which is now underway, it is believed that communication through the radio and cable station at Suva or through the large German radio station to be erected at Apia, Samoa, can be effected and will serve all prospective needs. It is not deemed advisable at this time to eliminate the Guam station from the scheme of high-powered stations, as its erection may prove to be a necessity to insure proper radio communication and control in the Pacific. When $1,000,000 was estimated for the chain of high-power radio stations, it was not fully contemplated to establish one in Samoa, and as Arlington had not been completed the actual cost of such stations was not known. With the completion of Arlington, and the obligations entered into in regard to Darien, we are in a position to estimate more accurately what the probable cost of these stations will be. A circumstance which contributed to the low cost of the Darien radio station was the adoption of the Poulsen arc radio apparatus instead of spark apparatus. In the existing controversy over the merits of these two systems the advantage to the owners of the Poulsen patents of having their apparatus specified for so notable an installation was great enough to cause them to make a very low offer. The contract price for the radio equipment of this station is, as before stated, roundly $50,000. Some of the bids ran as high as $300,000. It can not be expected that this favorable price can be duplicated in the purchase of ether installations. The California station should be, by the conditions of the problem, of somewhat greater total cost. The Hawaii and Philippine stations will, as before stated, cost not less than $350,000 each. Eliminating the Samoa station, the probable amounts required will be as follows: Should it be possible ultimately to abandon Guam as a high-power station, this amount would be reduced $250,000, making the total required $1,250,000. Out of the $400,000 already appropriated about $150,000 is still available. The actual erection of towers and the purchase of radio equipment for the next stations to be erected, those in California, Hawaii, and the Philippines, should await the results of the tests to be carried out at the Darien station with Arlington. Upon the results of these tests will depend the final type of towers and radio equipment to be adopted at the three other stations. The tests at Darien will, in all probability, be completed by the first of next year, and upon their completion everything should be in readiness for entering upon the construction of the stations in California, Hawaii, and the Philippines. We contemplate issuing the proposals for these stations at the same time, as we think we shall thus secure a better price and so ef fect considerable saving over the price we might have to pay if the three stations were advertised separately. We are now in such a position that we could, at short notice, advertise for the towers of the California station, but we are convinced that considerations of economy and efficiency will be better served by deferring this until the experiments with Darien are completed. Furthermore, the balance available from the appropriation of $400,000 is not enough to pay for the towers. In view of the expedition which we have every hope of effecting in the construction of the stations in California, Hawaii, and the Philippines, we estimate that the appropriation this year should be $400,000 for continuing the construction of high-power radio stations. The military value of this chain of high-power stations during hostilities, or when the usual means of communication are interrupted, can not be overestimated. The total cost of the chain of statiens is less than the cost of a modern scout cruiser, while their military value far exceeds that of the scout. In the act making appropriations for the fiscal year 1913, the appropriation for high-power radio stations followed next after" ocean and lake surveys," without a caption for high-power radio stations, and has been carried under appropriation "ocean and lake surveys." It is suggested that, in making the appropriation this year, the following form be used: HIGH-POWER RADIO STATIONS.—TO Continue the erection and equipment of highpower radio stations provided by the act of August 24, 1912. $100,000. and that the balance from appropriation "ocean and lake surveys" for the same purpose be transferred to this appropriation under the Bureau of Steam Engineering (equipment). The expenditures or obligations under this appropriation for highpowered radio stations are to date as follows: Preliminary surveys on Isthmian Canal Zone_ Preliminary surveys in California Darien radio station: Federal Telegraph Co., electrical and radio equipment. Insulation bases, etc.. estimated.. Obligated or under construction by Canal Commission- Tower foundations, estimated Buildings_-_ Sewer, water, etc.. Machinery, foundations. Transformers, etc --- Dwelling house for electrician. Grounding antenna, etc., estimated. Total $632. 21 129.35 51,503. 33 112.350.00 10, 000. 00 15,000.00 25, 000. 00 5,000.00 2,000.00 14,000.00 1.500.00 10, 000. 00 246, 985, 54 The contract with the Federal Telegraph Co. is being changed and a reduction in the cost of electrical and radio equipment of about $3.000 will result, which would make the net obligations to date $243,985.54. In addition there will be required one dwelling house, $2,000, for the officer in charge, and miscellangeous equipment estimated at $2.000, but not now purchased or contracted for, making a probable total for the Darien station of approximately $248.000. The following sums have actually been involved to January 17, 1914, on the Darien radio station : Contract 1948 (A) Penn Bridge Co., towers Contract 1948 (B) Federal Telegraph Co., radio and electrical equipment (this is subject to a reduction of about $3,000) ––. Isthmian Canal Commission bill-No. 37316, preliminary surveys__ Isthmian Canal Commission bill-No. 41381. relocating tower foundations, etc.. Isthmian Canal Commission bill-No. 41403, drawings Isthmian Canal Commission bill-No. 41412, preliminary work Isthmian Canal Commission bill-No. 41884, installation of water supply and operation pumps-Isthmian Canal Commission bill-No. 41868, designs and surveys Isthmian Canal Commission bill-No. 41842, spur track $112, 350. 00 51, 503.33 163, 853.33 $632.21 451. SO 16.41 1,675.90 1, 212.25 594.34 964.07 4,894, 55 Isthmian Canal Commission bill-No. 41797. installation pumping plant_ 1, 781. 55 Isthmian Canal Commission bill-No. 41818, quarters and power house....... Total 11, 223. 08 175,076. 