(Said break-down is as follows:) Navy Yard, New York, N. Y.: Improvement of facilities for battleship construction__. (a) Modification of building ways and platform, ways Estimated cost no. 2.. (b) Repairs, rearrangement, and extension of electric (c) Pickling plant.... (d) 3 welding sheds, heated.......... Total. $155,000 45, 000 285, 000 Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pa.: Improvement of facilities for battleship construction.. $285,000 250,000 Total.. 250,000 For New York: The $155,000 subitem is to rehabilitate and lengthen the ways as stated above. The $45,000 is to lead electric current to the site of the work for lighting the work, for electric welding and for operation of electric tools and equipment. The pickling plant comprises facilities for immersing the structural steel in dilute acid in order to dissolve off the mill scale, rust, and other impurities. This is necessary in all structural steel fabrication and involves the construction of a long tank lined with acid-resisting material. The process is known as "pickling". The welding sheds are for housing the structural assemblies of the turrets during assembling and welding together by the electric welding process; also for machining the upper roller paths of these weldments. The work requires great precision. Consequently it is necessary to protect it from changes in temperature as the weather changes and to protect both work and workmen from inclement weather. For this reason these portable sheds will be heated. The assemblies are too large and too heavy to be handled in shops and the work must be done at the building ways. For Philadelphia: The $50,000 cofferdam is to enclose the outboard end of the building ways to keep the tide out. This permits building the ship farther down the ways than would otherwise be possible, reduces the launching distance and effects a saving in the foundations and construction of groundways. The $100,000 crane at pier 4 is to handle the component parts of the assemblies before they are welded into a single structure. The $20,000 for pickling tank is for the same purpose as the pickling plant at New York. At Philadelphia, however, they have a pickling tank which needs only to be extended to take longer steel shapes. Hence the estimate is lower than for New York. The welding sheds for Philadelphia are the same as those for New York. The 50-ton armor-plate crane at Philadelphia is to handle armor plate, some of which will weigh well over 40 tons. The long-boom locomotive crane is for handling and transporting material to and at the building ways. A long boom is required to permit delivering material onto the ship. These items will be added to and form a part of the permanent facilities of the yard. REPLACEMENT OF PAINT AND OIL STORAGE BUILDING, NAVY YARD, MARE ISLAND, CALIF. Mr. WOODRUM. The next item is $275,000 for the replacement of paint and oil storage building and accessories destroyed by fire, at the Navy Yard, Mare Island, Calif. Admiral SMITH. Last May we had a fire at the Mare Island Navy Yard which destroyed the building in which oil, paint, and acids were stored. This item is to replace that building. Mr. WOODRUM. When was the fire? Admiral SMITH. The fire occurred on the 25th of last May. Admiral SMITH. The cost of that building was much less than this. amount. The building that was destroyed was a one-story brick building. The original cost of the building in 1898 was $28,100, with improvements added to that. The improvements added to it in 1915 cost $7,500, and there was an addition in 1917 at a cost of $2,000. The structure that was burned was 89 feet by 120 feet, and 18 feet high, containing 190,000 cubic feet. This proposed structure will be a one-story concrete building, 100 feet by 400 feet, 18 feet high, containing 720,000 cubic feet, as compared with approximately 200,000 cubic feet in the other building. The estimated cost of the proposed building is $190,000. The remainder of the estimate, $85,000, is for filling the site, constructing roads and railroads, and installing all other services. Mr. WOODRUM. Why is it necessary to have a so much larger building? Admiral SMITH. For years the yard has been including in their annual development program a building of this size to take care of their expanded requirements. They have also relocated the building where it would not be in the congested portion of the yard thus reducing the fire hazard. The building we are asking for is to take care of their present needs. Mr. LUDLOW. There is no real estate cost involved in it? Admiral SMITH. No, sir. The material is now stored in the open. without shelter as is shown in this photograph [indicating]. Mr. WOODRUM. Is