Captain REBER. Yes; they are, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Does any other member of the committee now desire to ask any questions of General Schley? If not, the members of the committee will please keep in mind that these hearings were arranged after the committee approved them tentatively, and we have followed not arbitrarily but generally the regions of the country and we followed substantially the order that was used by the committee 2 years ago. We do not jump from New England to California, or from Georgia to Oregon.

It happens that one of the first reports we received, after the passage of the act of 1938, was the Massachusetts local protective projects at North Adams and Mount Holyoke. So when the committee approved the hearings, they left to the chairman, of course, the arrangement, and we followed exactly the arrangement that was made, Mr. Curtis, 2 years ago, with some few modifications. After going into it, we commence in New England and go down along the Atlantic seaboard into Ohio, Mississippi, and to the West and Northwest. So we have tried to oblige the different regions by taking them up in their general order.

Mr. ALLEN. And if any witnesses desire to appear from my section, they would come under No. 11 on your list; is that right— "Mississippi and other tributaries"?

The CHAIRMAN. Unless they wanted to come along on the Red River.

Mr. ALLEN. I do not see the Red mentioned specifically above there.

The CHAIRMAN. If it is mentioned, you would come in there. do not believe we have any additional projects mentioned on the Red; that is the reason it was not listed; we just mentioned those rivers on which additional projects were reported; then we have No. 13

Mr. ALLEN. As a catch-all?

The CHAIRMAN. That is a catch-all, that is right, so as to get everybody.

Mr. ALLEN. That may be unlucky, though-that No. 13. [Laughter.]

The CHAIRMAN. Now, I would like to say this: Mr. Curtis has referred to a very practical difficulty and others have referred to it, that is, it is going to be difficult to abide by this list, as the very last day that we have a hearing, whether it be on the13th or the 14th, why, some of our colleagues are going to come in and say "Now, I am expecting a report day after tomorrow" or "just in about 10 days." But there has to be a limit and these hearings will be confined, in accordance with the order of the committee and in accordance with the announcement, to the projects on which the Chief of Engineers has submitted reports, together with any modifications or amendments of existing law that the members of the committee want to bring up before we undertake to formulate the bill. But please keep in mind that our hope in securing the passage of a bill depends very largely, among other things, on the amount of the authorization.

Now, we have with us this morning General Robins, Assistant Chief of Engineers. General Robins, I would like to ask you just a question or two and then let you make any general statement you care to make. Your name, please, for the record?

STATEMENT OF BRIG. GEN. THOMAS M. ROBINS, ASSISTANT CHIEF OF ENGINEERS

General ROBINS. Thomas M. Robins.

The CHAIRMAN. And your official position?

General ROBINS. Brigadier General, Assistant Chief of Engineers. The CHAIRMAN. And how long have you been Assistant Chief of Engineers?

General ROBINS. About 6 months, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And prior to being Assistant Chief of Engineers, what positions did you occupy-for the record?

General ROBINS. Immediately prior to that, for one year I was in command of the post of Fort Belvoir, Va. Prior to that, I was for 8 years division engineer of the Pacific coast.

The CHAIRMAN. The Corps of Engineers is headed up, of course, by the Chief of Engineers; then there are assistants to him?

General ROBINS. He has two assistants-two brigadier generals. The CHAIRMAN. For the record, give the name of the other assistant.

General ROBINS. Brig. Gen. John J. Kingman is the other assistant. The CHAIRMAN. And then there is in Washington a Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors that reviews these reports that come in?

General ROBINS. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. First from the district engineer to the division engineer, then from the division engineer to the Chief of Engineers, and then, before they are submitted by the Chief of Engineers, they are reviewed by the Board?

General ROBINS. That is right, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And how many members compose that Board? General ROBINS. There are seven members of the Board.

The CHAIRMAN. And what, generally, is your connection with the Board?

General ROBINS. I am the chairman and the senior member of the Board of Engineers.

The CHAIRMAN. Is General Kingman a member of that Board? General ROBINS. Not at the present time.

The CHAIRMAN. He was your predecessor?

General ROBINS. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. Generally, have you any statement or is there anything that occurs to you on the general situation that has not been covered by General Schley?

General SCHLEY. I would like to suggest that General Robins give you the positions held by those members of that Board besides himself.

The CHAIRMAN. I would be glad for you to do that for the record. General ROBINS. The other members of the Board are: First, in the office in Washington there is what we call the resident member of the Board, who stays here at all times. That position is held by Col. Raymond A. Wheeler. The other members of the Board are all division engineers-the division engineer of the Great Lakes Division, the division engineer of the North Atlantic Division, the division engineer of the South Atlantic Division, the division engineer of the Ohio River Division, and the division engineer of the Upper Mississippi Valley Division. We have on that Board a division.

engineer from practically every section of the country, which greatly facilitates the review of all those reports.

The CHAIRMAN. And how often does that Board sit?

General ROBINS. It sits once a month regularly and sometimes in between.

The CHAIRMAN. And you have the necessary staff that work all the while?

General ROBINS. We have a staff that works all the year around. We handle a great many reports, as you all know.

I have no other general statement.

The CHAIRMAN. I may say to the members of the committee that General Robins, like General Schley, will be glad to give us any information from time to time during our meetings.

We also have with us this morning Captain Reber. For the record, Captain Reber, will you give your official designation and your name? Captain REBER. Miles Reber, captain, Corps of Engineers; Assistant Chief, River and Harbor Section, Office of the Chief of Engineers.

The CHAIRMAN. Captain Reber will be here for whatever assistance he may render to the committee, which is always valuable. Now, who is the other gentleman with you?

