through the Carquinez Straits this last year. This includes the Monticello Steamship Co's line and other similar shipping, but does not include any shipping which passed beyond Carquinez Straits, that is, going to Sacramento or Stockton.

Again, from information obtained from various sources, the estimated merchant tonnage for 1919 and 1920 is as follows: Deep sea tonnage of ships drawing more than 20 feet, for 1919, 1,817,062 tons; for the first 10 months of this year, 1920, deep-sea tonnage for ships drawing more than 20 feet and going through Carquinez Straits, 1,544,670 tons. I mention that to make it evident that this development of Carquinez Straits and this dredging has been done for the purpose of commerce and not for the navy yard.

Mr. BRITTEN. May I interrupt you right there, Capt. Beach? I would like to ask you a few questions. That calculation would indicate that these ships averaged 600 tons apiece. What percentage of them were smaller than 600 tons?

Capt. BEACH. I said here that the Army engineers' report included everything. What I have given, this last report, is evidently ships of more than 600 tons, because a 600-ton ship does not draw 20 feet of water.

Mr. BRITTEN. But there may be only one ship drawing 20 feet, and the balance of them may be rowboats.

Capt. BEACH. Perhaps they are, but a rowboat does not draw 20 feet. I have heard of yachts.

Mr. BRITTEN. Can you tell the committee approximately how many of these 10,000 ships average less than 600 tons?

Capt. BEACH. No, I can not. This is simply a report that was taken from the Army engineers report. I am not laying any stress on it. I am laying stress on the latter part of my report, which I dug out myself from the various films that had ships in Carquinez Straits that drew more than 20 feet. In 1919, there were deep-sea ships that brought 1,817,062 tons of freight through Carquinez Straits.

Mr. BRITTEN. How many ships?

Capt. BEACH. I don't know.

Mr. BRITTEN. Of course you realize that that would be a very important feature.

Capt. BEACH. Yes, sir. If I had thought of this before, I would have got it out for you, Mr. Britten. But I didn't think of it until yesterday afternoon, and really didn't get the finish of it until this morning. But I think that is an important thing, to know all the shipping that went through the Carquinez Straits.

Mr. BRITTEN. In volume of tonnage, I agree with you that is a very important item, and it would also be very important and equally necessary to know the number of ships and probably their character. Capt. BEACH. Yes. Well, we could get extended information on that; but I didn't have time after I got that to do yesterday, and these firms that gave me this, the oil companies and the sugar refineries and others had to work pretty fast to let me have what they did.

Senator BALL. I suggest that we go on and let Capt. Beach finish the statement, and then ask him questions afterwards.

Mr. CURRY. We can get that information. Of course, the ships docking at the California-Hawaiian Sugar Refinery across the Pacific, coming from the Sandwich Islands, and the ships carrying the flour

from the Sperry Flour Mills, and the manufactures products from the manufacturing industries along the Contra Costa coast, are included in that, and they are all deep-water ships, and the deep-water ships average from 18 to 29 feet draught. We have a few deep-water ships on the Pacific that go from 30 to 35-few of them go 35; most of them average from 18 to 26 feet.

Capt. BEACH. May I proceed, Senator Ball?

Mr. BRITTEN. Capt. Beach, I merely interrupted you because you had interrupted yourself, and I thought you might have that information.

Capt. BEACH. Yes. But, as I say, I got this hurriedly, Mr. Britten, and I wish I could have gotten all of it and had it in better shape for

you.

The only criticism_expressed in this report of the Parks-McKean Board against Mare Island's availability as the naval base is based upon the assumed lack of the requisite depth in channel approach. It recommends that this channel be deemed as suitable for ships not drawing more than 26 feet, and states that further expenditure of dredging, etc., is not justified. This report is not justified by conditions of to-day, because the channel now practically averages 35 feet at low water, and 41 feet at high water. A ship drawing more than 32 feet has been repeatedly through this channel without any inconvenience or trouble, and this criticism of Mare Island is not founded on the conditions that exist to-day. It is founded on conditions that existed in 1916, and which no longer hold. And, further, it is again accentuated that this depth at low water of practically 35 feet, is maintained for the purposes of commerce, toward which the Navy Department has never been asked to spend one cent.

It is my belief that the Carquinez Straits station, with but comparatively little increased facilities, will provide every requisite. deemed necessary for the fleet.