the building to be at the site where the material is stored? Admiral SMITH. No, sir. That building was in the old congested part of the yard. Mr. WOODRUM. You think it absolutely necessary to replace it immediately? Admiral SMITH. Yes, sir. Mr. WOODRUM. Why is not the same kind of building all right for the purpose, or why is it necessary to have a $275,000 building to replace a $35,000 building? Admiral SMITH. Of course, this building is to be 31⁄2 times as large. The need for it has grown extensively. Captain Watrous, of the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, can tell you how badly the building is needed, and for what purpose it will be used. Captain WATROUS. That building, built in 1898, was entirely inadequate to take care of the particular type of material stored there. In fact, the storage conditions at Mare Island are far worse than those at any other naval station in the United States. A larger building, of the size quoted by Admiral Smith, has been requested annually for several years at Mare Island in order to take care of that particular material. They carry a stock of paint, oils, and so forth, amounting in value to $430,000. That is the value of the average stock of materials. Their issues during the last fiscal year of this material amounted to $600,000. That small building they were using could not house all of that material, and it was stored in lean-tos and other sheds throughout the yard. Mr. LUDLOW. Was this matter brought to the attention of the subcommittee in charge of the naval appropriation bill? Admiral Smith. No, sir. The building was burned in May. ST. INIGOES, MD., MEMORIAL Mr. WOODRUM. The next item is for the acquisition of land and erection thereon of the memorial authorized by the act approved June 15, 1937, at St. Inigoes, Md. Admiral SMITH. That is for a memorial down in Maryland, which has been proposed by Congress. Mr. BACON. That is provided for in a resolution or act of Congress? Admiral SMITH. Yes, sir. Mr. BERGMAN. The act, approved June 15, 1937, is as follows: [PUBLIC NO. 148-75тH CONGRESS] [CHAPTER 348-1ST SESSION] [S. 1120] AN ACT Authorizing an appropriation for the creation of a memorial to the officers and men of the United States Navy who lost their lives as the result of a boiler explosion that totally destroyed the United States ship Tulip near Saint Inigoes Bay, Maryland, on November 11, 1864, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the sum of $2,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of the Navy for the erection of a suitable memorial to the officers and men of the United States Navy who lost their lives as the result of a boiler explosion that totally destroyed the United States ship Tulip on November 11, 1864, such memorial to be erected on the site of the interment of such officers and men near Saint Inigoes Bay, Maryland, and for the acquisition of the land constituting said site. Approved, June 15, 1937. Mr. WOODRUM. When did this become a law? Mr. BERGMAN. On June 15, 1937. This item is included in the deficiency bill to carry out the direction of Congress. Mr. WOODRUM. This is to be the total cost. Mr. BERGMAN. Yes, sir. THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1937. DEPARTMENT OF STATE STATEMENTS OF CHARLES B. HOSMER, FISCAL OFFICER; HERBERT B. COLLINS, LEGAL ADVISER'S OFFICE; MAXWELL M. HAMILTON, ASSISTANT CHIEF, DIVISION OF FAR EASTERN AFFAIRS; RAYMOND T. YINGLING, LEGAL ADVISER'S OFFICE; CLINTON E. MACEACHRAN, CHIEF CLERK AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT CLAIMS OF VARIOUS GOVERNMENTS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES Mr. WOODRUM. We have before us in House Document No. 284, a number of items of supplemental appropriations for the Department of State. We have some claims on the part of various governments against the United States. Mr. Hamilton, Assistant Chief of the Far Eastern Division, is present. Mr. Hamilton, will you tell us something about these claims? CLAIMS OF CHINESE CITIZENS Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Chairman, these claims in which we are interested fall into two categories. First, the claims of citizens of China and second, claims of the government of Japan. With regard to claims amounting to $8,900 of citizens of China, as members of the committee are aware, these claims are in very small amounts. They arise as a result of injuries suffered by Chinese citizens, or losses suffered by Chinese citizens as a result of incidents involving officers and employees of the United States Government in China. Most of these cases relate to incidents involving American naval vessels or incidents involving personnel of United States