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day each, while actually employed. In the event of disagreement as to the claim for losses, or amount thereof, between the said bureau and the parties to such contract of insurance, an action on the claim may be brought against the United States in the District Court of the United States, sitting in admiralty, in the district in which the claimant or his agent may reside.

SEC. 6. That the Director of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, upon the adjustment of any claims for losses in respect of which no action shall have been begun, shall, on approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, promptly pay such claim for losses to the party in interest; and the Secretary of the Treasury is directed to make provision for the speedy adjustment of claims for losses and also for the prompt notification of parties in interest of the decisions of the bureau on their claims.

SEC. 7. That for the purpose of paying losses accruing under the provisions of this Act there is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $5,000,000.

SEC. 8. That there is hereby appropriated, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the establishment and maintenance of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, including the payment of salaries herein authorized and other personal services in the District of Columbia, out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $100,000.

SEC. 9. That the President is authorized whenever, in his judgment, the necessity of further war insurance by the United States shall have ceased to exist, to suspend the operations of this Act in so far as it authorizes insurance by the United States against loss or damage by risks of war, which suspension shall be made, at any event, within two years after the passage of this Act, but shall not affect any insurance outstanding at the time or any claims pending adjustment. For the purpose of the final adjustment of any such outstanding insurance or claims, the Bureau of War Risk Insurance may, in the discretion of the President, be continued in existence a further period not exceeding one year.

SEC. 10. That a detailed statement of all expenditures under this Act and of all receipts hereunder shall be submitted to Congress at the beginning of each regular session.

SEC. 11. That this Act shall take effect from and after its passage. Approved, September 2, 1914.

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[H. R. 13224]

An Act To amend an Act entitled "An Act to authorize the establishment of a Bureau of War Risk Insurance in the Treasury Department," approved September second, nineteen hundred and fourteen.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section nine of an Act establishing a Bureau of War Risk Insurance, approved September second, nineteen hundred and fourteen, be, and it is hereby, amended so as to require the suspension of the operations of the Act within three years from the date said Act was approved. SEC. 2. That all moneys received from premiums and from salvage shall be covered into the Treasury to the credit of the appropriation made for the payment of losses and be available for the purposes thereof.

Approved, August 11, 1916.

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[H. R. 20082]

An Act To amend an Act entitled "An Act to authorize the establishment of a Bureau of War-Risk Insurance in the Treasury Department," approved September second, nineteen hundred and fourteen.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section nine of an Act establishing a Bureau of War-Risk Insurance, approved September second, nineteen hundred and fourteen, as amended by the Act of August eleventh, nineteen hundred and sixteen, be, and is hereby, amended so as to require the suspension of the operations of the Act within four years from the date said Act of September second, nineteen hundred and fourteen, was approved.

SEC. 2. That section seven of the Act of September second, nineteen hundred and fourteen, be, and is hereby, amended to read as follows:

"That for the purpose of paying losses accruing under the provisions of this Act there is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $15,000,000."

SEC. 3. That all moneys received from premiums and from salvage shall be covered into the Treasury to the credit of the appropriation made for the payment of losses and be available for the purposes thereof.

Approved, March 3, 1917.

AGENCIES IN THE UNITED STATES OF GERMAN INSURANCE COMPANIES.

No. 1366.

By the President of the United States of America.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas certain insurance companies, incorporated under the laws of the German Empire, have been admitted to transact the business of insurance in various States of the United States, by means of separate United States Branches established pursuant to the laws of such States, and are now engaged in business under the supervision of the Insurance Departments thereof, with assets in the United States, deposited with Insurance Departments or in the hands of resident trustees, citizens of the United States, for the protection of all policyholders in the United States;

And whereas, the interests of the citizens of the United States in the protection afforded by such insurance are of great magnitude, so that it is deemed to be important that the agencies of such companies in the United States be permitted to continue in business; Now, therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the powers vested in me as such, hereby declare and proclaim that such branch establishments of German Insurance Companies now engaged in the transaction of business in the United States pursuant to the laws of the several States are hereby authorized and permitted to continue the transaction of their business in accordance with the laws of such States in the same manner and to the same extent as though a state of war did not now exist; provided, however, that all funds of such establishments now in the possession of their managers or agents, or which shall hereafter come into their possession, shall be subject to such rules and regulations concerning the payment and disposition thereof as shall be prescribed by the insurance supervising officials of the State in which the principal office of such establishment in the United States is located, but in no event shall any funds belonging to or held for the benefit of such companies be transmitted outside of the United States nor be used as the basis for the establishment directly or indirectly of any credit within or outside of the United States to or for the benefit or use of the enemy or any of his allies without the permission of this Government.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington this sixth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seventeen, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and forty-first. [SEAL.] WOODROW WILSON.

By the President:

ROBERT LANSING,
Secretary of State.

[S. 2133]

An Act To amend an Act entitled "An Act to authorize the establishment of a Bureau of War Risk Insurance in the Treasury Department," approved September second, nineteen hundred and fourteen, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the first section of the Act entitled "An Act to authorize the establishment of a Bureau of War Risk Insurance in the Treasury Department," approved September second, nineteen hundred and fourteen, is hereby amended to read as follows:

"That there is established in the Treasury Department a bureau to be known as the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, the director of which shall be entitled to a salary at the rate of $5,000 per annum." SEC. 2. That section two of such Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 2. That the said Bureau of War Risk Insurance, subject to the general direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, shall, as soon as practicable, make provisions for the insurance by the United States of American vessels, their freight and passage moneys, cargoes shipped or to be shipped therein, and personal effects of the masters, officers, and crews thereof against loss or damage by the risks of war, whenever it shall appear to the Secretary that American vessels, shippers or importers in American vessels, or the masters, officers, or crews of such vessels, are unable in any trade to secure adequate war-risk insurance on reasonable terms.

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The Bureau of War Risk Insurance, subject to the general direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, shall, as soon as practicable, make provisions for the insurance by the United States, as further provided in section three a, of masters, officers, and crews of American merchant vessels against loss of life or personal injury by the risks of war, and for compensation during detention following capture by enemies of the United States whenever it shall appear to the Secretary that in any trade the need for such insurance exists."

SEC. 3. That there is hereby added to such Act a new section, to be known as section two a, to read as follows:

"SEC. 2a. That the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, is hereby authorized to make provisions for the reinsurance by the United States of vessels of foreign friendly flags or their cargoes, or both, when such vessels or their cargoes are insured by the Government of any country which is at war with an enemy of the United States; and, further, to reinsure with the Governments of any countries which are at war with an enemy of the United States American vessels and their cargoes."

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