obeyed immediately. In this connection attention is invited to fact that troop was mustered out Federal service 26th and has not been mustered in again. WARREN A. FAIR, Captain, Commanding Troop A, North Carolina Cavalry. [Third indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS EASTERN DEPARTMENT, TO THE ADJUTANT GENERAL OF THE ARMY: April 27, 1917. 1. Troop A, North Carolina National Guard, was mustered out of the Federal service on March 26, 1917. At the time of the receipt of such report work incident to effecting the initial muster in the service of the United States of National Guard organizations that had been called therein by the President on March 25, 1917, was being rushed to these headquarters without regard to hours, and such condition, coupled with greatly inadequate clerical asssistance, delayed temporarily appropriate recording of the muster out of the troop of Cavalry in the premises. 2. On March 30, 1917, the commanding officer, Troop A, North Carolina Cavalry, National Guard, was inadvertently given instructions to guard bridges, locks, and other instrumentalities in the vicinity of Lincolnton, N. C., and in this connection attention is invited to inclosures to this indorsement, which further supplements this communicaton. 3. It is recommended that the personnel of this organization, as reported in paragraph 1, second indorsement hereon, receive Federal pay for one day and that $0.40 per man per day be authorized to cover the rations utilized by the personnel of this organization during that time. LEONARD WOOD, Major General, Commanding. [Second indorsement.] HEADQUARTERS TROOP A, CAVALRY, TO HEADQUARTERS EASTERN DEPARTMENT, Governors Island, N. Y.: 1. There were assembled 2 officers, captain and first lieutenant, with 8 sergeants, 6 corporals, 1 cook, 2 horseshoers, 2 buglers, 3 first-class privates, 21 privates, 43 enlisted men altogether. 2. As we had cooking facilities, the cost of rations per man was estimated on the basis of 40 cents per man per day. 3. The troop had three meals, viz., dinner, supper, breakfast. The order was received about 9.30 a. m. and the troop notified, and the telegram countermanding the order was received about 7 p. m., too late for the men to return home, so they were given breakfast next morning and dismissed. W. A. FAIR, Captain, Commanding Troop A, North Carolina National Guard. [Telegram.] GOVERNORS ISLAND, N. Y., COMMANDING OFFICER TROOP A, North Carolina Cavalry, Lincolnton, N. C.: Orders March 30 countermanded. Issued through error. former status. You will revert to SIMPSON. [Eleventh indorsement.] TO THE ADJUTANT GENERAL: WAR DEPARTMENT, ** June 2, 1917. 4. It is clear that the orders of March 30, 1917, did not operate as a call of the National Guard into Federal service and were not intended to so operate. In fact, the commanding officer of the troop, upon receiving the orders, was apparently aware of the fact that the orders must have been issued through error, as he telegraphed inviting attention to the fact that the troop was mustered out of service "and has not been mustered in again." The terms of the orders clearly indicated that they were issued by the direction of the department commander and were not intended as the orders of the President calling the National Guard into the Federal service. I do not concur in the recommendation of the Chief of the Militia Bureau that the Secretary of War. representing the President, "might now ratify the action of the commanding general, Eastern Department, in calling out this troop," as I do not think the case presented is a proper one for ratifications. It is suggested that the proper procedure in this case would be to include an item in the pending urgent deficiency bill, now in conference, or in the next appropriation bill, authorizing the pay and rations for this troop during the period under consideration. BLANTON WINSHIP, To the Quartermaster General, for the necessary action as recommended in paragraph 4 of the eleventh indorsement hereon. By order of the Secretary of War: 3. The cost of the pay and rations for one day is $57.93. Very respectfully, J. T. DEAN. Adjutant General. WM. M. INGRAHAM. Assistant Secretary of War. SUBSISTENCE OF THE ARMY. (See p. 402.) The CHAIRMAN. For subsistence you are asking $329,672,218.15. The regular Army appropriation carried $18,500,000 and the deficiency bill $133,000,000? Gen. SHARPE. Making a total of $151,540,000. We have already expended of that $22,637,788.11, which includes the expenditures only up to and including the 26th of July. The CHAIRMAN. This estimate is based upon subsisting how many men for how long? Capt. DALY. 1,039,000 men. The original deficiency estimate was $183,000,000. $133,000,000 was appropriated. The CHAIRMAN. That was on the basis of 2,000,000 men for eight months. Capt. DALY. The estimate was reduced $50,000,000. The CHAIRMAN. You are asking in addition $279,000,000, which would be for another million men for another year? Capt. DALY. The estimate is $329,000,000. The CHAIRMAN. That is on the basis of 2,000,000 men for a whole year? Capt. DALY. No. That is on the basis of the difference between. 