Captain HARDIN. Capt. John R. Hardin, Chief, River and Harbor Section, Office of the Chief of Engineers.

The CHAIRMAN. Is there any other member of your staff who is here this morning?

General SCHLEY. That is all. Captain Reber was with the Ohio River Division before he came here: Captain Hardin was with the Fort Peck project before he came here.

The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen, we have covered the situation generally. It is almost time for the House to convene. We are mighty glad to have had your general statemen here this morning. General Schley and his office force will be at our command. We are going to meet tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock-and that means 10-to take up the sponsors of the projects mentioned for that time.

With the consent of the committee, a former member of the committee is here today with a friend or two and he would like, if we get through with the hearings-they come first, and he understands that, and our good friend from Kansas would like, after they have concluded, for us to hear briefly Colonel Sturtevant.

Mr. CARLSON of Kansas. Colonel Sturtevant is present and would like very much to appear tomorrow afternoon. if convenient.

The CHAIRMAN. We will do our best to oblige you. But let it be understood that the sponsors whose names have been furnished to the clerk of the committee will be heard first and we are going to vary the procedure somewhat from that which obtained 2 years ago. We will first hear from the sponsors and then the representatives of the Corps of Engineers.

Now, gentlemen, if there be nothing further by any member of the committee, the committee stands adjourned until tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock.

(The committee thereupon adjourned until tomorrow, Tuesday, March 19, 1940, at 10 a. m.)

NEW ENGLAND, NEW YORK, AND ATLANTIC SEABOARD

FLOOD-CONTROL PROJECTS

TUESDAY, MARCH 19, 1940

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON FLOOD CONTROL,
Washington, D. C.

The committee met at 10:20 a. m., pursuant to notice, for consideration of New England, New York, and Atlantic seaboard projects, and pending bills thereon, Hon. Will M. Whittington, chairman, presiding.

The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. The schedules of hearings for today provide for the hearing of the sponsors and representatives of the projects in New England, New York, and on the Atlantic seaboard on which reports have been submitted or on which bills are pending. Those projects, as I understand it, include a project for protection works on the Connecticut River at East Hartford. Mr. Treadway and Mr. Clason, is that in your district?

Mr. TREADWAY. No, that is in Connecticut, but the same project goes up to Holyoke.

The CHAIRMAN. The East Hartford project is Mr. Miller's project? Mr. CLASON. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, then, the next project in the order in which they come is the Lake Champlain Basin project and that is at Adams and North Adams in Massachusetts, and Hoosic Falls, N. Y., and Bennington, Vt.

Mr. TREADWAY. I represent the Massachusetts part of that project, Mr. Chairman. It goes into New York and into Vermont also.

The CHAIRMAN. Is there a Representative or Senator here for Hoosic Falls in New York or the Bennington, Vt., part of the project? Mr. TREADWAY. Mr. Chairman, Representative Plumley was to be here, and he said he would be here, and I have also tried to contact Congressman Cluett, but I have not been able to do so. I am not sure whether he is out of town, but they are both interested.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Plumley is interested in that part of it at Bennington, Vt., and Mr. Cluett is interested in that part of it at Hoosic Falls, N. Y., and you are interested in that part of it at Adams and North Adams, Mass.?

Mr. TREADWAY. Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman.

Mr CLASON. That also goes up to Hartford, East Hartford, and Holyoke, and covers my district at Springfield and West Springfield. East Hartford is one of the seven cities and towns involved.

The CHAIRMAN. So that you, Mr. Treadway and Mr. Miller are interested in the East Hartford project?

Mr. CLASON. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. I think, as a matter of fact, that what you have in mind really is the third item in the New England area, and that is increased in the appropriation to $11,000,000. I have not gotten to that.

Now, Senator Lodge, if you would like to make a statement at this time, we shall be glad to hear you.

STATEMENT OF HON. HENRY CABOT LODGE, JR., A UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS

Senator LODGE. I appreciate the opportunity to express myself in this way out of order, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Senators know how to speak and say what they have in mind.

Senator LODGE. We are always on tap.

I want particularly to direct your attention, Mr. Chairman, and gentlemen of the committee, to the Hoosic River project, particularly as it affects the city of North Adams. That has been approved by the engineers. It is very important, I think, that authorization for the work as recommended by the engineers be granted as quickly as possible. I believe the representatives of the city government here will expatiate upon that. It is also true that the city faces a serious menace if there should be another flood and these works are not completed.

The second project to which I should like to direct your attention in particular is protective works for the lower section of the city of Holyoke. That is included in the report by the engineers of the Connecticut River Basin, and there is a great deal of alarm, and I think justifiably so in Holyoke, that if these protective works are not constructed the city will be very seriously imperiled should there be another flood.

The third project to which I would like to direct your attention. is also in the Connecticut River Basin report as it relates to West Springfield. When we had a flood in 1936 I should say that most of West Springfield was under water, and this, too, would be a very urgent matter should there be a flood, and I hope that the committee will give that very special attention.

The CHAIRMAN. We are glad to have your statement, and would be glad to have you stay with us as long as you can.

Senator LODGE. I would like to stay with you, Mr. Chairman, but I have another meeting which I must attend.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Treadway, if you will, make a statement calling attention to the projects in which you are particularly interested, those covered by the favorable report just in a word. I am not indicating that I do not want you to go along and make a statement, but to come back later for your general statement.

Mr. TREADWAY. The Senator has covered two of the three projects that I am specially interested in, and both are in my district. The Hoosic River is, as you know, Mr. Chairman, different from the rest of New England, in that it flows into the Hudson River, whereas, all of the other area in New England, especially Connecticut and that section, is under the Providence office, and the drainage flows into Long Island Sound. So that we have two distinct propositions