NATIONAL COUNCIL OF INTELLECTUAL COOPERATION FOR THE UNITED STATES

FEBRUARY 27, 1931.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. REED of New York, from the Committee on Education, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. J. Res. 510]

The Committee on Education, to whom was referred House Joint Resolution 510 authorizing an annual appropriation for the maintenance of headquarters for the National Council of Intellectual Cooperation for the United States, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with the recommendation that it do pass.

• Following is the message from the President of the United States transmitting report from the Secretary of State that this legislation be enacted:

To the Congress of the United States:

I commend to the favorable consideration of the Congress the inclosed report from the Secretary of State, to the end that legislation may be enacted authorizing an annual appropriation of $21,000 for the maintenance of headquarters for the National Council of Intellectual Cooperation for the United States.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

HERBERT HOOVER.

Washington, February 9, 1931.

The PRESIDENT:

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 7, 1931.

The Sixth International Conference of American States, held at Habana in 1928, adopted a resolution creating the Inter-American Institute of Intellectual Cooperation. This body, having its headquarters in Habana, is now an established institution. In conformity with the constituent resolution, the Pan American Union caused to be convened at Habana in 1930 a Congress of Rectors, Deans, and Educators, in order to define the scope of the institute and to give form and direction to its activities. All the American Republics, save Honduras, were represented at the Congress. An organic act was drawn up and approved, providing for the establishment in each of the member Republics of a National Council of Intellectual Cooperation, to be composed of eminent representatives

general leasing act of February 25, 1920 (41 Stat. 437; U. S. C., title 30, secs. 184 and 226), as amended, I have the honor to inform you as follows:

The main purposes of the bill are to remove the existing limitations and restrictions as to time and acreage involved in oil leases, permit collective operation and cooperative or unit plan of development, and to automatically extend for the life of a single pool or area present oil leases that have become the subject of cooperative or unit plans of development or operation.

The Navy Department has no criticism to offer concerning the provisions of the bill so far as it affects leases on public lands other than naval petroleum reserves. However, it is deeply concerned over the effect its provisions may have on its existing leases within the naval petroleum reserves. This concern has heretofore been made known to you by my letter of January 31, 1931, wherefrom I beg to quote the following pertinent language:

66* * * I am writing to say that while I am fully committed to unit operation as a national policy and anticipate notable conservation therefrom, I am charged with the protection of the Navy's interest which is to preserve in the naval petroleum reserves a maximum quantity of oil in the ground until needed for national defense. May I point out that the bill as drawn would, in effect, extend present leases from the present 20-year period to the life of the particular pool regardless of whether it is or may be to the Navy's interests to do so, and would give to present lessees new and valuable rights adverse to the interests of the Government in the naval petroleum reserves.

"I am writing therefore to request that you bear in mind the Navy's interest when amendments are being prepared. I do not of course desire to have the Navy excluded from all participation in unit operation; but I think the Secretary of the Navy should be left free to commit the Navy to such unit operation only when such action will not be detrimental to the policy above expressed."

In order to more clearly set forth the Navy Department's viewpoint I have to recommend that there be added to this bill at the end thereof the following proviso:

"Provided further, That nothing in this act shall be construed as affecting existing leases within the borders of the naval petroleum reserves and the Secretary of the Navy is hereby empowered, with the assent of the President, to enter into such leases or agreements, herein referred to, as in his judgment will conserve the interests of the Navy."

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF INTELLECTUAL COOPERATION FOR THE UNITED STATES

FEBRUARY 27, 1931.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. REED of New York, from the Committee on Education, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. J. Res. 510]

The Committee on Education, to whom was referred House Joint Resolution 510 authorizing an annual appropriation for the maintenance of headquarters for the National Council of Intellectual Cooperation for the United States, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with the recommendation that it do pass.

Following is the message from the President of the United States transmitting report from the Secretary of State that this legislation be enacted:

To the Congress of the United States:

I commend to the favorable consideration of the Congress the inclosed report from the Secretary of State, to the end that legislation may be enacted authorizing an annual appropriation of $21,000 for the maintenance of headquarters for the National Council of Intellectual Cooperation for the United States.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

HERBERT HOOVER.

Washington, February 9, 1931.

The PRESIDENT:

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 7, 1931.

