confusion as to what governmental department has jurisdiction that there is frequently great delay in the reporting of the felony and as result the felon, in many cases, because of the delay is able to make his escape." The Federal Government, while charged with the responsibility for policing these roads, has no means specifically authorized by law for policing same. The situation has become a public disgrace, especially along the road leading from the Highway Bridge to Arlington Cemetery, where numerous cars have frequently parked at night in order to utilize this road (because it is not policed by anybody) as a place for carrying out immoral practices. The use of troops_in_policing the military roads leading from Fort Myer, Va., to Washington, D. C., is not regarded as an advisable or practicable solution of the problem; it would not be conducive to the proper administration of justice nor to the preservation of the public peace and dignity to have these roads patrolled by military forces. The people in general who make use of these roads presumably take them to be public roads of the State of Virginia and subject to the jurisdiction of that State. The presence of military personnel upon them, assuming to control traffic and to enforce police regulations, would tend to provoke resentment as an unwarranted interference of military authority with the affairs of private citizens. A situation is at once developed which might give rise to very serious complications, since a soldier is not a trained policeman, and there is grave risk that he would not properly exercise with judgment and discretion his limited authority in dealing with civilians. Should it be regarded as advisable to use military personnel to police these roads, a question is immediately raised as to the availability of troops for this purpose. The squadron of Cavalry and battalion of Field Artillery at Fort Myer are maintained at a high standard of efficiency for duty, primarily in connection with parades and ceremonies in Washington. In addition to their regular duties, these troops furnish escorts, firing parties, body bearers, and caisson drivers for an average of two funerals per day. They are also called upon to furnish their quota of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and, during the summer, to participate in the Reserve Officers Training Corps and Citizens' Military Training Corps training activities. If they are further called upon to police these military roads, it will interfere with their training as line troops, and will render it difficult to maintain their high standard of efficiency. It is believed that the policing of these military roads should be placed in the hands of trained civilian police officers, accustomed to their duties by daily contact with the public, the exercise of which duties would not be questioned by the public nor regarded as an unnecessary interference with civil rights by the military forces. The Director of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital has indicated that he would be very glad to extend the activities of the Park Police over such Federally-owned areas in Arlington County as the Secretary of War might direct, provided such extension of the jurisdiction of the Park Police receive the approval of the President and the Congress, and the necessary additional personnel be provided for by appropriation. The extension of the duties of the Park Police to cover these military roads, with provision for adequate personnel for that purpose, affords a most satisfactory means of law enforcement upon these roads. The Judge Advocate General stated, under date of April 3, 1928, that "In an informal conference with the Director of Public Buildings and Public Parks, the director suggested that it would be more desirable to grant such jurisdiction to the nearest United States commissioner for the eastern district of Virginia as to the offenses committed on the military roads in question which lie wholly within the boundaries of the State of Virginia. He pointed out that a certain amount of friction might develop through bringing offenders on these roads into the District of Columbia for trial, and pointed out further that it was desirable that the traffic laws of the State of Virginia be made applicable to these roads and that confusion might result from enforcing two classes of laws by the police court of the District of Columbia. In the opinion of this office the points made by the Director are well taken, and there is no legal objection to conferring jurisdiction as to such offenses upon a local United States commissioner." A similar bill was introduced in the Seventieth Congress (S. 4461, H. R. 13783) and passed the Senate on May 3, 1928. It was favorably reported by the Committee on Military Affairs of the House, but, when offered on the Unanimous Consent Calendar, was objected to on the grounds that it unconstitutionally empowered commissioners to try cases other than misdemeanors and that taxpayers of the District of Columbia might have to pay for police protection without the District and failed to come up for action. Also, as previously drawn, the bill provided that "The laws and regulations governing roads and streets in the District of Columbia shall be applicable to these military roads designated by the Secretary of War as aforesaid, in so far as such laws relate to crimes and misdemeanors and to policing of highways." This proviso is believed to be inadvisable in that it would set up two variant codes upon highways lying within the State of Virginia and serve to confuse travelers thereon. In the draft submitted herewith, amendments have eliminated the three objections stated above and the bill now limits jurisdiction of commissioners to misdemeanors; provides for meeting expenses by Federal appropriation for the Executive Office and sundry independent executive bureaus, boards, commissions, and offices; and insures that the laws of the State of Virginia, as from time to time amended, will be embodied by the Director of Public Buildings and Public Parks in traffic rules and regulations to apply to these highways that lie within the State of Virginia. Thus, in