Evening star., 1948-03-29
Bills Pressed
For Army, Navy
Building Jobs
| Bates Opposes DeIoy
For Projects to Cost
| $50 Millions
by the Assesiussd Press

A House Armed Services Sub.
committee will demand that Re.
publican leaders pin a must" tag
this week on 1888 ,000, 900 worth of
Army, Navy and Air Force con-
struction.
The projects, already trimmed
down from a 5000. 600. 900 request.
have been awaiting congressional
approval since last year.
Representative Bates, Republican,
Of Massachusetts,, the subcommittee
chairman, told reporters today the
services cannot shave another nickel
of their program, and Congress
should get it rolling without more
delay. :
The program was approved by NM
Bates subcommittee and the full
Armed Services Committee last
year. It includes everything from
supersonic wind tunnels to houses
for officers. 1t spreads from Hawaii
to Newfoundland.
Given Full Authority.
Mr. Bates has authority from the
full committee to write his own
ticket in getting the program onto
the House floor for debate.
The chairman said the $353, ,000..
900 would finance q good start on
essential projects, but the bill prob
ably would run to $500 ,000, 900 be-
fore the work could be finished.
The Air Force wants $500, 900 70
build two secret installations In
Newfoundland, $12,270,677 for air
fields in the Mariana Islands In the
Pacific and $2o,6s4,s50 to improve
Ladd Field in Alaska. It also wants
81, ,0S5, 500 to provide night lighting
systems and other safety equipment
for fields in this country.
The Army says 1t needs to spend
s., ,887, ,430 at the White Sands Prov.
ing Ground in New Mexico, $l,978,.
800 at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ, for
testing rockets and new bombs and
81, ,057 800 for various testing facili-
ties at Muroc Air Field in Califor.
MIA.
Living Quarters Needed.
In addition to these projects, the
Army Air Force wants additional
money to build family living quar-
tiers.
For instance, $3,1s6,sS is sought
for Eglin Field, Fla, $4,455 $50 for
Camp Hood, Tex, $4,595.300 for
Fort Knox, KY, and $6,50l, $40 for
the heavy bombasdment base NJ
Rapid City, s. Oak.
Perhaps the most controversial
item in the two bills Is the Navy's
request for $l2,000,000 to build an
airfield for the Naval Academy at
Annapolis. The Navy wants to buy
2,40O acres of land for it.
This field was authorized by Con-
gress in 1912, but work was post
poned because of the war. The au-
thorization was rescinded by Con-
gress in 1946, and the Navy has not
been able to get 1t approved again.
Navy Has Other Projects.
Some Of the larger jobs the Navy
| would like to do in this country
include IS ,3o3, 900 for an ordnance
testing station at Inyokern, Calf;
s34 $4,000 for a missile testing
center at Point Mugu, Calf; $685.
75O, 1000 for an aeronautical turbine
laboratory at Trenton, N. j., ana
$8 ,936, $50 for the Navy unit at
White Sands, N. Mex.
The overseas program would cover
approximately $16,000,0 900 for Navy
activities at Adak, Alaska; $685.
900 for a radio station at Argentia,
Newfoundland, and vast building
program on Guam. The Guam oper-,
ating base would be expanded for
$24, 100000, and more than $685.
000, 900 would be spent on hos
pital, ammunition depots, a radio
station and supply warehouses.