After General Bradley graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1915 he saw combat service in World War I and quickly rose to the temporary grade of major while serving with the Fourteenth Infantry Regiment. Following the war he reverted to the grade of captain, and as an officer of the Regular Army served in various military assignments consistent with his rank.

As a lieutenant colonel, he became Assistant Secretary of the General Staff in 1939. He served in this capacity until February 1941 when he was selected by General Marshall to become commandant of the Infantry school and promoted to the grade of brigadier general. As commandant of the Infantry school he organized the Infantry officer's candidate program that eventually commis sioned more than 45,000 combat leaders during the war period.

Early in 1943 he was called to the north African theater and placed in command of the Second Corps. It was this corps that smashed through units of the Afrika Korps in Northern Tunisia and, with the British First and Eighth Armies, ended the war in Africa. The Second Corps alone captured over 40,000 prisoners.

The day following the collapse of the enemy in Tunisia, General Bradley was en route to Algiers to help plan the invasion of Sicily. This successful invasion started on July 10, 1943.

When a ground force commander was needed to make the invasion of Normandy, General Bradley was selected to command the First Army, which on June 6, 1944, landed in France to break the Atlantic Wall. It was this First Army that smashed through the lines at St. Lo and opened the way for the speedy liberation of France. Bradley relinquished the First Army to General Hodges and assumed over-all command of the Twelfth Army Group, comprising the First, Third, Ninth, and Fifteenth American Armies. The Twelfth Army Group numbered more than 1,300,000 combat troops, the largest body of troops ever to serve under a single field commander.

In the spring of 1945, after the American armies had smashed the German winter attacks and broken down the Siegfried line to push on to the Rhine, General Bradley was given his fourth star.

Three weeks after VE-day General Bradley was drafted to become head of the vast Veterans' Administration during the critical postwar demobilization period. In directing this task General Bradley once said, "There is no job I would rather not have; none in which I would want to do better." It is the general consensus of opinion that no one could have done better.

On February 7, 1948, General Bradley became Chief of Staff, United States Army, succeeding General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower. During the first session of the Eighty-first Congress, Congress created the office of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and on August 16, 1949, General Bradley became the first one to hold this office. In this new and most responsible position Genéral Bradley is the chief military adviser to the President, the Secretary of Defense, the Congress and, in fact, the American people. Because of the great confidence placed in General Bradley, it is the unanimous recommendation of the Armed Services Committee that he be promcted to the grade of General of the Army. The following letter to the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, dated April 12, 1950, with respect to a similar but not identical bill, sets forth the recommendations of the Secretary of Defense and is made a part of this report:

Hon. CARL VINSON,

Chairman, Armed Services Committee,

THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE,
Washington, April 12, 1950.

House of Representatives,

MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Some time ago you requested the views of this office with respect to H. R. 6335, "to authorize and request the President to appoint Gen. Omar N. Bradley to the permanent grade of General of the Army."

In my opinion, nothing that any of us can do to honor General Bradley can exceed the honors to which he is entitled for his outstanding contributions to the security of this Nation.

In the last analysis, the question of whether or not H. R. 6335 should be enacted is a matter for congressional determination, but at the very least I can assure you that the Department of Defense interposes no objection to favorable congressional consideration of this bill.

You will recall that in the course of my testimony before your committee last October, I stated: "I believe in the concept of a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; but I categorically assure you-despite rumors that have been circulated to the contrary—that I do not advocate a single Chief of Staff".

I do not want my views, as set out above, to be interpreted as evidence of any change of heart on this score. My viewpoint with respect to a single Chief of Staff remains as it was when I appeared before your committee last October. Accordingly, if H. R. 6335 is acted upon favorably, I would urge that it would be amended to make it clear that this legislation is intended as a deserved honor and reward for Gen. Omar Bradley as an individual, and not as a precedent with respect to five-star rank for the high position he is currently filling in such an outstanding

manner.

With warm personal regards, I am,

Sincerely,

H. R. 8677

LOUIS JOHNSON.

Senator BYRD. The next bill is H. R. 8677, upon which the chairman was made a subcommittee of one.

(H. R. 8677 is as follows:)

[Committee print]

[H. R. 8677, 81st Cong., 2d sess.]

