Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

717694

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

CLARENCE CANNON, Missouri, Chairman

CLIFTON A. WOODRUM, Virginia
LOUIS LUDLOW, Indiana
MALCOLM C. TARVER, Georgia
JED JOHNSON, Oklahoma

J. BUELL SNYDER, Pennsylvania
EMMET O'NEAL, Kentucky
GEORGE W. JOHNSON, West Virginia
JAMES G. SCRUGHAM, Nevada
JAMES M. FITZPATRICK, New York
LOUIS C. RABAUT, Michigan
DAVID D. TERRY, Arkansas
JOHN M. HOUSTON, Kansas
JOE STARNES, Alabama

ROSS A. COLLINS, Mississippi
CHARLES H. LEAVY, Washington
JOSEPH E. CASEY, Massachusetts
JOHN H. KERR, North Carolina
GEORGE H. MAHON, Texas
HARRY R. SHEPPARD, California
BUTLER B. HARE, South Carolina
HARRY P. BEAM, Illinois

ALBERT THOMAS, Texas

VINCENT F. HARRINGTON, Iowa
JOE HENDRICKS, Florida

JOHN TABER, New York

RICHARD B. WIGGLESWORTH, Massachus
WILLIAM P. LAMBERTSON, Kansas
D. LANE POWERS, New Jersey
J. WILLIAM DITTER, Pennsylvania
ALBERT E. CARTER, California
ROBERT F. RICH, Pennsylvania
CHARLES A. PLUMLEY, Vermont
EVERETT M. DIRKSEN, Illinois
ALBERT J. ENGEL, Michigan
KARL STEFAN, Nebraska

FRANCIS H. CASE, South Dakota
FRANK B. KEEFE, Wisconsin
NOBLE J. JOHNSON, Indiana
ROBERT F. JONES, Ohio

[blocks in formation]

INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL-1943

HEARINGS CONDUCTED BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IN CHARGE OF THE INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1943; NAMELY, CLIFTON A. WOODRUM (CHAIRMAN), JAMES M. FITZPATRICK, JOHN M. HOUSTON, JOE STARNES, JOE HENDRICKS, RICHARD B. WIGGLESWORTH, EVERETT M. DIRKSEN, AND FRANCIS H. CASE, ON THE DAYS FOLLOWING, NAMELY:

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1941.

AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION

STATEMENT OF JAMES E. MANGUM, ACTING SECRETARY, ACCOMPANIED BY HARVEY E. CONWAY, CHIEF CLERK

SALARIES AND EXPENSES

Mr. WOODRUM. We will take up first this morning the appropriation for the American Battle Monuments Commission:

For all expenses necessary for the work of the American Battle Monuments Commission authorized by the Act of March 4, 1923 (36 U. S. C. 121-138), and by Executive Order Numbered 6614 of February 26, 1934, including the acquisition of land or interest in land in foreign countries for carrying out the purposes of said Act and Executive order without submission to the Attorney General of the United States under the provisions of section 355 of the Revised Statutes (34 U. S. C. 520; 40 U. S. C. 255); employment of personal services in the District of Columbia and elsewhere; including not to exceed $3,000 for allowances for living quarters, including heat, fuel, and light, as authorized by the Act approved June 26, 1930 (5 U. S. C. 118a); purchase and repair of uniforms for caretakers of national cemeteries and monuments in Europe at a cost not exceeding $500; travel expenses; rent of office and garage space in foreign countries which may be paid for in advance; the maintenance, repair, and operation of motor-propelled passenger-carrying vehicles which may be furnished to the Commission by other departments of the Government or acquired by purchase; printing, binding, engraving, lithographing, photographing, and typewriting, including the publication of information concerning the American activities, battlefields, memorials, and cemeteries in Europe; transfer of household goods and effects as provided by the Act of October 10, 1940, and regulations promulgated thereunder, and, when ordered or approved by the Commission, expenses of travel of dependents of employees when transferred from one official tation to another; and the temporary transfer of employees by the Commission between places in foreign countries or between foreign countries and the United States, including transfers incident thereto, or, in the case of new appointments, transfer from place of appointment, may, if ordered or approved by the Commission, be regarded as a transfer from one official station to another for permanent duty for the purpose of authorizing the payment of travel of dependents and for the purposes of said Act of October 10, 1940, and regulations promulgated thereunder; and the purchase of maps, textbooks, newspapers and periodicals; $50,000: Provided, That notwithstanding the requirements of existing laws or regulations,