41 The CHAIRMAN. Admiral, under "Increase of the Navy," the estimates submitted for the authorizations heretofore made under "Construction and machinery," "Torpedo boats," "Equipment," and "Armor and armament," are jointly made by the Bureaus of Steam Engineering and Construction and Repair? Admiral GRIFFIN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. I will ask you if the amounts there estimated are absolutely required? Could you get along with a smaller amount ? Admiral GRIFFIN. We have cut everything to the bone. The CHAIRMAN. So, for the work to be done under the authorizations heretofore made, this amount is absolutely necessary? Admiral GRIFFIN. Absolutely necessary. The CHAIRMAN. Admiral, under the law it is necessary that the department should submit each year a list of vessels to be repaired where the cost exceeds a certain amount. We have not yet received that letter from the department. I want to call your attention to it and ask if you and the Chief of the Bureau of Construction and Repair have made out that list so the Secretary can communicate it to the committee. Admiral GRIFFIN. I think probably the Secretary has that information. The aide for matériel. I think communicated it last year to you. At any rate, it has been prepared. (Thereupon, the committee adjourned to meet to-morrow Thursday, January 15, 1914, at 10.30 o'clock a. m.) [No. 8.] INCREASE IN THE CHAPLAIN CORPS, UNITED STATES NAVY. THE COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS, Tuesday, January 20, 1914. The committee this day met, Hon. Lemuel P. Padgett (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen of the committee, the hearing this morning is granted to some very distinguished clergymen representing various churches and organizations of churches relative to the increase of the Chaplain Corps in the Navy. We have with us this morning prominent and distinguished representatives of various churches, and the committee, I am sure, will be pleased to hear the views of these gentlemen. We will be governed by your wishes, Dr. Radcliff, if you will indicate the program you desire to present. Dr. WALLACE RADCLIFF. We have practically here representatives from the whole Nation. We have representatives from the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ, which represents all Protestantism with the exception of the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church has its representatives here. The Roman Catholic Church has its representative here, representing the Roman Catholic Church of America, and Chaplain Bayard, we might say in a general way, represents distinctly the ideas of the chaplains of the Navy on the general subject here involved. I will ask you to hear these brethren in sucecssion, representing their different views. I will ask you to first hear Dr. Macfarland. I will state that representing the Federal Council a committee was appointed consisting of Dr. Macfarland, who is the secretary of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, and with him Dr. Carroll, a very distinguished author, journalist, and statistician, who is also one of the secretaries of the council: Dr. Roberts, of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America; and Bishop Cranston, who is the bishop of the Methodist Church. Dr. Roberts is out of the country. Bishop Cranston is in the West. Dr. Carroll is here. The council will be represented, so far as our statement is concerned, by Dr. Macfarland, the secretary of the Federal Council. STATEMENT OF REV. CHARLES S. MACFARLAND, SECRETARY OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN AMERICA. Dr. MACFARLAND. In view of the fact that we have so long been accustomed to speak of the churches in terms of deviation rather than in terms of unity, I think I should remind you that the Federal Council now unites 30 of the so-called Protestant denominations and includes 150.000 churches and ministers and possibly something like 16,000,000 of the people so far as the actual church membership is concerned. You can readily see that this council, which consists of 400 delegates selected by the assemblies of these 30 denominations to act upon common matters for them, needs to be very careful. I will say that it has never taken any action that we know of that did express what would be practicaly the unanimous conscientiousness of the churches. Its intention is to act upon those matters upon which it is assured that the churches would wish the council to speak in their united behalf. The council meets quadrennially, and at its session in Chicago in December, 1912, considerable time was given to the discussion of the question of chaplains both in the Navy and in the Army. The council formulated a petition which was addresed jointly to the President, the Senate and House of Representatives through their committees, the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of the Navy. I have a copy of that resolution which I will not read as it will appear in a moment that it is not necessary to read it, but I beg leave to submit it to the chairman so that you may have it for your files. The CHAIRMAN. I will direct that it be incorporated in the hearing. Dr. MACFARLAND. I thank you. (The resolution referred to by Dr. Macfarland follows:) To the President of the United States, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Secretary of War, and the Secretary of Navy: The Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, in quadrennial session assembled at Chicago, December 9, 1912, instructed its executive committee to prepare and submit the following memorial: The latest obtainable reports show that the authorized strength of the Army is a little over 95,000 men, distributed among 157 garrisoned posts and subposts, all of which, however, are not occupied; and that the Navy comprises 35 battleships, 32 cruisers, 21 gunboats, 10 monitors, and 116 smaller vessels, with 53,375 officers and men. Much to our regret, we learn that this great host of men have in the Navy only 21 and in the Army only 67 chaplains to give them aid and comfort in time of illness or suffering. The Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America believes that there ought to be more chaplains, and that we should make provision for one chaplain for each battleship and cruiser, for each schoolship and navy yard, and also one for each occupied Army post. We also believe that the providing of chaplains ought not to be treated as a mere matter of denominational proportion in an effort to distribute offices among the various Christian bodies, but rather in the interest of providing adequate moral influence and spiritual help. In view of all these facts and in view of the further fact that the Government continues to increase the Army and to build battleships, we can not afford to neglect these men whom we call into our service for such official duties. It becomes us, as a God-fearing nation, to give more heed to the higher interests of these men because of their generally high character and because that stand preeminently at the front of our national honor and need. We would, therefore, appeal most earnestly to the President and to Congress to give immediate attention to these most important matters, for the welfare of the thousands of men directly concerned, and in the larger interest of the duty of this great people to those who serve them in interests so critical. and who are necessarily exposed to the greater possibilities of suffering and death. |