ANNUAL REPORT COVERING MI LIT ARY ACTIVITIES OF THE · OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1926 SUBMITTED BY MAJOR GENERAL EDGAR JADWIN CHIEF OF ENGINEERS TO THE SECRET ARY OF WAR Copy of Annual Beport, Chief of Engineers, P.y. 1926. KILITARY DIVISIOH WAR DEPARTMENT Office of the Chief of Engineers C. of E. 519.12 A Washington September 8, 1926. Subject: Annual Report. fo: THE ADJUTANT GENERAL. 1. There is inclosed herewith annual report of the Chief of Engineers for the fiscal year 1926. It was thought advisable as a matter of convenience on account of the length of tho report to place the recommendations at the beginning of the report instead of at the end and follow these recommendations by statement of reasons in the body of the report. 2. A synopsis for press release is also inclosed. For the Chief of Engineers; R. C. Moore, Major, Corps of Engineers, Chief, Military Division. 2 Inclosures. Annual Report in duplicate, Syn. Press Release in " ANMJAL REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF EESINEERS. (Military Activities only). The Military activities in the Office of the Chief of Engineers are handled 135; the Military Division consisting of the personnel, Intel¬ ligence, Operations and Training, Supply, and Construction Sections. They include not only those common to other combat branches, but also technical and supply activities. The organization of the Corps of Engineers of' the Regular estab¬ lishment remained as given in the last annual report. .RECQMMSKDATIONS. Steps should be taken to offer better inducements to the efficient junior officers of. the Army to remain in the service by such means as increasing their prospects of promotion through extending promotion by selection to the grade of colonel, increasing the pay of the junior grades and graduated retirement on less than forty years service for the most efficient officers. Procurement of officers for the Corps of Engineers should be on a basis which will care for ail losses and bring the branch up to its , allotted strength. Present indications are that this procurement can probably best be accomplished by new appointments rather than by transfers in higher grades. In making initial assignments to the Corps of Engineers' from the graduates of the U.S, Military Academy, and from civil life, the normal quota allotted to the Chief of Engineers should be increased in the future So that the full authorized strength of the Corps of Engineers may be reached within five years. The annual examination for men to be commissioned in the regular army from civil life after the graduation"of the class at the U.S. Military Academy should be held in the early part of each calendar year. The various allotments to the combat branches of those to be commissioned from civil life should be determined before the examination is held. Engineering graduates of schools where there are Reserve Officers Train¬ ing Corps Units should be exempted from parts I and II of the mental examination, provided their standing in their class is sufficiently high and they are recommended, by officers on duty at the school and by the Dean of Engineering, Sufficient appropriations should be made under the Temple Act to complete the mapping of the critical areas of. the country. On account of the importance of topographical training to all classes of Engineer troops, the Corps of Engineers should be given its share of the labor, -l- and should receive its share of the allotments tinder Temple Act appro¬ priations. In this connection, attention is invited to the necessity oi increased subsistence allowance for surveyors, back of funds for this purpose for the fiscal year 1927 is, at present, a grave handicap. Increased funds for military mapping are needed to provide fire control maps for training’ purposes. In carrying on .'aerial' surveying., the effort should bo to secure a rapid and successful method of combining aerial and terrestrial sur¬ veying for use in a theatre of military operations. In developing map reproduction apparatus, the effort should be to secure more rapid methods for use in war, ■ This office believes, in the interest of the reserve organizations, that the reserves should be divided into active and inactive groups and that the assignment of reserve officers thereto be dependent upon the interest shown by individual reserve officers in military affairs. Attention has been called in past annual reports submitted by this office ta the unsatisfactory conditions which..exist in some Corps Areas with reference to adequate training of Engineer Reserve Units. At the present time, Regular Army Engineer organizations are assigned to the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Corps