLAIN. Your indebtedness or engagements to the Navy Department are matters of bookkeeping largely, are they not? Gen. LORD. No, sir; actual expenditures. We make reimbursement for amounts expended. They have paid certain expenses out of their appropriations. Senator CHAMBERLAIN. The reason I asked that is the Shipping Board had one claim against the Navy Department for something like $150,000,000, but I think they are arranging not to make an additional appropriation, but simply to make it a matter of bookkeeping. Gen. LORD. The day before yesterday we transferred $25,000,000 to the Navy Department to reimburse its appropriation, beca Navy expended its money for our purposes and we have made this advance so that it can have the use of the money until settlement is effected with the War Department. Senator HITCHCOCK. Here is one item I noticed, Clothing and Camp and Garrison Equipage, $5,600,000. Is that in payment of debts? Gen. LORD. In which paragraph? Senator HITCHCOCK. That is under this $33,000,000 clearing up war work. Gen. LORD. That is for furnishing a suit of clothing to every man going out of the service as provided by law. Another good illustration of money needed for cleaning up war work is the $5,000,000 for Port Inland and Port Storage and Shipping Facilities. That is for storage and care of the immense quantities of war property we have. Senator CHAMBERLAIN. Perishable property? Gen. LORD. Not necessarily perishable property, but all surplus property that has to be stored and cared for. Senator CHAMBERLAIN. Is it property in the course of disposition? Gen. LORD. Disposition or use, including our subsistence supplies and supplies belonging to all bureaus of the War Department, a large portion of which will be declared surplus and sold. Senator CHAMBERLAIN. As you make sales do you cover the pro ceeds into the Treasury or use it as a revolving fund? Gen. LORD. The proceeds under the law revert to the Treasury. |