RANK, PAY, ETC., OF MEDICAL OFFICER ASSIGNED TO DUTY AT WHITE HOUSE

JANUARY 14, 1930.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. REECE, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 6848]

The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 6848) allowing the rank, pay, and allowances of a colonel, Medical Corps, United States Army, or of a captain, Medical Corps, United States Navy, to any medical officer below such rank assigned to duty as physician to the White House, introduced by Mr. Britten, having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass.

This is a bill to give the rank of colonel to the officer of the Army Medical Corps, of the rank of captain to the officer of the Navy Medical Corps, who may be detailed as physician to the White House, together with the pay and allowances of that grade, while the officer so detailed is serving on such duty. During the Seventieth Congress your committee and Congress convinced that the extraordinary expenses of the medical officer so detailed entitled that officer to the extra compensation, and his duties were such as to merit the extra rank enacted Public Law No. 393, approved May 16, 1928. This law, however, provided the temporary rank only for the officer then so detailed. This bill proposes to give this benefit to any officer from the Army or Navy Medical Corps who may be detailed as the White House physician. It provides also that the present officer so detailed shall have the rank, pay, and allowances from the date he was appointed to office.

The attitude of the War Department and the Navy Department is explained fully in the letters reading as follows:

Hon. W. FRANK JAMES,

Chairman Committee on Military Affairs,

House of Representatives.

JANUARY 2, 1930.

DEAR MR. JAMES: Careful consideration has been given to the bill (H. R. 6848, 71st Cong., 2d sess.) allowing the rank, pay, and allowances of a colonel, Medical Corps, United States Army, or of a captain, United States Navy, to any medical officer below such rank assigned to duty as physician to the White House, which you transmitted to the War Department under date of December 16, 1929, with a request for opinion and views of the department relative thereto.

The proposed legislation will grant to the present and future medical officers, assigned to duty as personal physician to the President, the rank, pay, and allowances of a colonel in the Army or a captain in the Navy. Such grant of rank, pay, and allowances will continue only while he is serving in that capacity. The bill would provide the features mentioned to the present incumbent from March 6, 1929, the date of his assignment to this duty.

The officer previously occupying this position, Maj. J. F. Coupal, Medical Corps, United States Army, was granted by the act of May 16, 1928 (45 Stat. 570), similar temporary rank, pay, and allowances. The act, however, was limited in its application solely to Major Coupal.

The assignment as personal physician to the President entails many responsibilities and added expense directly incident to such service. I feel that the obligations of the assignment are such as to fully warrant the grant of the rank, pay, and allowances proposed during the incumbency of any officer of the Army or Navy occupying the position and recommend the enactment of the bill.

The cost of the proposed legislation, if enacted, will necessarily vary with the existing rank of any particular incumbent. I am informed by the Secretary of the Navy that in the case of the present incumbent, Lieut. Commander J. T. Boone, United States Navy, the increased cost will be at the rate of $1,271 per

year.

The proposed legislation was submitted by the Secretary of the Navy to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, who advised that it is not in conflict with the financial program of the President.

Sincerely yours,

PATRICK J. HURLEY, Secretary of War.

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY,
Washington, December 7, 1929.

The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. SPEAKER: I have the honor to transmit herewith a proposed draft of bill allowing the rank, pay, and allowances of a colonel, Medical Corps, United States Army, or of a captain, Medical Corps, United States Navy, to any medical officer below such rank assigned to duty as physician to the White House.

The purpose of this proposed legislation is to provide that the officer of the Medical Corps, United States Army, or of the Medical Corps, United States Navy, below the rank of colonel or captain, respectively, who is now, or hereafter may be, assigned to duty as physician to the White House, shall have the temporary rank and the pay and allowances of a colonel, Medical Corps, United States Army, or of a captain, Medical Corps, United States Navy, while so serving, and that the officer now assigned to that duty shall have the rank, pay, and allowances from March 6, 1929, the date of assignment as such.

Lieut. Commander J. T. Boone, Medical Corps, United States Navy, has been assigned to duty as physician to the White House. The officer who previously performed the same duties, Maj. J. F. Coupal, Medical Corps, United States Army, was granted by the act of May 16, 1928 (45 Stat. 570), the temporary rank and the pay and allowances of a colonel while serving as personal physician to the President. This act, however, was limited in its application to Major Coupal alone and does not apply to Lieutenant Commander Boone, Medical Corps.

The Navy Department considers that the responsibilities of the physician to the White House are such as to warrant the grant of the rank, pay, and allowances of a colonel or a captain, respectively, to any officer of the Army or Navy occupying that position, so long as such assignment is in effect, if the officer does not hold such higher rank in his own right. In this view the War Department concurs.

The cost of the proposed legislation, if enacted, will necessarily vary with the existing rank of the officer concerned at the time of his assignment to the duty of physician to the White House. In the present circumstances, the increased cost will be at the rate of $1,271 per year.

The proposed draft of bill was referred to the Bureau of the Budget with the above information and a statement that the Navy Department contemplated recommending that the proposed legislation be enacted. Under date of May 7, 1929, the Director of the Bureau of the Budget informed the Navy Department that this proposed legislation is not in conflict with the financial program of the President.

In view of the above, the Navy Department recommends that the proposed draft of bill be enacted.

Sincerely yours,

C. F. ADAMS, Secretary of the Navy.

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