[Omit the part enclosed in black brackets and insert the part printed in italic] An Act To authorize and provide for the maintenance and operation of the Panama Canal by the present corporate adjunct of the Panama Canal, as renamed; to reconstitute the agency charged with the civil government of the Canal Zone, and for other

purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 5 of title 2 of the Canal Zone Code, approved June 19, 1934 (48 Stat. 1122), is amended to read as follows: 5. ESTABLISHMENT, ADMINISTRATION, AND FUNCTIONS OF CANAL ZONE GOVERNMENT. The independent agency of the United States heretofore known as the Panama Canal shall hereafter

"(1) be known as the Canal Zone Government;

“(2) be administered, under the supervision of the President or such officer of the United States as may be designated by him, by a Governor of the Canal Zone; and

"(3) be charged, except as otherwise provided by law, with the performance of the various duties connected with the civil government, including health, sanitation and protection, of the Canal Zone.

"CROSS-REFERENCE

"Appointment of other necessary persons, see section 81 of this title, as amended." [SEC. 2. Except as otherwise provided in, or where inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act, the terms "the Panama Canal", "the Canal", and "the Canal authorities", wherever appearing in the statutes of the United States and having reference, prospectively, to the agency heretofore known by those names, are amended to read "the Canal Zone Government".]

SEC. 2 (a) Except as otherwise provided in, or where inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act

(1) the terms "the Panama Canal", "the Canal", and "the Canal authori ties", wherever appearing in the statutes of the United States and having reference, prospectively, to the agency heretofore known by those names, are amended to read "the Canal Zone Government"; and

(2) the term "the Panama Railroad Company”, wherever appearing in the statutes of the United States and having reference, prospectively, to the corporation heretofore known by that name, is amended to read "the Panama Canal Company".

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the title "the Governor of the Panama Canal", wherever appearing in the statutes of the United States, is amended to read "the Governor of the Canal Zone".

(c) Sections 982, 987, and 1024 of title 4, and section 833 of title 5, of the Canal Zone Code, are amended by deleting the term "the Panama Canal", appearing in each af said sections, and inserting in lieu thereof the term "the Panama Canal Company".

(d) Section 836 of title 5 of the Canal Zone Code is amended by deleting the term "the Government of the Canal Zone", which appears in paragraph b of said section and inserting in lieu thereof the term "the Panama Canal Company”. (e) The headline and introductory clause of section 7 of title 2 of the Canal Zone Code are amended to read as follows:

7. CONTROL AND JURISDICTION OF GOVERNOR OVER CANAL ZONE.-The Governor of the Canal Zone shall: * *

[SEC. 3. Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the title "the Governor of the Panama Canal", wherever appearing in the statutes of the United States, is amended to read "the Governor of the Canal Zone".]

Sec. 3. Section 10 of title 2 of the Canal Zone Code, as amended by section 1 of the Act of June 13, 1940 (ch. 358, 54 Stat. 387), is further amended to read as follows:

"10. Injuries to Vessels, Cargo, Crew, or Passengers, OCCASIONED BY OPERATION OF CAN AL—(a) INJURIES IN LOCKS OF CAN AL.-The Panama Canal Company shall promptly adjust and pay damages for injuries to vessels, or to the cargo, crew, or passengers of vessels, which may arise by reason of the passage of such vessels through the locks of the Panama Canal under the control of officers or employees of the said corporation: Provided, however, That no such damages shall be paid in any case where the injury was proximately caused by the negligence or fault of the vessel, master, crew, or passengers: Provided further, That in any case wherein the negligence or fault of the vessel, master, crew, or passengers proximately contributed to the injury, the award of damages shall be diminished in proportion to the negligence or fault attributable to the said vessel, master, crew, or passengers: And provided further, That damages shall not be allowed and paid for injuries to any protrusion beyond the side of a vessel, whether such protrusion is permanent or temporary in character. A vessel shall be considered to be passing through the locks of the Canal, under the control of officers or employees of the corporation, from the time the first towing line is made fast on board before entrance into the locks and until the towing lines are cast off upon, or immediately prior to, departure from the lock chamber.

"(b) Injuries Other Than in Locks.-The Panama Canal Company shall promptly adjust and pay damages for injuries to vessels, or to the cargo, crew, or passengers of vessels which may arise by reason of the presence of such vessels in the waters of the Canal Zone, other than the locks, when the injury was proximately caused by negligence or fault on the part of any officer or employee of the corporation acting within the scope of his employment and in the line of his duties in connection with the operation of the canal: Provided, however, That in any case wherein the negligence or fault of the vessel, master, crew, or passengers proximately contributed to the injury, the award of damages shall be diminished in proportion to the negligence or fault attributable to the said vessel, master, crew, or passengers: And provided further, That in the case of any vessel which is required by or pursuant to regulations prescribed under section 9 of this title, as amended, to have a Panama Canal pilot on duty aboard, no damages shall be adjusted and paid for injuries to any vessel, or to the cargo, crew, or passengers of any such vessel, incurred while the vessel was under way and in motion, unless at the time such injuries were incurred the navigation or movement of the vessel was under the control of a Panama Canal pilot.

