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 LETTER FROM THE FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY

The White House.

In the preparation of this report on highways for the national defense, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy and Mr. Ralph Budd, Transportation Commissioner of the Advisory Commission to the Council of National Defense, have cooperated through the Washington and field personnel of their respective organizations in the assembly and evaluation of the date which form the basis for the conclusions herein presented. The expressions of key officials in the defense program are quoted directly.

The State highway departments have contributed generously the essential services of their organizations in the making of needed surveys and plans and have included a large number of important projects in current construction programs. These existing, well-organized highway organizations, cooperative in spirit, are in a position to furnish an irreplaceable and immediate contribution to quick action in the phases of the defense program dependent upon highway transport.

The various units of the Federal Works Agency, including the headquarters staff, the Public Roads Administration and the Work Projects Administration, are pushing forward all projects it is possible to finance with existing funds under th e legal requirements which must be met, and to develop the program of most needed road projects.

Finally, we have received assurances of complete cooperation from the equipment manufacturers, the material producers and the highway contractors through their organized associations, in carrying forward the programs of construction in line with the best traditions of service to meet the country’s requirements which are a product of this critical period.

The recommendations in this report involve both authorizations for appropriations and legislation which you may consider desirable to place before the Congress for appropriate action.

Respectfully submitted.

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