how much money is available. One is a national trophy for competion of collegiate teams. That match will be held this year. We are planning to hold it this year at the Naval Academy where all the colleges that so desire may be represented.

Senator JONES. Do Annapolis and West Point compete in that? General PHILLIPS. Annapolis does, but West Point may not. Senator JONES. How many colleges do you have generally represented? How many did you have this last year?

General PHILLIPS. Well, no match of this character has been held under the auspices of the board.

Senator JONES. It has not?

General PHILLIPS. No, sir; this year is the first year the trophy has been provided, but during January of this year we gathered 12 college teams which competed in New York, in the Seventy-first Regiment Armory, in a match known as a gallery match, and we understand there will be 11 or 12 colleges represented in the first year's outdoor match. Of course these teams go to Annapolis at the expense of the institutions. The only thing provided for this competition will be the trophy and medals, and probably some ammunition for them to use in the match.

Senator JONES. Is there anything else?
General PHILLIPS. That is all.

General WALKER. Senator Jones, I should like to say one thing in defense of this appropriation. I do not believe it is usually understood what a far-reaching effect this appropriation has on our preparations for national defense. The appropriation is relatively small; the number of men that go to the shoots is not particularly large, but the very fact that these contests are provided causes the creation throughout the country of hundreds and hundreds of rifle clubs that are spending their own money and obtaining valuable instruction in the use of the rifle throughout the year.

I doubt if there is any single dollar in any appropriation of the War Department that produces so much returns in preparation for the national defense as each dollar contained in this particular appropriation.

Senator JONES. Is there any other statement you care to make? General WALKER. No, sir.

Senator JONES. We will adjourn until 2.15 Friday afternoon. (Thereupon, at 5 o'clock p. m., the committee adjourned until Friday, April 4, 1924, at 2.15 o'clock p. m.)

WAR DEPARTMENT APPROPRIATION BILL, 1925

FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 1924

UNITED STATES SENATE,

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 2.15 p. m., Senator James W. Wadsworth, jr., presiding:

Present: Senators Wadsworth, Jones of Washington, Capper, Fletcher, Neely, Harris, and Bayard.

Senator WADSWORTH. We will now proceed. We will take up first this afternoon the provision on page 191 of the bill having to do with the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, and trails in Alaska.

CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, BRIDGES, AND TRAILS, ALASKA

Senator WADSWORTH. We will be glad to hear now from Major Gotwals.

STATEMENT OF MAJ. JOHN C. GOTWALS, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, UNITED STATES ARMY

Major GOTWALS. Mr. Chairman, I wanted to speak on the section cut out by Mr. Cramton, providing for this, that if an appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1926, shall not have been made prior to March 1, 1925, the Secretary of War may authorize the Board of Road Commissioners to incur obligations for this purpose of not to exceed 75 per cent of the appropriation for this purpose for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1925, payment of these obligations to be made from the appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1926.

When Mr. Cramton introduced the amendment to cut out this proviso he stated as one of the reasons the possible relief of Colonel Steese. In that respect Mr. Cramton was under a misapprehension, for Colonel Steese was not relieved and his relief was not contemplated. In respect to this particular item, it is almost impossible to do work in Alaska unless one knows the amount of funds available very nearly on the date of March 1, because in so many of the remote localities both men and material must be started in over the snow. If one should wait until July 1 to make the necessary arrangements it would be impossible to do the work particularly in the great interior of Alaska, in which the railroad is so vitally interested. Of course, last year, and possibly this year, the Army bill will go through very much nearer March 1 than has been the

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