I now desire to call the attention of the commission to certain features in connection with the Mare Island Navy Yard, which I believe are well worthy of consideration. We have at Mare Island a great navy yard. As a matter of fact, frankly, it is the greatest naval yard and naval base that the Government possesses to-day. It ranks actually second to New York in number of employees and in value of output, but to count out certain industries located at the New York Navy Yard, such as the clothing factory, etc., it will probably be found that Mare Island ranks first. The Government has an investment here of book value in excess of $32,000,000. Its replacement value at present prices of labor and material would be many millions in excess of this. There is no part that is not working. The amount paid in wages between July 1, 1919, and July 1, 1920, the last fiscal year, was upward of $18,000,000. The amount of materials and supplies furnished by Mare Island to shops and ships was upward of $42,000,000. The total business of the yard in dollars was $60,000,000. This enormous amount_means that $1 out of every $15 spent by the Navy Department at all naval stations on vessels of the Navy, at all training stations, at all private plants where navy-yard work is going on, in every bureau and in every department and all activities under them, was spent at Mare Island. In 1910 we thought we had a great Navy. That was the year after the fleet came back from its cruise around the world.

We had then, battleships, navy yards, and the same naval establishments, practically, that we have to-day, and the total expenses for all these was $137,000,000. In other words, 10 years later the amount spent at Mare Island alone was nearly one-half of the total amount spent upon the entire Navy 10 years previously. In 1916 the Helm Board stated that the navy yard must be prepared to do four times as much work as it was doing in 1916, and for this many additional facilities would be required, and these additional facilities made the construction of a great naval base necessary. Mare Island Navy Yard three years later without these additional facilities did four times as much work as was done in 1916. This certainly should be strong evidence of Mare Island's abilities.

Further, in this connection, attention is called to the appended blue prints made up at Mare Island from official Government reports, showing Mare Island to be the most efficient and economical navy yard the Government has under its orders to-day; that the Government gets more for a dollar spent at Mare Island than at any other navy yard in the country. Recently, by a Navy Department report, there were 497 ships in active commission in the Navy, 114 of which were officially based for repairs, supplies, upkeep, etc., on Mare Island. As a matter of fact, because of its great facilities and capacities and central position, many other ships based on other navy yards have had their repairs and upkeep done at Mare Island. With 12 navy yards under the Government, one-fourth of all the ship work is done at Mare Island. Carquinez Straits station is a great naval base, the greatest in the country, because it handles more ships, repairs them, keeps them, loads them, than any other two navy yards in the country combined. It certainly has a better climate than any other navy yard. The men are not paralyzed by heat in the summer time, nor numbed by the cold in the wintertime. The records of the yard show that during the fiscal year. ending June 30, 1920, at Mare Island there were 201 vessels of all classes repaired, having a total displacement of 494,134 tons, of an indicated horsepower of 2,175,124, and of a total cost of $156,549,214; that the total expenditures for that year for salaries, wages, etc., by the disbursing officer, were $18,198,034.29; the total value of supplies and materials issued by the supply officer to shops and ships was $42,068,272.40. Therefore, in the year ending June 30, 1920, the total expenditures at Mare Island were $60,266,306.69.

According to the Helm Board report, the total vessels, of what grade is not given, based on the two Pacific navy yards in the year 1916 was 57; the displacement, 233,850 tons; the indicated horsepower, 440,000. This shows that for the year ending June 30, 1920, Mare Island repaired more than three times as many ships as were based on both Mare Island and Puget Sound in 1916; that the displacement of the ships repaired at Mare Island alone, in the year ending June 30, 1920, was more than twice as much as for both Mare Island and Puget Sound in 1916. That the horsepower of these ships repaired at Mare Island in the year ending June 30, 1920, was five times as much as the total horsepower of the two yards in 1916; that the first cost of these ships was twice as much. as the first cost of the ships repaired at both yards in 1916. It is believed that this is striking evidence of Mare Island's ability to meet increased demands of enormous scope.

The following is offered as evidence that the spirit animating the Mare Island workmen is not equaled by the spirit existing at any navy yard in the country.

At the Victory Liberty loan in 1919, the Navy Department urged all navy yards to compete for four pennants of honor, that were to be presented by the Navy Department to the yards excelling in certain particular features. One pennant of honor was to be presented to that yard which had the greatest total amount of subscriptions; a second pennant of honor to that yard which had the greatest percentage of employees subscribing; a third pennant of honor to that navy yard which showed the greatest total per capita subscription of each employee. The fourth pennant of honor was to be given to that navy yard which influenced the greatest amount of outside subscriptions. It would have been a great honor for any navy yard to have won any one of these pennants of honor.