1,032,000 and 2,033,000, plus the $50,000,000 that you cut out of the original appropriation. Mr. SHERLEY. Even that would not explain it. Capt. DALY. We have added $100,000,000 for six months' reserve. The CHAIRMAN. You got your original estimate. That was based on an army of 1,079,000 for one year, $201,000,000, for the additional men, 2,060,000, you are asking $279,000,000 for a year. That is $79, 000,000 in excess. Capt. DALY. There is a difference in the ration. The CHAIRMAN. How much? Capt. DALY. About 4 or 5 cents. The estimate you have there was based on 35 cents. The CHAIRMAN. What is the basis of the ration now? Capt. DALY. Thirty-eight cents. The CHAIRMAN. That would not account for the $79,000,000. The CHAIRMAN. Take the $50,000,000 out. Is this for any other purpose except the ration? Capt. DALY. The commutation of rations. The CHAIRMAN. Take everything included in this appropriation on the basis of 1,079,000 men, you are asking $201,500,000. Capt. DALY. We have added $100.000,000 for six months' reserve. The CHAIRMAN. Please explain how you reached these figures? Capt. DALY. We took 50 per cent of the total ration that we had in the bill, which amounts to $199,780,000-50 per cent of that-and added $100,000,000 to include the six months' reserve-added it to the total. The CHAIRMAN. This is not an estimate to subsist 2,000,000 men for a year? Capt. DALY. It estimates to subsist practically a million men for a year and a half. The CHAIRMAN. What is contemplated is to accumulate a six months' supply? sea. Capt. DALY. To replace the loss that may occur going over the The CHAIRMAN. That is what you are doing-estimating for a six months' reserve for million men. a That would give you $179,000,000-$50,000,000 to make up the $50,000,000 in your first estimate and $100,000,000 for the reserves. What is the other $179, 000.000? Capt. DALY. We provide here for $189,906,068.25 for rations for enlisted men. The CHAIRMAN. You have received out of that $151,000,000 already. What is that money for. Capt. DALY. The ration was for the difference between 1,072,000 men which you appropriated for first and the 2,033,000 men. The CHAIRMAN. Your estimate includes the money already appropriated for subsisting 2,000,000 men for a year? Capt. DALY. The total requirements for 2,000,000 men would be $229.672.216.68 plus $183,000,000, making $412,000,000. The CHAIRMAN. What is the other $50,000,000 for? You already have $151,000,000? Capt. DALY. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. You are asking for $339,000,000 more? Capt. DALY. On the face of it, it looks like there might be an error that we would have to go into and correct. Apparently there is an error. Mr. BYRNS. General, I have heard it stated, although I do not place much credence in it, that civilians in the department have been commissioned and assigned to active duty in the department? Gen. SHARPE. No, sir. There have been a number of civilian clerks who have passed the examination and have qualified as officers of the Reserve Corps. They have been appointed and commissioned, but not assigned to duty in Washington. Mr. BYRNS. They have stood the examination required of all other civilians? Gen. SHARPE. Yes, sir; they went before the board. The CHAIRMAN. And when commissioned they were not assigned to the same work they were doing? Gen. SHARPE. No, sir; they were assigned to duty outside of Washington. TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1917. SUBSISTENCE OF THE ARMY. (See p. 400.) Gen. SHARPE. Mr. Chairman, yesterday you wanted us to prepare some figures explaining the apparent discrepancy which we found on going over these matters. With one exception the figures are right, as estimated, and Capt. Daly will give you the correct figures. Capt. DALY. When the estimates were sent in