Marines or of the United States Army. Most of the claimants are people who are in impecunious financial circumstances. A number of the claims arose from incidents which occurred several years ago. We are in the State Department, more or less constantly, receiving communications from the Chinese Government in reference to these claims. Only a week ago we received a telegram from the Embassy in China asking what the status of these claims is. This inquiry from the Embassy was prompted by inquiries made of our Embassy by the Chinese Government and Chinese Government officials on behalf of the claimants. Mr. LUDLOW. What would be a typical claim? Mr. HAMILTON. A typical claim would be where an American marine goes out at night and runs amuck; possibly while intoxicated. He strikes a Chinese, injures him so badly that he might suffer the loss of an arm or a leg. It might be a motor-car accident where a marine truck would strike a Chinese and run over him. Sometimes death has resulted. Most of the cases as they are outlined in these various reports relate to very minor incidents such as a collision between an American naval vessel and a Chinese junk. The junk owner suffers loss of his junk or may himself suffer loss of life. During the past few years the Chinese Government has effected settlement of a good many of the claims of American citizens against it. Our efforts to effect settlement of other claims in which American nationals are interested and which involve large amounts of money, larger than the amounts involved in these claims, are somewhat embarrassed, or at least we feel that our chances of getting the Chinese Government to take favorable action would be improved if the Congress could see its way clear to making possible the payment of these comparatively small items. Mr. WOODRUM. You are speaking now entirely of the Chinese claims? Mr. HAMILTON. Yes. 148745-37-27 CLAIMS OF THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT Mr. WOODRUM. Does the same general situation obtain with reference to the Japanese claims? Mr. HAMILTON. No, sir; that is quite a different situation. The bill under consideration would permit the American Government to pay to the Government of Japan a sum, the pro-rata share of the American Government, for expenses incurred by the Government of Japan in connection with certain wartime operations. It goes back that far. At the time of the World War there were certain enemy aliens interned in China. At that time, as the result of an agreement between the British, the French, the American and the Japanese Governments, the Japanese Government constructed certain ships, or rather put in certain structural changes on certain ships, to fit those ships to carry these enemy aliens to Australia. Before the enemy aliens were actually deported to Australia, the project was abandoned. But this Government had agreed with the other governments to pay its share in the cost of this undertaking. Now, the question naturally will arise as to why we have not done something about this claim up to this time. Mr. WOODRUM. This is the claim of $48,000? Mr. HAMILTON. Yes, sir. Until 1930 we did not have sufficient evidence in our files to warrant us in acknowledging the validity of that claim. But in that year there was discovered evidence in our files, and we obtained from the British Government and from the Japanese Government certain evidence which convinced us that we were obligated, as a result of an interchange of correspondence during the years of the war, to pay our share of this claim. Now, the Government of Japan, as far as we know, does not owe us a dollar. They have been very scrupulous in reference to their financial obligations. We have, as you gentlemen know, a number of important questions always in our relations with Japan and we feel it would be definitely advisable and highly desirable that we make payment to Japan of our share of these expenses. The British Government has already paid. Mr. WOODRUM. Each of these claims the State Department has investigated carefully? Mr. HAMILTON. Yes, sir. Mr. WOODRUM. And has satisfied itself of the validity of the claims? Mr. HAMILTON. Yes, sir. Mr. WOODRUM. And the matter has been before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House? Mr. HAMILTON. Yes, sir. Mr. WOODRUM. The committee has reported out the bill, it has passed the House, or a claim for each of these bills has passed the House? Mr. HAMILTON. Yes, sir. Mr. WOODRUM. And they have become law? Mr. HAMILTON. Yes, sir. Mr. WOODRUM. Making them a definite obligation of the United States to pay these claims? Mr. HAMILTON. Yes, sir. Mr. WOODRUM. So now it is merely a question of appropriating the money? |