After the returns were all in, the department presented Mare Island with the first pennant of honor, because of all navy yards Mare Island had the greatest total amount subscribed for Victory bonds. The Navy Department presented the second pennant of honor to Mare Island because 100 per cent of all employees bought Liberty bonds. Every single employee subscribed to one or more bonds. The third pennant of honor was awarded by the Navy Department to Mare Island because it had the greatest total per capita subscription of employees, the per capita subscription being $225, the nearest competitor averaging $138 per capita. The fourth pennant of honor was presented to the Philadelphia Navy Yard, for influencing the greatest total amount of outside subscriptions, Mare Island ranking second. This must be conclusive proof of the spirit animating Mare Island.

At the same time, the California State authorities asked the Mare Island organization to take charge of the subscriptions for Solano County. In previous Liberty loans, Solano County had never equaled her prescribed quota, and had always stood at the last of all California counties. Under Mare Island management, in the fifth Liberty loan, Solano County led the list of all California counties, with a subscription of 219 per cent of her quota. Mare Island spirit has been shown constantly.

Another example of this was the launching of the destroyer Ward, 17 days after her keel was laid, and her completion in 108 days. The fact that destroyers built at Mare Island, 16 of them, cost the Government $250,000 less for each destroyer than the cost of destroyers built at any other navy yard or in a private plant, is another example. Incidently, it may be said that Mare Island destroyers have made the fastest speed-and the matter of speed is all important to a destroyer-made by any destroyer ever built in this country or in any country. The Boggs made 35.6 knots an hour, about 42 miles an hour.

The quality of Mare Island product has been repeatedly commended. Mare Island workmen live mostly in the city of Vallejo, which is immediately adjacent. The city has no other interest. except one flour mill employing perhaps 200 hands. The city is absolutely devoted to the navy yard. The interests of Mare Island are its interests. This has brought about a unity of feeling that is entirely to the benefit of the Navy Department. There are no

strikes or walkouts. There are no other places where Mare Island men can get employment. Terms of perfect confidence and sympathy exist between the management of the navy yard, the workmen, and the city of Vallejo. Put this naval base at Alameda or at Hunters Point and the workmen would live in all sorts of places, some far and some near. This unity of purpose and achievement would undoubtedly be much depreciated. As an organization the workmen would be lost after they left the naval base if close to a big city.

Summing up it may be stated that conditions to-day are different than they were in 1916. There are no difficulties of navigation that would worry an experienced navigator. The swift currents spoken of are not particularly swift, and do not disqualify Carquinez Straits station. They exist in other places in the bay. The berthing space is inadequate, but capable of whatever extension may be needed. The muddy bottom is no objection. The water area is unlimited in Carquinez Straits, and the water area in Mare Island Straits provides the finest fitting-out basin possessed by any Navy yard. The anchorage ground is ample. Supplies are nearer to Mare Island by hours than either Alameda or Hunters Point. There is practically a depth of 35 feet at low water over Pinole Shoal, 41 ̊ feet at high water, and it is practicable and feasible to maintain this depth at 40 feet at low water, if desired.

Mare Island is the most efficient and most economical navy yard and station possessed by the Government to-day. An expenditure of $26,000,000 will enable it to take care of every need of the superdreadnaughts.

Further, Commander Cox states that if funds and complete authority were available, he would build a dry dock at Carquinez Straits station and be ready to dock a superdreadnaught 24 months after work was begun.

This, Senators and Representatives, covers what I wish to say. The technical information, costs, etc., will be furnished by Commander Cox, who had the vision to conceive the possibilities of Mare Island if developed into the Carquinez Straits station, and who is the creator and designer of the proposed extension of Mare Island.

I have here three blue prints which were compiled from official Navy Department records, and I submit them to the committee. Senator BALL. Now, Capt. Beach, I assume the members of the committee may desire to ask you some questions.

Mr. CURRY. With the permission of the committee, Capt. Beach will take a seat at the table here, and I am sure he is prepared to answer questions.

Senator BALL. If any of the members of the committee desire to ask any questions of Capt. Beach concerning the matter that has been submitted by him to us here, I think it would be well to do it now, and have it right in the same immediate connection.

Mr. BRITTEN. I would like to ask Capt. Beach a question or two, Mr. Chairman, if I may. You suggested, Capt. Beach, during your excellent statement, that it would cost about $26,000,000 to lay out a yard here that would care for all the fleet's requirements, including the battle cruisers. Have you made a ground plan of just how that could be made effective?