1

and under such terms and conditions as the Commission may in its discretio deem necessary and proper, the Commission may contract for work, supplie materials, and equipment in Europe and engage, by contract or otherwise, th services of architects, firms of architects, and other technical and profession personnel: Provided further, That when traveling on business of the Commissio officers of the Army serving as members or as secretary of the Commission ma be reimbursed for expenses as provided for civilian members of the Commission And provided further, That the Commission may delegate to its chairma secretary, or officials in charge of either its Washington or Paris offices, und such terms and conditions as it may prescribe, such of its authority as it ma deem necessary and proper.

DATA ON APPROPRIATIONS FISCAL YEARS 1941 AND 1942

Mr. MANGUM. I offer the following justifications for the record:

TABLE 1.—Information regarding appropriations for fiscal years 1941 and 1942

[blocks in formation]

TABLE 2.-Statement of transfers between appropriations during fiscal year 19. No transfers were made during the year.

TABLE 3.-Information regarding appropriations for fiscal year 1942

[blocks in formation]

TABLE 4.—Allotments from emergency funds, available during 1942

The American Battle Monuments Commission has received no allotmer from emergency funds.

JUSTIFICATION OF ESTIMATE

Now, Mr. Chairman, I have here a letter from General Pershing, the chairman of the Commission, to the chairman of your committee. With your permission, I should like to read and place it in the record. Mr. WOODRUM. All right, sir.

Mr. MANGUM (reading):

THE AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION,
Washington, December 1, 1941.

The Honorable CLARENCE CANNON,

Chairman, Committee on Appropriations,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. CANNON: In accordance with request from your office, there is given below information regarding the work of the American Battle Monuments Commission and its estimate of appropriations for the fiscal year 1943.

The proposed appropriation is for the following purposes:

1. Maintenance and general administration of national cemeteries and memorials as follows:

(a) Eight cemeteries containing the graves of 30,907 American dead who gave their lives during the World War. The names of these cemeteries, their locations, and the number of burials in each, are as follows: Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, near Romagne, France_ Oise-Aisne American Cemetery, near Fère-en-Tardenois, FranceSt. Mihiel American Cemetery, near Thiaucourt, France.. Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, near Belleau, France. Somme American Cemetery, near Bony, France...

Suresnes American Cemetery, at Suresnes, near Paris, France.
Brookwood American Cemetery, at Brookwood, England-
Flanders Field American Cemetery, near Waereghem, Belgium.

Total....

(b) A memorial chapel in each of the above cemeteries.

14, 242

6, 012

4, 152

2, 288

1, 836

1, 541

468

368

30, 907

(c) Twelve memorials outside the cemeteries located as follows: Montfaucon, France; Montsec, France; near Château-Thierry, France; Brest, France; Tours, France; near Bellicourt, France; near Sommepy, France; Audenarde, Belgium; Dear Ypres, Belgium; Cantigny, France; near Belleau, France; and Gibraltar, Gibraltar.

(d) Two memorial tablets, one at Chaumont, France, and the other at Souilly, France.

2. Carrying on the general administrative work of the Commission.

As was explained briefly to your committee in June, it became necessary for the Commission last summer to order all of its American personnel in France and Belgium to return to the United States. I think it would perhaps be of interest to your committee to know the background regarding the withdrawal of this personnel, and so I am enclosing copies of self-explanatory correspondence on the subject.

