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SPEECH OF SENATOR HARRY S. TRUMAN OF TRUMAN MISSOURI IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE AUGUST 14, 1941 is ARCHIVES *NATIONAL ADMIN." AND RECORDS For Release on Delivery. U.S. Mr. President, one of the first tasks which the Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program, of which I am Chairman, undertook was that of examining into the efficienty with which the camp construction program was planned and carried out. This is a very important matter, because approx- imately a billion dollars has already been expended for this purpose - a large amount even in these days of astronomical figures, -- and because the War Department has plans for constructing a number of additional camps. The War Department should not make the same mistakes in the proposed new camp construction program that it made in the program now being completed. My Committee was also interested in examining the camp construction program, which did not involve any military secrets, in order to ascertain in a general way whether the War Department has been on its toes during the last twenty years and has made any worthwhile plans for emergency situations. The Committee has inspected a number of camps, has taken testimony from Army officials and contractors and architects and renters of equipment and has tried to learn both the good and bad points of the camp construction program.