they were originally for $201,000,000 for subsistence, and they were informally sent back to have the amount included in the Army appropriation act, which was then pending, deducted. That left the estimate $183,000,000. $18,000,000 being in the Army bill. Of the $183,000,000, $133,000,000 was appropriated. Now, this present estimate is for $329,672,218.15. In checking this back we find there is an error in computation of $1,679,716.42. The correct figure is $327,922,501.73. The estimate was made up as follows: Rations, based on 960,437 men, the difference between 1,072,908 men and 2,033,345 men. The CHAIRMAN. What did you do with the balance of one million six hundred and odd thousand men? Capt. DALY, Our previous estimate was based on 1.072,908 men. and the total strength given in this estimate is 2,033,345 men. Deducting the amount that was provided for in the last estimate of 1,072,908 men from 2,033,345 men, leaves 960,437 men, and upon that number of men this present estimate is based. The rations for the troops are based on 40 cents in this estimate, as against 35 cents in the last estimate. We find that the average cost of the rations for the first six months of the year was 38 cents. We have not complete figures available to compute that cost for the last six months of the fiscal year which ended June 30, and we arbitrarily assume 40 cents. or an increase of 2 cents, because of the constant increase in the prices of the components of the ration. That gives us for rations for the troops $140,224,002; rations for civilian employees, $848,844. That is based on an estimated number of 5,814 employees who will be required for various activities with the additional troops in this "ountry, and perhaps abroad, and on transports. We figure on 200 additional hospital matrons, $29,200. For prisoners of war we have an arbitrary estimate of 100,000 men for one year, and in order to procure rations for prisoners of war we estimate $12,775,000. Meals for recruiting parties, applicants for enlistments, etc., $5,196,626.25. That is figured at 90 cents a day. The CHAIRMAN. How much was included in the estimates upon which the appropriation was previously made for that? Capt. DALY. $6,230,550. The CHAIRMAN. And what was included for prisoners of war? The CHAIRMAN. How many are we subsisting? Capt. DALY. About 4,000 now. The CHAIRMAN. You are providing for 300,000 for a year? Capt. DALY. Practically. It is, of course, anticipating the capture of a certain portion of the enemy. The next item is commutation in lieu of rations to enlisted men on furlough, nurses in hospitals, sick in hospitals, and prisoners in hospitals, $9,659,538. The next item is expenses of handling, testing, storing, etc., of subsistence supplies, $1,959,291.48. That covers the purchase of paper bags, procurement of storage material, testing of supplies, and it is based on a per capita of $2.04 per man per year. That has been the previous cost under normal conditions. That gives us a total of $170,992,501.73 for subsistence, based on 960,437 men. Now, we have added to that $50,000,000, the amount by which the previous estimate was reduced, and we have also added $100,000,000 to provide for a reserve supply, which gives a total of $320,992,501.73. The CHAIRMAN. I understood you to say yesterday that you were providing for one-half year's reserve supply for 1,000,000 men, and that would be about $70,000,000. Capt. DALY. No; we took one-half of $170,000,000 plus $50,000,000 which was deducted, which makes $220,000,000. The CHAIRMAN. $201,000,000 is the estimate for a year's supply, is it not? Capt. DALY. This estimate is $170,992,501.73. That is the estimate proper. Now adding to that $50,000,000 not appropriated in the other estimate, makes $220,000,000, and half of that would be $110,000,000. The CHAIRMAN. But you have in here a lot of things that are not rations at all. Capt. DALY. That is true. The CHAIRMAN, Your estimate for these 900,000 men was $140,000,000. That is about $20,000,000 more than your previous estimate would have been. Capt. DALY. The total amount of rations involved is $153,877,046. The CHAIRMAN. For what? Capt. DALY. For rations for the troops, $140,224,002, for civilian employees $848,844; for matrons, $29,200; for prisoners of war, $12.775.000. The CHAIRMAN. That is not subsistence for your army of 1,000,000 men? Capt. DALY. But it is subsistence for prisoners of war. The CHAIRMAN. But it is not subsistence for an army of 1,000,000 men. |