APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1944 HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE SEVENTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON THE INDEPENDENT OFFICES Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations UNITED STATES WASHINGTON: 1943 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS CLARENCE CANNON, Missouri, Chairman CLIFTON A. WOODRUM, Virginia J. BUELL SNYDER, Pennsylvania JOHN M. COFFEE, Washington ALBERT GORE, Tennessee ELMER H. WENE, New Jersey CLINTON P. ANDERSON, New Mexico JAMIE L. WHITTEN, Mississippi THOMAS J. O'BRIEN, Illinois JAMES M. CURLEY, Massachusetts JOHN TABER, New York RICHARD B. WIGGLESWORTH, Massachusetts H. CARL ANDERSEN, Minnesota 561 A6 78th, V. 8 ** INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION BILL, 1944 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, JOE STARNES, JOE HENDRICKS, RICHARD B. WIGGLESWORTH, EVERETT M. DIRKSEN, AND FRANCIS H. CASE, ON THE DAYS FOLLOWING, NAMELY: FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 1943. AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION STATEMENT OF HARVEY E. CONWAY, CHIEF CLERK SALARIES AND EXPENSES Mr. WOODRUM. We will take up the item for the American Battle Monuments Commission, which is as follows: 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 het, 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 station 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; $47,450: Provided, That notwithstanding the requirements of existing laws or regulations, and under such terms and conditions as the Commission may in its discretion deem necessary and proper, the Commission may contract for work, supplies, materials, and equipment in Europe and engage, by contract or otherwise, the services of 1 M506238 architects, firms of architects, and other technical and professional personnel: Provided further, That when traveling on business of the Commission, officers of the Army serving as members or as secretary of the Commission may be reimbursed for expenses as provided for civilian members of the Commission: And provided further, That the Commission may delegate to its chairman, secretary, or officials in charge of either its Washington or Paris offices, under such terms and conditions as it may prescribe, such of its authority as it may deem necessary and proper. JUSTIFICATION OF ESTIMATE Mr. WOODRUM. Will you give us a statement on this item for the American Battle Monuments Commission, Mr. Conway? Mr. CONWAY. Yes, sir. I have here a letter from General Pershing, the Chairman of the Commission, to the chairman of your committee, which with your permission, I should like to read and place in the record. Mr. WOODRUM. Proceed. Mr. CONWAY (reading): The Honorable CLARENCE CANNON, Chairman, Committee on Appropriations, DECEMBER 28, 1942. 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 1944. 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. Suresnes American Cemetery, at Suresnes, Near Paris, France.. Total.... 14, 242 6, 012 4, 152 2,288 1, 836 1, 541 468 368 30, 907 (b) A memorial chapel in each of the above cemeteries. (c) Twelve memorials outside the cemeteries, located as follows: Montfaucon, France; Montsec, France; near Chateau-Thierry, France; Brest, France; Tours, France; near Bellicourt, France; near Sommepy, France; Audenarde, Belgium; near Ypres, Belgium; Cantigny, France; near Belleau, France; 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 to your committee last year, it became necessary in the summer of 1941 for the Commission to order all of its American personnel in France and Belgium to return to the United States, and arrangements were made with the French and Belgian Governments so that our American cemeteries and memorials in those countries would be cared for under their supervision until it was practicable for our regular organization to return. In order to provide for the minimum operating expenses incurred under these agreements and to provide for the necessary administrative expenses of the Commission, $50,000 was appropriated for these purposes for the fiscal year 1943, and the amount provided for the fiscal year 1944 is $47,450, which reflects a reduction of $2,550 in administrative expenses. Tables giving certain data requested by your committee are enclosed. |