Christening Ceremonies at a Navy Yard for the Launching of Vessels Built There

The Secretary of the Navy requested an opinion as to whether certain appropriated funds could be used to pay the nominal expenses of christening ceremonies for four ships being built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The Navy had traditionally allotted a small sum for these customary ceremonies. GAO found that the expenses of the christening ceremonies are in the nature of entertainment expenses and no legal objection is perceived to this allotment of an amount for such purposes under the appropriation allotted for ceremonies at a Navy Yard incident to the launching of vessels built there.