Now that the true condition of the health of Lieut. Donald M. Davidson is realized, that his ill health started while he was in the Regular Army and that he never can fully recover from his disability, I am sure your committee and the Congress will give favorable consideration to this legislation.

Mr. CANFIELD. My reason for introducing this bill is that Mr. Davidson's home originally was at Greensburg, Ind., where he originally lived, though he lives in Brooklyn at the present time.

Another thing I want to call attention to, is that this has been favorably reported by the Committee on Military Affairs of the Senate, and they have amended the bill in this way.

Mr. WAINWRIGHT. The gentleman from Indiana suggests that in order to conform with the bill as it has been amended by the Senate Military Committee that an amendment be inserted after the word "pay" in line 4, of page 2, as follows:

to which he would have been entitled at the time of his honorable discharge. Mr. CANFIELD. Has it been reported favorably by the Senate Committee on Military Affairs?

Mr. DAVIDSON. It was reported favorably by the Senate Committee on Military Affairs to-day.

Mr. WAINWRIGHT. Is that all?

Mr. CANFIELD. That is all.

Mr. DAVIDSON. When I found out a year later it had not been O. K'd and approved and General Lord required a resubmission letter because it did not approve it, and then when the complete data which had not been presented to General Lord before, was presented in full he immediately O. K'd it.

Mr. WAINWRIGHT. I understand all that, and our record for this hearing will not be before the House, because it will be in the committee. The reporter now only has the report of the War Department, and if you have any particularly strong facts from somebody or any letter or letters, we will be glad to submit them in the committee report at the time, so the House will have it.

Mr. CANFIELD. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you and the rest of the members of the subcommittee for the hearing this morning and the consideration given to the case.

Mr. WAINWRIGHT. The hearing is closed.

(Thereupon, at 11.55 o'clock a. m., the hearing in the above matter was closed and the subcommittee proceeded to the consideration of other business.)

SAN GERONIMO

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SUBCOMMITTEE OF COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AFFAIRS,

Monday, Dec. 19, 1927. The subcommittee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. W. Frank James presiding.

Mr. JAMES. Gentlemen, under date of March 17, 1919, there was letter sent from the Navy to the War Department, requesting the ransfer of the San Geronimo Reservation, at Porto Rico, valued it about $2,000,000. In that letter it says as follows, in part reading]:

The naval radio station at San Juan is the only property in the vicinity of San Juan under naval control, as the old naval station on the harbor front s now under the control of the Lighthouse Service and the insular government. The Navy is in great need of a suitable location near the naval radio station o provide for the peace-time needs of the Naval Communication Service under he senior naval officer in Porto Rico. This includes quaters for the district mmunication superintendent, and proposed quarters for other naval officers how on duty in Porto Rico in connection with the communication service and essels stationed in Porto Rican waters. A dock, storehouses, a garage, quarters for crews of district vessels, and other buildings will be needed at a ater date. There is no space available on the naval radio reservation for hese purposes, and any other property that could be obtained would be too ar from the radio station and the water front to permit the senior naval fficer present and the district communication superintendent to supervise roperly the naval activities in San Juan.

It appears that on the very next day, March 18, without any inestigation, the War Department executed a lease of this property o the Navy. Just a few months after that, on August 26, 1919, the Vavy gave a five-year lease to Lieut. Commander Virgil Baker, etired, and the records would seem to indicate that the War Deartment transferred this property by deed to the Navy, under late of March 3, 1921, and on July 15, 1921, the Navy gave a 999-year ease to Lieutenant Commander Baker. We are also informed that, lleging fraud in the procurement of the 999-year lease, suit was rought by the United States against these parties. We also undertand the court decided the case against the Bakers, and they have ppealed the case. It would also appear that the Navy was unilling to turn this land back to the War Department, although Mr. Baker secured it by fraud, and the matter finally reached the Chief Coordinator's office, and before the Army could get back the proprty that had been secured from them by the Navy they had to consent > give another piece of property worth forty to fifty thousand ollars in order to get back its own property.

This committee is very much interested in this matter, and would ke to get any facts from you, or any gentleman present, that you may have, that would help us out on getting a proper idea of what appened.

Mr. FROTHINGHAM. This land is up now for sale. They have petitioned us for authority to sell now, have they not?

Mr. JAMES. No; they have not petitioned us, but I figured it would be a good thing for this committee to look into it, in view of all the facts.

Mr. MCSWAIN. If the War Department does not need it for mili tary purposes, it ought to be sold.

Mr. FROTHINGHAM. What is this bill here? This bill authorize it to be sold.

Mr. JAMES. This is the bill I introduced in order to bring the matter before this committee.

Mr. MCSWAIN. That is to sell this particular property?

Mr. JAMES. To sell this particular property. All right, Colonel. we will be glad to hear from you now.

STATEMENT OF LIEUT. COL. ORVAL P. TOWNSHEND, ASSISTANT TO THE CHIEF, BUREAU OF INSULAR AFFAIRS

Colonel TowNSHEND. With reference to the transfer of the San Geronimo property to the Navy Department, I have not sufficient knowledge. It is a matter in the War Department, and I am connected with the Bureau of Insular Affairs, which has to do with the civil affairs of the island.

Mr. JAMES. Of course what we wanted was somebody to tell us about this transfer.

General BOOTH. Colonel Townshend is from the Bureau of Insular Affairs. The questions you asked him-I can answer all those questions for you.

Mr. JAMES. We are not having a hearing on this bill. We ar having a hearing for what reason the Navy asked for this property. and anything about the facts of the transfer of the 999-year lea to the Bakers.

Colonel RIGBY. Do you want me to answer that question?
Mr. JAMES. I want somebody here to answer it.

STATEMENT OF BRIG. GEN. EWING E. BOOTH, GENERAL STAFF

General BOOTH. The War Department does not know any mor about the reason the Navy Department wanted the land than is stated in the official documents which you have read. The property was first leased, then transferred, under the act of Congress whic authorized the transfer of property from one department to another In answer to the second part of the qestion, it was transferred back as the result of an agreement between the War Departmer: and the Navy Department, arranged through the Chief Coordinat in which the War Department gave the Navy a portion of the Nor folk Reservation, for which that department had asked, and whi probably would have been given to the Navy anyway, in return for the San Geronimo Reservation.

Mr. JAMES. Well, upon what grounds can you people down there be switching around property from one to the other without com sulting Congress, the President, or anybody?

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