ESTABLISHING PASSPORT BUREAU AT LOS ANGELES, CALIF. FEBRUARY 10, 1931.-Committee to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. CRAIL, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. J. Res. 4941 The Committee on Foreign Affairs to which H. J. Res. 494 was referred, after careful consideration, reports the same favorably without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass. On April 21, 1930, the Committee on Foreign Affairs favorably reported H. J. Res. 235, the purose of which was to create passport bureaus at Portland, Oreg., and Los Angeles, Calif. When the bill came before the House on the Consent Calendar objections were made to its consideration. The committee now brings in this bill which creates a passport bureau at Los Angeles only. The Los Angeles Harbor has become one of the world's great ports. A great future for Los Angeles Harbor is assured with increased passenger and freight business with the far eastern countries. In some departments of shipping and commerce Los Angeles Harbor has more business than any American port. Los Angeles Harbor leads Nation in four departments Due to the very substantial increase in our trans-Pacific trade many passenger steamship lines have been established and are now plying between the port of Los Angeles and Japan, China, Asiatic Russia, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Central America, and Canada. The establishment and operation of these lines has greatly increased the passenger travel from all the western ports. This travel is an encouragement and aid to further development of our trans-Pacific and Asiatic trade. Owing to the great distance between the port of Los Angeles and the offices of the Department of State at Washington, D. C., considerable delay is experienced by travelers from this port in obtaining passports. This delay is considered a discouragement to travel and therefore a handicap to Pacific coast trade. For several years the Department of State has been maintaining a passport bureau at San Francisco, Calif. Passengers expecting to sail from Los Angeles, Calif., have been able to obtain passports through this bureau in cases of a bona fide emergency and where there has not been sufficient time in which to forward an application to the department for the issue of a passport thereon in the regular course. Vigorous protests have been voiced by the people of Los Angeles and those living in the territory immediately adjacent thereto against the time consumed and expense involved in obtaining passports in the regular course and through the authorized emergency procedure. In many cases the telephone and telegraph expenses have amounted to many times the amount of the passport fee. Ordinary mail between 1 Includes all San Francisco Bay ports. this port and Washington, D. C., is four and one-half days in transit both going and returning. The record of passport applications at Los Angeles shows that over 5,400 were applied for last year. In the opinion of the committee the importance of the commerce of Los Angeles, its remoteness from the passport division of the State Department and the increasing demand for travel, which, as stated above, is essential to sustain and develop the Pacific coast foreign commerce, justifies the establishment of a United States passport bureau at Los Angeles, Calif. The present receipts from passport fees in Los Angeles are in excess of the cost of establishing and maintaining the desired service. In other words, the people of Los Angeles will merely be receiving the passport service for which they are already more than paying through the passage of H. J. Res. 494. O PERMIT THE ARMY TO PARTICIPATE AT THE YORKTOWN SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION FEBRUARY 10, 1931.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed Mr. REECE, from the Committee on Military Affairs, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. R. 16590] The Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 16590) to permit the Army to participate at the Yorktown Sesquicentennial Celebration, introduced by Mr. Fitzgerald, having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that it do pass with the following amendment: Strike out all the language after the enacting clause and insert in lieu thereof: That the Army of the United States is hereby authorized to participate in the four-day celebration at Yorktown, Virginia, Ŏctober 16 to 19, 1931, in commemoration of the surrender of the British forces under Lord Cornwallis, ending the Revolutionary War and establishing the independence of the United States, and the expenses, not to exceed $30,000, incident to training, attendance, and participation in the said celebration, including the use of such supplies, materials, and equipment, as in the opinion of the Secretary of War may be necessary, may be charged to the appropriations for the support of the Army: Provided, That applicable allowances which are or may be fixed by law or regulations for participation in other military activities shall not be exceeded. In connection with this measure Mr. Fitzgerald stated the following: I am writing you as a member of the executive committee of the United States Yorktown Sesquicentennial Commission interested in making the celebration in October a success. There can be no proper participation of the regular troops and bands without some appropriation. The money authorized for the commission will be scarcely adequate to provide the necessary land, clearing, temporary buildings, water supply, roads, etc. At least $20,000 will be necessary to bring 3,000 troops to Yorktown and $5,000 will be necessary to provide for the band or bands. Would be very happy if you would cooperate with our commission and help us do the best we can for this celebration of the great event in American history |