"(c) Measure of Damages Generally.—In determining the amount of the award of damages for injuries to a vessel for which the Panama Canal Company is found or determined to be liable, there may be included (1) actual or estimated cost of repairs; (2) charter hire actually lost by the owners, or charter hire actually paid, depending upon the terms of the charter party, for the time the vessel is undergoing repairs; (3) maintenance of the vessel and wages of the crew, if such are found to be actual additional expenses or losses incurred outside of the charter hire; (4) other expenses which are definitely and accurately shown to have been incurred necessarily and by reason of the accident or injuries: Provided, however, That there shall not be allowed agent's fees or commissions or other incidental expenses of similar character, or any items which are indefinite, indeterminable, speculative, or conjectural. The corporation shall be furnished such vouchers, receipts, or other evidence as may be necessary in support of any item of a claim. If a vessel is not operated under charter but by the owner directly, evidence shall be secured if available as to the sum for which vessels of the same size and class can be chartered in the market. If such charter value cannot be determined, the value of the use of such vessel to its owners in the business in which it was engaged at the time of the injuries shall be used as a basis for estimating the damages for the vessel's detention; and the

books of the owners showing the vessel's earnings about the time of the accident or injuries shall be considered as evidence of probable earnings during the time of detention. If the books are unavailable, such other evidence shall be furnished as may be necessary.

"(d) Delays for Which No Responsibility Assumed.-The Panama Canal Company shall not be responsible, nor consider any claim, for demurrage or delays occasioned by landslides or other natural causes, by necessary construction or maintenance work on Canal locks, terminals, or equipment, by obstructions arising from accidents, by time necessary for admeasurement, by congestion of traffic, or by any other cause except as especially set forth in this section.

"(e) Settlement of Claims.-The amounts of the respective awards of damages under this section may be adjusted, fixed, and determined by the corporation by mutual agreement, compromise, or otherwise; and acceptance by any claimant of the amount awarded to him shall be deemed to be in full settlement of such claims.

"(f) Actions on Claims.-Any claimant for damages under this section who considers himself aggrieved by the findings, determination, or award of the Panama Canal Company in reference to his claim may bring an action on such claim against the said corporation in the United States District Court for the District of the Canal Zone; and in any such action the provisions of this section relative to the determination, adjustment, and payment of such claims, and the provisions of the regulations established under section 9 of this title, as amended, relative to navigation of Canal Zone waters and to transiting of the Panama Canal, shall be applicable. No action for damages which is cognizable under this section shall lie against the said corporation otherwise, or in any other court, than as provided in this paragraph, or shall lie against any officer or employee of the corporation: Provided, however, That nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent or prohibit actions against officers or employees of the said corporation for damages for injuries resulting from acts of such officers or employees outside the scope of their employment or not in the line of their duties or from acts of such officers or employees committed or performed with intent to injure the person or property of another. Actions under this paragraph shall be tried by the court without a jury.

"(g) Investigation Before Vessel's Departure.-Notwithstanding any other provison of law, no claim shall be considered under this section, nor shall any action for damages lie thereon, unless, prior to the departure from Canal Zone waters of the vessel involved, the investigation under section 10a of this title of the accident or injury giving rise to such claim shall have been completed, and the basis for the claim shall have been laid before the corporation."

[SEC. 4. Except as otherwise provided in, or where inconsistent with, the provisions of this Act, the term "the Panama Railroad Company", wherever appearing in the statutes of the United States and having reference, prospectively, to the corporation heretofore known by that name, is amended to read "the Panama Canal Company".

[SEC. 5. The headline and introductory clause of section 7 of title 2 of the Canal Zone Code are amended to read as follows:

["7. CONTROL AND JURISDICTION OF GOVERNor Over CanaL ZONE.--The Governor. of the Canal Zone shall: * * *"]

SEC. [6] 4. Section 82 of title 2 of the Canal Zone Code is amended to read as follows:

"82. COMPENSATION OF PERSONS IN MILITARY, NAVAL, OR PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE. (a) If any of the persons appointed or employed as provided in section 6, or section 81, as amended, of this title are in the military, naval, or Public Health Service of the United States, the amount of the official salary paid to any such person shall be deducted from the amount of salary or compensation provided by or which shall be fixed under the terms of those sections, but this section shall not be construed as requiring the deduction from the amount of such salary or compensation of—

"(1) the retired pay or allowance of any retired warrant officer or enlisted man of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard; or "(2) the training pay, retainer pay or allowances of any warrant officer or enlisted man of the Reserve forces, of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard.