the new draft submitted herewith, all possible objections that can be foreseen have been eliminated. Therefore the War Department seeks enactment of the inclosed bill, which will provide means for policing these roads as speedily and as economically as possible. This proposed legislation has been submitted to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, who advises that the expenditures contemplated therein would not be in conflict with the financial program of the President. Sincerely yours, PATRICK J. HURLEY, A BILL To provide for the policing of military roads leading out of the District of Columbia, 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 Director of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital shall, in addition to his duties of policing public roads and parks within the District of Columbia, be responsible for the proper policing for a distance of five miles from the boundaries of the District of Columbia of those military roads in the State of Virginia designated by the Secretary of War leading out of the District of Columbia over which the United States has exclusive jurisdiction, and in the performance of such duty he is authorized to use the United States park police: Provided, That all expenses incident to effectuating the purposes of this bill, including the pay of any additional park police, shall be included in appropriations for the Executive Office, and sundry independent executive bureaus, boards, commissions, and offices. SEC. 2. Subject to the approval of the Secretary of War, the Director of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital is hereby authorized to make all needful rules and regulations for the government and proper care of those military roads designated by the Secretary of War under this act; and every person and every corporation which shall violate such rules and regulations shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $500, or be imprisoned (in the case of a natural person) not exceeding six months, or both: Provided, That for the violation of said rules and regulations committed in the State of Virginia, prosecutions shall be maintainable before a United States commissioner for the eastern district of Virginia, and said commissioner in addition to the authority otherwise vested in him by law is vested with jurisdiction to try the cases of all persons who may be brought before him charged with violations of such rules and regulations, to impose the punishment prescribed therefor, and to make commitments in appropriate cases. In all cases of conviction an appeal shall lie from the judgment of said commissioner to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia: And provided further, That the rules and regulations for the government and proper care of the military roads designated by the Secretary of War under this act shall embrace as a part of such, the applicable part of Virginia law for the government of traffic on its highways. SEC. 3. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is directed to appoint such additional United States commissioner or commissioners for service at convenient points adjacent to or near those military roads within the State of Virginia designated by the Secretary of War under this act as may be requisite to carry out the above provisions of this act, to prescribe the procedure to be followed by such commissioner or commissioners, including the procedure to be followed in appeal to said district court, and to fix the schedule of fees for their services. Officers authorized to make arrests under the provisions of this act are also authorized, in the exercise of a sound discretion, to parole the person or persons so arrested for attendance at trial. BRANCH HOME OF THE NATIONAL HOME FOR DISABLED VOLUNTEER SOLDIERS MAY 26, 1930.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. HILL of Alabama, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following REPORT To accompany S. 174] The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (S. 174) to provide for the establishment of a branch home of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in one of the Southeastern States, having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass with the following amendments: Lines 5 and 8, change the word "Southeastern" to "Southern". Amend the title so as to read: A bill to provide for the establishment of a branch home of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in one of the Southern States. The National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers consists of the National Military Home near Dayton, Ohio, and 10 branches, located as follows: Pacific Branch, Soldiers' Home, near Santa Monica, Calif. Western Branch, National Military Home, near Leavenworth, Kans. Northwestern Branch, National Home, near Milwaukee, Wis. Marion Branch, National Military Home, near Marion, Ind. Mountain Branch, National Sanitarium, near Johnson City, Tenn. Bath Branch, near Bath, N. Y. Eastern Branch, National Soldiers' Home, near Augusta, Me. Southern Branch, National Soldiers' Home, near Hampton, Va. From this it will be noted there is no home in any of the Southern States of the Union south of Tennessee. HR-71-2-VOL 4-14 Gen. George H. Wood, president of the Board of Managers, has appeared before your committee a number of times, inviting attention to the increased demand for domiciliary care of veterans as reflected in the increased numbers applying for admission to the various homes under his jurisdiction. The last report of the Inspector General's Office, War Department, also invites attention to the steadily increasing population of the home. The following comment is made in the report: At the present time there is no branch south of Johnson City, Tenn. The erection of an additional branch home to be located somewhere in the Southern States would best solve the problem. General Wood, testifying before the committee on April 24, stated: There were present at the various branch homes on January 31, 1930, a total of 21,595 persons, an increase of 3,000 since January 31, 1929. His testimony also indicated a 40 per cent increase for the years 