Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-12-05
WAR DEPARTMENT
RELIEF ACTIVITIES
CITED BY HURLEY
Secretay's Annual Report
"Reioices" at Peoples Con-
fidence in Government.
LACK OF RADICALISM
HOLDS DOWN EXPENSE
Economies and Judicious Spending
Practiced in Interest of I'm
employed.
BY the Associated Press.

oS Inc Associated Press.
Secretary Hurley recounted today
how his department-geared for war if
necesSary-had bent its efforts to hui
manltarian works of relief in the eco
homlc stains of the past year.
IN his annual report to President
hoover. the Secretary of War pointed
to the prolonged and disastrous eco
nomc and political disturbances
throughout the world" and rejoiced
that no hint of threatened violence had
Indicated necessity to employ the Army
in the United States.
virtual non-eXistence of radical ac-
tlVlty or public reputation of sub
VerslVe activity has led such questions
70 be OF no immediate concern to the
War Department from military
standpoint, he said
The facts are indicative of the Ma
tons strength and Of the confidence
OF the people in their leaders and their
Government, the report said.
IN touching on the departments ac-
INVITES Tor both direct and indirect
relief, the Secretary drew a sharp line
between extensive expenditures to dis
tribute assistance and extravaganza
spending ~
Aid OF the Unemployed,
No project Of public works had been
undertaken which would not contribute
directly to the ameloration of unem-
ployment, he said adding that the full
influence OF the department had been
eXerted to divide all work among the
maximum number of workers.
Nothing has been built or bought the
provision OF which was not directly in
the public interest" he said.
Within the Army itself he recounted
the measures for curtailed expenditures,
mentioning specifically the adoption of
program to abandon So superfluous
posts with their expenses Of overhead
and upkeep.
In view Of the economic slump, the
Secretary put aside all thought of i'm
mediate requests for increasing the
1erVice pay schedules. He noted, how
ever that every Secretary of War in
recent years had deplored "stagnation
OF promotion and inadequate pay"
which he said continued ito exercise
their discouraging effects upon the Reg
ular Army's personnel"
AT the same time. 1t is desired to
recall attention to the undoubted fact
that Army compensation. particularly
that of the junior commissioned grades.
falls below reasonable and lust stand
arcs, ne said.
Benefits 10 Accrue.
In turning to the peacettme works of
the Army, the Secretary predicted in
calculable benefits to accrue to tho
United States" through completion of
the civilian tasks allotted the ARMY En-
gineers These include rivers and mar
oors improvements and food control
works
Because OF the nature of the task.
the results attained must be measured
IN terms Of decades ard even centuries
rather than IN those of months and
years" he said.
He enumerated some Of the gigantic
projects OF the Engineers, mentioning
especially the Great Lakes-to-the-C 3uIf
OF Mexico enterprise, the 9-foot project
Tor the upper Mississippi and intra-
coastal waterways
The success Of the Inland WATERWAYS
Corporations governmental business
venture under the War Department
was viewed by the Secretary as a mis-
sion OF pioneering" in demonstrating
the economic feasibility of transporta-
tion on the interior waterways. He said
the success OF the corporation was es-
Sentlal TO its ultimate private operation
and control
Canal Proposals Rejected.
The Secretary in referring to the
Panama Canal rejected various supges-
tons put forward recently for a reduc-
ton in canal tolls. Necessity for ex-
tenSiVe additional expenditures on the
project and the fact that the canal is
not earning the per cent annual inter
est charge on its capital liability would
eliminate consideration of a reduction
in tolls, he said.
Aside from reviewing the general sug-
gestions designed to help Filipino-Aner-
lean relations, the Secretary did not
touch on the independence question for
the islands. His report extended only
to the end of the fiscal year ending
June 80, before he made his trip of in
Spectlon to the Philippines, on which
he Will make separate report and rec
ommendation to President Hoover.