Brennan, Leslie Warnick, Relief of. 70th Congress: Cobb, Blasdell & Co., Relief of the Godfrey and others, Relief of. MacAteer Shipbuilding Co. (Inc.) 71st Congress: Certain ersons formerly having Interests Helmer, Will A. Marx, George B., Relief of. etc. Relief of New Milford Consolidated School District no. 123, of Illinois, etc. Volunteer Officers and Soldiers in the Volunteer Service of the United States who served in the Philippine Islands beyond the period of their enlistment, etc. 72nd Congress: Claims of the International Arms & Fuse Co. HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON WAR CLAIMS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SIXTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON S. 2552 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1925 WASHINGTON 1925 RELIEF OF LESLIE WARNICK BRENNAN COMMITTEE ON WAR CLAIMS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The committee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., Hon. James G. Strong (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. Gentlemen of the committee, there are two special bills here that are up for consideration this morning that Members of Congress and members of the committee have asked to be given consideration. We will first consider Senate bill 2552. Mr. Snyder, I believe you are going to present this. STATEMENT OF HON. HOMER P. SNYDER, MEMBER OF CONGRESS, STATE OF NEW YORK Mr. SNYDER. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I am indebted to you for the opportunity of presenting this bill here this morning. I have reference to Senate bill 2552, a bill which passed the Senate last Friday, a claim in the interest of my friend and constituent, Mr. Leslie Warnick Brennan. I think I can give you the foundation of this proposition better by reading a letter by Mr. Elihu Root, dated June 24, 1924, which was addressed to Mr. Norman H. David, president, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, and which reads as follows: CLINTON, ONEIDA COUNTY, N. Y., June 24, 1924. NORMAN H. DAVID, Esq., MY DEAR SIR: My neighbor, Mr. Leslie W. Brennan, of Utica, has shown me documentary evidence relating to the use of moving_pictures to facilitate the training of recruits, which was adopted by our War Department and used extensively in our Army during the Great War with most satisfactory results. It appears that this system was originated by Mr. Brennan in June, 1917. In that month, while training in a local military organization in Utica, he observed the difficulty of getting an understanding of the movements required, and he went to West Point to see the cadets drill as a matter of his own education as a volunteer soldier. While there it occurred to him that motion pictures, taken from the point of view of the raw recruit, might afford to others some such benefit as he received from seeing the drill itself. Accordingly he sought permission to take such pictures. He applied to General Bell, commanding the New York Department, who referred him to Colonel Kennon, commanding a mobilization camp at Syracuse, and on the 22d of June, 1917, Colonel Kennon gave him a letter of introduction to Colonel Tillman, commanding at West Point. On the 26th of June Colonel Tillman gave him a permit to make the photographs. He then employed the best moving-picture photographer obtainable and had the pictures taken in July at his own expense. I have before me one receipted bill from the photographer amounting to $7,385.69. The prints from the negatives thus taken at West Point he sent to General Bell, to Colonel Kennon, at Syracuse, to Colonel Heavey, commanding the Fort Niagara training camp, to the camp at Plattsburg, to Fort Myer, and to the War Department at Wash |