STATEMENT SUBMITTED TO THE SPECIAL JOINT COMMITTEE OF CONGRESS ON PACIFIC COAST NAVAL BASES SIXTY-SIXTH CONGRESS THIRD SESSION RELATIVE TO MONTEREY, CALIF., AS A POSSIBLE 25637 Printed for use of the Special Joint Committee WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE SPECIAL JOINT COMMITTEE. [Appointed pursuant to a provision in the naval appropriation act approved June 4, 1920.] MONTEREY, CALIF., AS A NAVAL BASE SITE. The Special Joint Committee of Congress on Pacific Coast Naval Bases visited Monterey, Calif., and its environs on November 21 and 22, 1920, and gave consideration to its possible usefulness as a naval base site, pursuant to the suggestion of the Secretary of the Navy contained in the following letter addressed by him to the chairman of the Committees on Naval Affairs of both the Senate and the House of Representatives: WASHINGTON, June 15, 1920. MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Last year it was my pleasure as well as my duty, in company with a commission of able naval officers, to make some study of the naval sites on the Pacific, both those in operation and those that will be needed for the proper care of the increasing Pacific Fleet. The Congress postponed the consideration of the enlargements needed on the Pacific and named a committee of Senators and Representatives to visit the coast and in person make an examination and very thorough study. I am confident that when they have done so they will agree with me that the paramount duty of the next Congress will be to make the largest provision for bases on the Pacific, and in order to do this I am calling your attention to a visit I made with Admiral McKean and others to Monterey. After visiting that place I was favorably impressed with it, and directed Admiral Jayne, commandant of that naval district, to visit Monterey with a civil engineer and make a thorough study of it. His study and recommendations will be furnished you, and I trust that your committee will visit Monterey personally and examine the advantages and opportunities offered there. Sincerely, yours, JOSEPHUS DANIELS. The Monterey Chamber of Commerce has submitted to the committee the following communication and statement concerning the advantages of Monterey from a naval viewpoint: MONTEREY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, From: Monterey Chamber of Commerce. To: Hon. Lewis Heisle Ball, United States Senator, chairman congressional Commission on Naval Bases, Washington, D. C. Subject: Proposed establishment of naval base, Monterey, Calif. Find herewith copy of the presentation of the claims of central California for an auxiliary Navy base for submarines, destroyers, and mine sweepers, together with marine railways, seaplane hangars, and aeroplane fields, to be used at Monterey, Calif., as presented by Hon. Arthur E. Free, at the hearing held by the honorable congressional Commission on Naval Bases, at Monterey, on November 21 and 22, 1920. A supplementary report, in the form of a transcript of the hearing held at Monterey, Calif., November 12, 1920, by the officer in charge of United States Army engineers, respecting the commercial necessity of central California for the construction of a breakwater and the improvement of Monterey Harbor facilities, will go forward as soon as copies may be obtained, all of which are hereby respectfully submitted for your consideration. Yours, very truly, 25637-20 MONTEREY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, By J. P. PRYOR, President. 3 |