The Sixth International Conference of American States, held at Habana in 1928, adopted a resolution creating the Inter-American Institute of Intellectual Cooperation. This body, having its headquarters in Habana, is now an established institution. In conformity with the constituent resolution, the Pan American Union caused to be convened at Habana in 1930 a Congress of Rectors, Deans, and Educators, in order to define the scope of the institute and to give form and direction to its activities. All the American Republics, save Honduras, were represented at the Congress. An organic act was drawn up and approved, providing for the establishment in each of the member Republics of a National Council of Intellectual Cooperation, to be composed of eminent representatives

of the sciences, arts, and letters. Their functions are to collect and to disseminate information regarding institutions of learning and research, with particular reference to facilities afforded foreign professors and students; to encourage the study of subjects favorable to a better understanding of the history and culture of neighboring nations; to promote the interchange of professors, students, research workers, special investigators, and cultural missions; to formulate intellectual problems requiring organized effort or international cooperation; in short, to provide for an important element of each of our Republics a means of entering into more intimate relations.

According to Article II of the organic act of the institute the Pan American Union was authorized to request the Secretary or the Department of Public Instruction of each of the Republics represented to facilitate the formation of the National Council of Intellectual Cooperation for that State. Since no department of public instruction exists in this country, however, the governing board of the Pan American Union instructed the director general to communicate with the Department of State, requesting its good offices in calling into existence the National Council of Intellectual Cooperation for the United States. After due consultation with the Department of the Interior, as the one of which the Commissioner of Education is a member, and with other responsible authorities, compliance has been made with this request. An executive committee of nine and some sixty members of the council have accepted nominations, all men and women of the highest rank in their respective fields.

Without presuming to claim too much, it is evident that among American Republics in particular, great possibilities lie before such a body. Our own people tend to regard the technician, the business man, and the financier, as the surest forerunners and preservers of international good will. Among our Latin neighbors the savant and the artist are accorded a position more influential than they sometimes enjoy in the United States. An agency, therefore, which brings into contact the intellectual leaders of our several Republics and facilitates participation as between country and country in the cultural wealth peculiar to each, can not fail to have the happiest results in promoting mutual understanding, good will, and respect.

It now remains to furnish an example of interest and promptness by setting in early motion this new agency of international fellowship. The Pan American Union has generously done its part by offering the council quarters, rent free, in its building at Washington. In order to keep the widely scattered members of the council in touch with its even more widely scattered activities, and with those of the corresponding councils in the other American Republics, there will be required the services of a competent permanent secretary, with a small staff consisting of 2 translators, 1 clerk, and 1 messenger. A certain amount of office equipment will also be necessary.

On the proposal, therefore, of the Hon. Ray Lyman Wilbur, chairman of the executive committee, I have the honor to recommend that the Congress be requested to enact legislation authorizing an annual appropriation of $21,000 for the maintenance of headquarters for the National Council of Intellectual Cooperation for the United States.

Respectfully submitted.

INCORPORATION OF CREDIT UNIONS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

FEBRUARY 27, 1931.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed

Mr. ZIHLMAN, from the Committee on District of Columbia, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 14683]

The Committee on the District of Columbia, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 14683) to provide for the incorporation of credit unions within the District of Columbia, having considered the same, report back to the House with the recommendation that the legislation do pass.

OBJECT OF THE BILL

The purpose of the bill is to permit the incorporation of credit unions in the District of Columbia.

The bill defines credit unions as cooperative societies organized for the purpose of promoting thrift among members and creating a source of credit for them for provident purposes.

The history of credit unions abroad and in the United States is brilliantly discussed by the Hon. W. W. Bride, corporation counsel of the District, in a report to the District Commissioners, which is appended hereto as part of the committee's report.

The credit union operates among small groups, such as employees of a given concern, members of a church parish, members of a labor union, etc.

Members of a credit union buy shares therein, for the purpose of saving, and may borrow thereform for legitimate needs, paying an interest charge of not more than 1 per cent a month on unpaid balances.

Thirty-two States now have credit union laws, and the Post Office Department, through its office of service relations, has organized 247 credit unions in those States. Not one credit union, so far as the committee has been able to ascertain, has ever gone through the process of involuntary liquidation.