Prior to the departure of our American personnel for the United States in July, General T. Bentley Mott, officer in charge of our Paris office, acting under my instructions, arranged with General Vincensini, head of the French Service which is in charge of French military cemeteries, so that our American cemeteries and memorials in France would be cared for under General Vincensini's supervision until it was possible for our regular organization to return to France. It was understood that insofar as practicable our non-American personnel who had long been employed by the Commission and who were familiar with its work, would continue to be employed on this work.

Because of the unusual and unstable conditions in France it was not possible, of course, to determine with any degree of certainty what it would cost to maintain the cemeteries and memorials for the ensuing year. However, based on existing eonditions, it was estimated that approximately $30,000 would be required for minimum fixed operating expenses. In making this estimate, consideration was given to the fact that certain maintenance operations which are ordinarily carried on during peacetimes, and which are desirable from the standpoint of long-term economy, would have to be curtailed or postponed because of the lack of various *pplies and materials and the shortage of labor and transportation facilities.

A similar arrangement was made with the Belgian Ministry of the Interior for the care of our cemetery and memorials in Belgium at an estimated cost of approximately $2,000.

It is contemplated that General Mott will return to France as soon as cir cumstances permit in order to give as close personal supervision to our work a may be practicable.

The amount appropriated for the Commission's work for the fiscal year 1942 was $134,250 and the amount approved by the Budget for the fiscal year 1943 is $50,000. It is apparent that this amount was intended to provide only for the minimum fixed operating and administrative expenses of the Commission under the conditions indicated above; and it is contemplated, of course, that wheneve conditions become such that our American personnel can return to their station in France and Belgium, additional estimates will be submitted.

While the amount of the proposed appropriation has been drastically reduced the language remains substantially as it has been for many years past except fo the provision regarding travel expenses of employees and their dependents wher transferred from one official station to another. This language has been clari fied so as to remove any doubt that our employees and their families who were withdrawn from Europe can be returned at Government expense even though these employees have in the meantime been separated from the rolls of the Com mission in order to accept other positions for the period of the emergency. Tables giving certain data requested by your committee are enclosed.

I have directed Mr. James E. Mangum, acting secretary of the Commission to appear before your committee to answer any questions and to give any further information that you may desire in connection with our work or estimates. With kind regards, I am.

Sincerely yours,

JOHN J. PERSHING, Chairman.

CORRESPONDENCE IN RE WITHDRAWAL OF FIELD PERSONNEL

The correspondence regarding the withdrawal of our personnel is not very long. I do not know whether you would like me to read that.

Mr. WOODRUM. It is not necessary to read it, but it may be incorporated in the record.

(The correspondence referred to is as follows:)

The honorable the SECRETARY OF STATE,

Washington, D. C.

MARCH 24, 1941.

MY DEAR MR. SECRETARY: Reference is made to your letter of January 17 1941 (file U-L 123 Hurteau, Lucien H./89), in which you request my views with respect to a recommendation made by Mr. Maynard B. Barnes, in charge of the Paris offices of the American Embassy, that the staff of the American Battle Monuments Commission in Paris be drastically reduced and that our American field personnel be withdrawn with a view to returning them to the United States. I have given most careful consideration to this entire subject, including the views of Mr. Barnes and Major Holle, and am of the opinion, after taking into account the various aspects of the question, that the Commission would be unjustified in taking the action recommended by Mr. Barnes at this time.

As you know, the Commission is charged by law with responsibility for the care of our national cemeteries and memorials in Europe. In France these include 6 cemeteries, containing the graves of more than 30,000 of our World War dead, a memorial chapel in each of the cemeteries, and 8 monuments outside the cemeteries. The Commission's duties, particularly with respect to the cemeteries, constitute a responsibility of great trust and honor, and I feel it incumbent upon us to continue to carry out these duties under the direct supervision of our established organization unless circumstances of a most compelling nature should make this impracticable.

I am not unmindful, of course, that conditions in occupied France at the present time entail a number of inconveniences and hardships for our personnel. It does not follow, however, that the return of our American employees to the United States would be to their interest. In fact, it is believed that most, if not all, of these employees would prefer to remain at their posts of duty. In this connection

« AnteriorContinuar »