Areas. There are no Engineer regular organizations in the 1st, 5th and 6th Corps Areas, and there is only one Company of Engineer troops available in each of the 4th and 7th Corps Areas, In order to provide adequately for Engineer units in the north central part of the United States, one Battalion of Engineers shoul be stationed in the vicinity of upper Mississippi Valley. It is again recommended that the control of the Reserve Officers Training Corps be placed under the Chief of Branches, as in the case of the Special Service Schools, and coordinated by the General Staff. A Chief of Branch is vitally interested in the production of Reserve Offic¬ ers for his branch. He is an the best position to know what training, his Reserve Officers Training Corps units should have and the way in which it should be condticted. He is also in the best position to co¬ ordinate the work of his units. Reserve Officers Training Corps units are not equally distributed between the Corps Areas; for example, there are five Engineer units in the III Corps Area, against none in the II Corps Area, as noted above. The problem of producing engineer officers is a national, and special, one. ' Ho increase in the total, number of Engineer units is desired, but rather a'decrease and a better distribution by Corps: Areas. This can be effected by the withdrawal of five weak units and the subsequent estab¬ lishment of two, or at most, three new ones, and it is so recommended. Additional, funds for the operation of the procurement districts, covering the hire of clerks, office rental and the necessary telephone service and office supplies should be appropriated. -2- (Che War Beservo' authorized for .one million men should "be built up at the rate of ten per cent per annum. In order to avoid the serious shortage of Engineer equipment and supplies ||120,000 annually should be expended for the replacement of stocks. A revised general 'fortification project should be presented to Congress for approval which will place our harbor defenses in a proper condition to ward off naval attacks against our cities and naval bases. Appropriations may then be secured in accordance with the financial situation without further argument as to their- necessity. Amounts needed to initiate a general revival of the project for installation of 16-inch guns along commercial linos are stated in the • body of the report. It is urged that due consideration be given to the necessity of providing these funds in the established order of priority. Piecemeal appropriations should be avoided. ■ Funds should be provided annually for the preservation and repair of fortifications and their accessories in. sufficient amounts to prevent such deterioration as will eventually necessitate a greater outlay of money to remedy, . ■ (The procurement of searchlights should be greatly increased to keep ■pace with the development of.aircraft and anti-aircraft and to insure some baais for expansion in event of war. ■ ■ 1 -3- PERSONNEL Commissioned Personne 1 At the beginning of the. fiscal year the commissioned strength of the Corps of Engineers was 514. To this number have been added 14 from the United States Military Academy and 6 by transfer from other branches, The losses amounted to 19 by resignations, 3 by retirement, l by transfer, l by dishonorable discharge, 1 by physical disqualification, t allotted to the Corps of Engineers but not commissioned, leaving the strength at the end of the year 508. These officers were assigned to duty during the greater part • of the year as follows: Chief of Engineers in command of the Engineer Department e t c. o 1 Assistant Chief of Engineers............................ • 9 O O 6 <o © 0 O © 6 © 1 Assistants to the Chief of Engineers or on special duty in his office 1.7 Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors................ 2 Corps Areas and Assistants,. 0 0 « 0 > oooe-oooeoc 11 Department Engineers........ > © e o © 4 General Staff.............6. o .o 6 o o o o c e « o >060**060 6 000) 6 General Staff with troops........... le 00oeeoo0««B' o o o o o o i 2 With troops in the United States,... O 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 OOO0O00O000O00O 120 'With troops in tho Philippines> 0 0 0 0 0) O 0 0 O 0 , 000009000000 13 With troops in Hawaii..., 0 O 0 O 0 0 O I O900O0OO0O00 26 With troops in Panama.... • O O e < 0 0 0 0 0 0) 0 O o O 9 0 o 0 9 0 0 0 25 U. S. Army Forces in ChinaU t 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 9 0 0 0 9 0 0 1 Air Service..... 0 6 * 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 3 National Guard.. 0 0 0 0 0 >9 9 0 0 0 01 OOOOOOOOOOOl 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 6 0 0 16 Ecole de Guerre.