The CHAIRMAN. I think they brought them here through the Secretary of State.

Mr. CRAMTON. I think it is proper to return them, but there should be some limits to it, and we should not be required to pay an exorbitant freight rate to the Government of Hungary in returning them. Mr. MILLER. No, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. You estimate $1,500 here as the freight charge from Trieste to Budapest.

Mr. MILLER. I said that that would be susceptible of reduction. The CHAIRMAN. If we keep it, and do not make the payment to begin with, it would not have to be returned. If we should eliminate this item of $1,500, you would not have to return any money. Mr. MILLER. Of course, we will cover any remaining money back into the Treasury.

The CHAIRMAN. That will be different. We do not want Budapest to get the money.

Mr. MILLER. We will not pay it unless it is necessary. We can ask for a rebate. That is a good point that Mr. Cramton made.

The CHAIRMAN. Suppose we should give you this money, when would the shipment be made? Will there be another request for an appropriation next year because you could not make the shipment this year?

Mr. MILLER. No, sir. There is practically no expense in connection with this except a small storage charge that you will notice here in the estimates for three months rent from January 22, 1924, to April 21, 1924. There is a ship sailing in February, but I will probably not be able to get it on that ship. It sails on the 27th of February. There is another ship sailing in March, and I wil move it on the first ship sailing after this becomes the law.

The CHAIRMAN. Do you want to write that guarantee into this act? Mr. MILLER. You can word it in any way you like. I do not know whether my guarantee would be worth anything in the law.

Hon. MARTIN B. MADDEN,

Chairman Committee on Appropriations,
United States House of Representatives,

Washington, D. C.

FEBRUARY 16, 1924.

Re Hungarian works of art deficiency appropriation. DEAR CONGRESSMAN MADDEN: When I was before your committee to-day seyeral questions were asked concerning the appropriation that has been requested by this office for the return of the Hungarian works of art to Budapest. I looked into the matter upon my return to the office and find that two-thirds of the railroads from Trieste to Budapest are over the railroads of Yugoslavia, and the Hungarian railroads use only the last one-third of the journey. I have taken up informally with the Hungarian Legation the matter suggested by Mr. Cramton, namely, the portion of the shipping charges over the Hungarian railroads within Hungary by that Government. I have also ascertained that no American bottoms are available to transport these goods via Trieste and they must go on an Italian or Austrian vessel. I trust this gives you the information you desire.

Very truly yours,

THOMAS W. MILLER, Alien Property Custodian.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1924.

THE AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENT COMMISSION.

STATEMENT OF MAJ. X. H. PRICE, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, SECRETARY TO THE COMMISSION.

The CHAIRMAN. Public Act 534, fourth session, Sixty-seventh Congress, provides for the appointment of a commission by the President of the United States to be known as the American Battle Monuments Commission, which shall have power to locate monuments, place markers, and make relief maps of the battle fields where American troops fought in Europe. Will you be kind enough to tell the committee who composes that commission?

MEMBERS OF COMMISSION.

Major PRICE. Yes, sir. The commission was appointed by the President on June 11, of last year, and its composition is as follows: Gen. John J. Pershing, General of the Armies of the United States, and Chief of Staff, United States Army; Hon. David A. Reed, United States Senator; Hon. John Philip Hill, Member of the House of Representatives; Col. D. John Markey, of the Maryland National Guard; Col. Thomas W. Miller, lieutenant colonel, Officers' Reserve Corps, Alien Property Custodian, and member of the American Legion; Capt. R. G. Woodside, past commander in chief, Veterans of Foreign Wars; and Mrs. Frederick W. Bentley, of Chicago, Ill., president of Chicago chapter, Service, Star Legion; chairman committee on memorials, Gold Star Mothers' Association; chairman of War Memorials Committee, State of Illinois; and past commander American Legion Auxiliary. I am the secretary.

OUTLINE OF ORGANIZATION.

The CHAIRMAN. What force, if any, is to be employed by this commission? Have you an outline of the organization that you

propose?

Major PRICE. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. What do you propose to do? Suppose you give us an outline of what you are going to do, if you know?

Major PRICE. The commission was appointed on the last day of the last session of Congress, and is, therefore, operating without funds. This is an initial appropriation, rather than, strictly speaking, a supplemental appropriation.

The CHAIRMAN. Tell us what you propose to do. Give us an outline of what you have done so far in the matter of organization, what you plan to do, and how you reach the conclusion that you will do what you propose between now and the 1st of July, and why it will cost $95,000.

Major PRICE. The duties of the commission

The CHAIRMAN (interposing). We know what the duties are. They are stated in the act.

Major PRICE. In carrying out those duties, the estimates were prepared and considered under four headings: First, marking the

American battle fields; second, preparation of plans, and preliminary work in connection with the beautification and improvement of American cemeteries in Europe

The CHAIRMAN. Is not that a part of the work of the Quartermaster's Division of the War Department, and would not this be a duplication of work?

Major PRICE. No, sir; the work being carried on by the Army under Army appropriations involves no beautification, but simply grading, building of roads, construction, of fences, etc.

The CHAIRMAN. Is not that beautification? How do you differentiate between what they are doing and work of beautification? Can you give us a sort of picture of the difference between beautification and what they are doing?

Major PRICE. Perhaps I had better go back a bit. That provision in the bill was put in by the Committee on Foreign affairs. The CHAIRMAN. Which provision?

Major PRICE. The provision that gives the commission charge of the beautification of the cemeteries.

The CHAIRMAN. I wish you would be kind enough to get your mind back to this point: What the committee wishes to know is what your plans are, if you have made plans or have a program that will lead you anywhere.

Major PRICE. We have a very definite program.