1927-1930. If the average increase is only 10 per cent per annum, the homes will have a population in 1935 of 34,500. The facilities to-day are 21,099 beds. As a matter of fact the home has an overload of about 500 people at the present time. In 20 years, General Wood estimates the need will be for 50,000 beds. Unless immediate steps are taken not only to increase the facilities at the present homes, but to establish new homes, there will, within a very few years, be several thousand veterans, mostly Spanish-American and World War veterans, seeking admission and having to be refused because there are not sufficient accommodations. The question of a possible duplication of Veterans' Bureau hospital facilities has been carefully studied. A soldiers' home is not a hospital, although any home would include hospital service. It is for the domiciliary care of veterans, most of whom have no need whatever for hospitalization. What they need is a place to live in their declining years. The Board of Managers recommends that any home should consist of 200 to 500 acres and that it should have a capacity of 2,000 beds, with abundant ground to build up to 4,000 as a maximum. Based on the practically permanent plan for barracks and hospitals which has been adopted by the Board of Managers, $2,000,000 will be required to build such a home. In view of the facts presented to your committee it is deemed essential that early and favorable action be taken on this measure. The report of the War Department, which includes a report from the president of the Board of Managers on a sim: House bill, and the report of the Senate, are made part of this report, as follows: DECEMBER 17, 1929 Hon. W. FRANK JAMES Chairman Committee on Military Affairs, House of Representatives. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: With further reference to your letter of June 21, 1929, requesting report on H. R. 1580, to provide for the establishment of a branch home in one of the Southeastern States, I am transmitting herewith a letter dated October 12, 1929, from Gen. George H. Wood, president of the Board of Managers of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, submitting the comment of the board upon the bill. The proposed legislation has been submitted to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, who advises that, in view of the introduction in Congress of a bill to put into effect the President's recommendation to Congress that all veterans agencies be consolidated, the expenditures contemplated by this legislation would not be in accord, at this time, with the financial program of the President. Sincerely yours, PATRICK J. HURLEY, Hon. JAMES W. GOOD, HEADQUARTERS NATIONAL MILITARY HOME, Secretary of War, Washington, D. C. MY DEAR MR. SECRETARY: In compliance with request I am submitting the comments of the Board of Managers, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, on the bill to provide for the establishment of a branch home of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in one of the Southeastern States. This bill covers the same ground as the bill passed by the Senate recently, introduced by Senator Fletcher, of Florida. The Board of Managers have recommended the establishment of a home in the Southeastern States, and the writer, as president of the board, appeared last winter before the Senate Committee on Military Affairs and strongly supported the bill. At the recent meeting of the board, the bill was again discussed and they have again placed themselves on record as favorable to the establishment of such a home, basing this on the increase in population at all branches of the home, which this winter will fill a majority of the branches and leave the home without beds in the southern part of the country. Also, the fact that, up to the present time, all branch homes have been established in the northern section of the country with the exception of the one at Johnson City, Tenn., and the one at Hampton, Va., and as the last two wars have been fought by men from all States of the Union, it is felt that an additional home should be located in the far southern States. Respectfully, GEORGE H: WOOD, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. Senate Report No. 10, Seventy-first Congress, first session The Committee on Military Affairs, to which was referred the bill (S. 174) to provide for the establishment of a branch home of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in the State of Florida, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with the recommendation that it do pass with the following amendments: Page 1, lines 5 and 6, strike out the words "approximating three hundred acres now owned by the Federal Government located in the State of Florida", and insert in lieu thereof the following: "located in one of the Southeastern States". Page 1, line 9, strike out the word "Florida" and insert in lieu thereof the following: "one of the Southeastern States". Page 2, line 10, strike out the sum "$3,000,000" and insert in lieu thereof $2,000,000". Amend the title so as to read: "A bill to provide for the establishment of a branch home of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in one of the Southeastern States. A bill to establish a branch home in the State of Florida was reported favorably to the Senate by this committee and passed by the Senate on February 28, 1929, but failed to receive action in the House of Representatives. Your committee has amended this bill to authorize the selection of land in one of the Southeastern States instead of specifying a particular State, with a view to securing the best possible location. The committee's report on S. 5202, Seventieth Congress, second session, is made a part of this report, and reads as follows: "The National Military Home was established by act of Congress in 1866. "The object of that act was to provide for disabled veterans of the Union Army. "Branches of the home have been established at Togus, Me.; Dayton, Ohio; Marion, Ind.; Danville, Ill.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Leavenworth, Kans.: Hot Springs, 8. Dak.: Johnson City, Tenn.; Hampton, Va.; and in California. |