"(b) The Canal Zone Government shall annually pay to each of the aforesaid services an amount sufficient to reimburse the said service for the official salary paid to any person in such service for the period of appointment or employment by the Canal Zone Government."

73988-50--3

SEC. [7] 5. The headline and first sentence of section 245 of title 2 of the Canal Zone Code, as added by the Act of June 29, 1948 (ch. 706, 62 Stat. 1075), are amended to read as follows:

"245. CREATION, PURPOSES, OFFICES, AND RESIDENCE OF PANAMA CANAL COMPANY. For the purposes of maintaining and operating the Panama Canal and of conducting business operations incident to such maintenance and operation and incident to the civil government of the Canal Zone, there is hereby created, as an agency and instrumentality of the United States, a body corporate to be known as the Panama Canal Company, hereinafter referred to as the 'corporation'.

*

SEC. [8] 6. Paragraph (c) of section 246 of title 2, Canal Zone Code, as added by the Act of June 29, 1948, is amended to read as follows:

"(c) In order to reimburse the Treasury, as nearly as possible, for the interest cost of the funds or other assets directly invested in the corporation, the corporation shall pay interest to the Treasury on the net direct investment of the Government in the corporation as defined in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, and shown by the receipt described therein, at a rate or rates determined by the Secretary of the Treasury as required to reimburse the Treasury for its cost. Payments of such interest charges shall be made annually to the extent earned, and if not earned shall be made from subsequent earnings unless the Congress shall otherwise direct."

SEC. [9] 7. Section 246 of title 2, Canal Zone Code, as added by the Act of June 29, 1948, is amended by adding at the end thereof a new paragraph lettered (e) and reading as follows:

"(e) The corporation is further obligated to pay into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts amounts sufficient to reimburse the Treasury, as nearly as possible, (1) for the annuity payments under article XIV of the convention of November 18, 1903, between the United States of America and the Republic of Panama, as modified by article VII of the treaty of March 2, 1936, between the said Governments, and (2) for the net costs of operation of the agency known as the Canal Zone Government. The net costs of operation of the Canal Zone Government, which are deemed to form an integral part of the costs of operation of the Panama Canal enterprise as a whole, shall not include interest but shall include depreciation and the reimbursement of other Government agencies for expenditures made on behalf of the Canal Zone Government. The payments into the Treasury, referred to in this paragraph, shall be made annually to the extent earned, and if not earned shall be made from subsequent earnings unless the Congress shall otherwise direct."

SEC. [10] 8. Subparagraph (e) of section 248 of title 2, Canal Zone Code, as added by the Act of June 29, 1948, is amended by adding at the end thereof a sentence reading as follows: "The provisions of section 82 of this title, as amended, shall apply to the corporation and to its officers and employees."

SEC. [11] 9. Section 249 of title 2 of the Canal Zone Code, as added by the Act of June 29, 1948, is amended by relettering subparagraphs (a) to (f) thereof as subparagraphs (b) to (g), respectively, and by inserting after the introductory clause of said section a new subparagraph reading as follows:

"(a) May maintain and operate the Panama Canal."

SEC. [12] 10. Article 3 of chapter 12 of title 2, Canal Zone Code, as added by the Act of June 29, 1948, is amended by renumbering sections 255 and 256 of said title 2 as sections 257 and 258, respectively, and by adding, in said article 3, two new sections numbered 255 and 256 and reading as follows:

"255. APPROPRIATIONS TO Cover Losses.-Appropriations are hereby authorized for payment to the corporation of such amounts as may be shown in the annual budget program of the corporation as necessary to cover losses sustained in the conduct of its activities. Amounts appropriated to the corporation under authority of this section shall not be added to the amount of the receipt referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) of section 246 of this title, and shall not require payment of interest under paragraph (c) of said section 246: Provided, however, That repayments by the corporation to the Treasury shall in no case be treated as dividends under sections 246 (d) and 253 of this title until all amounts appropriated to the corporation under authority of this section shall have been repaid to the Treasury."

"256. AUTHORIZATION FOR TRANSFER OF PANAMA CANAL TO CORPORATION.-The President is hereby authorized to transfer to the corporation the Panama Canal, together with the facilities and appurtenances related thereto, and any or all of the facilities and appurtenances heretofore maintained and operated by the