The CHAIRMAN. What is it? I wish you would outline it, because that is what we want to know first.

Major PRICE. First, marking with monuments the battle fields. in Europe.

The CHAIRMAN. How will you do that?

Major PRICE. The project adopted is a project which in general detail was prepared in the War Department.

The CHAIRMAN. Have you that?

Major PRICE. Yes, sir; I have it here.
The CHAIRMAN. Suppose you read it.
Major PRICE (reading):

The project as originally approved by the late President Harding has been indorsed in some official way by all of the large organizations in the country composed of ex-service men. It has received much publicity, and in so far as the American Battle Monument Commission has been able to determine has never been the subject of unfavorable criticism. It is belived to be the most effective and economical method of marking these battle fields which can be evolved.

The CHAIRMAN. What has that got to do with the plan?
Major PECK. That is an introductory paragraph to the plan.

PLACING OF BRONZE RELIEF MAPS.

The CHAIRMAN. That is an argument, or a stump speech. Major PRICE. To explain the plan, the basic idea of it is to mark the battle fields of Europe by means of bronze relief maps. This [indicating] represents a relief map. This [indicating] is a model representing a bronze relief map. The plan involves placing these relief maps upon pedestal stands about waist-high.

Mr. LEE. În one place, or in many places?
Major PRICE. In many places.

The CHAIRMAN. Will you have more than one bronze tablet on each battle field?

Major PRICE. Yes, there will be many upon the larger battle areas. The idea is to take this relief map and mount it on a high point. For instance, this map here would be mounted on a hill. The CHAIRMAN. It would show the positions of the troops during different stages of the battle?

Major PRICE. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And the topography of the ground?

Major PRICE. Yes, sir; it would show the topography in vicinity of the monument. A person standing by the map could look out over the grounds and see the same ground that is represented on the map. Then, by looking at the map, he could find out where the various military operations occurred. Then he could look out over the ground and find the same places there. It works out in a very exceptional way. By looking at the map, the directions on the map give the directions on the ground. For instance, this is the monument on the map, and here [indicating] is a town on the map. By looking along the line of the monument on the map and of the town on the map, out in the distance, on the ground, will be found the town shown on the map.

The CHAIRMAN. It shows where the different troops were located?

Major PRICE. Yes, sir. On this particular map here, which is a relief map of St. Mihiel, the battle lines are shown. A person standing by the map looking out over the ground can find just where the operations started and where the troops were the first night. The CHAIRMAN. What is this elevation?

Major PRICE. That is a hill in the vicinity of Mount Sec. Right in here [indicating] is where the first American sector was.

The CHAIRMAN. If you take all the maps together they will show the total groupings?

Major PRICE. These relief maps will cover every area fought over by American troops.

The CHAIRMAN. Suppose you go on with the statement of your concrete plan.

Major PRICE. The relief maps will be made of bronze, with one or more features, such as waterways, shown in colored enamel. This use of bronze and enamel together will require some experimentation, although it is certain that they can be so used.

The relief maps will be on a scale of 1/20,000. This was the scale most generally used in planning operations during the World War. Relief maps on this scale exist for a large part of the territory of the American operations in Europe and much time and expense will be saved if they are used in the development of this project. The scale is thought to be perfect for such use.

The section of country to be covered by these maps will be approximately 5 by 6 miles. These dimensions were determined after much experimentation. They will give a relief map of about 16 by 20 inches.

That is fixed because you can not see in detail much more than that distance.

The support for the relief map will be a solid stone block with a top surface somewhat larger than the relief map. The shape of the block of stone will require some experimentation.

It is probable, however, that it will have a flat top with slightly sloping sides. This is in accordance with the suggestion of Mr. Bacon, the designer of the Lincoln Memorial. The face of the block toward the observer will show one or both of the following: The coat of arms of the United States and the words "United States of America."

The CHAIRMAN. It will be like an open book, set at an angle of, say, 45°, on the face of the pedestal?

Major PRICE. It may be that way, or it may be flat. Our first idea was to have it sloping, but Mr. Bacon suggested that it be made flat.

The monument has not yet been developed from an artistic point of view. This development will be done when funds are available. The CHAIRMAN. What monuments are you referring to? Major PRICE. I am referring to the actual artistic details. The CHAIRMAN. Of the monument and pedestals?

Major PRICE. Yes, sir.

These monuments will be used at all places in Europe where American divisions were in battle operations. They will be placed at points which combine prominence with accessibility. It is estimated that the American operations of this character in France can be completely marked by 100 monuments of this type.

OUTLINE SKETCH MAPS.

There is involved another type of map which we call an outline sketch map. The idea of this map is to make a sketch map of bronze, like a bronze tablet, with what is shown here (pointing) in ink made in relief. This map will be used to show the position of a division during sector occupation. Sector occupation is different from the battle operations, because the line is generally stationery during the entire service in line, and casualties in a division average perhaps 5 or 10 per day, whereas in battle operations they might average from 500 to 1,000 per day. The first idea was to use a relief map to mark sector occupation, but it was discarded. Comparatively few people would be interested in the sector occupation, and yet we figured that every service of American divisions in France ought to be marked.

The CHAIRMAN. I think they will be interested in the sector cenpations.

Major PRICE. This problem of marking sector occupations is much different from that of battle participation.

In battle participation the battle line is generally moving, casualties are great, and the period in line for any unit is short. It is a period of intense action with everything working at top speed. Sector occupation is just the reverse of this. It is generally a period of comparatively inaction. The battle line practically never changes. Casualties are comparatively few, and the period in line is long. The average front held by a devision in battle is about 3 miles, whereas the average in sector occupation is about 12 miles. On