CHAPTER XLI.

FOR MANUFACTURE OF ARMS, AMMUNI TION, AND SUPPLIES-BOARDS AND COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE, ETC.

PLANTS FOR MANUFACTURe of arms, amMUNITION AND SUPPLIES.

1600. Purchase of products of in time of actual or threatened war.-The President, in time of war or when war is imminent, is empowered, through the head of any department of the Government, in addition to the present authorized methods of purchase or procurement, to place an order with any individual, firm, association, company, corporation, or organized manufacturing industry for such product or material as may be required, and which is of the nature and kind usually produced or capable of being produced by such individual, firm, company, association, corporation, or organized manufacturing industry. Sec. 120, Act of June 3, 1916 (39 Stat. 213.)

1601. Same-On refusal of plant to fill orders Government may take possession; penalty imposed on manufacturers for noncompliance.-Compliance with all such orders for products or material shall be obligatory on any individual, firm, association, company, corporation, or organized manufacturing industry or the responsible head or heads thereof and shall take precedence over all other orders and contracts theretofore placed with such individual, firm, company, association, corporation, or organized manufacturing industry, and any individual, firm, association, company, corporation, or organized manufacturing industry or the responsible head or heads thereof owning or operating any plant equipped for the manufacture of arms or ammunition, or parts of ammunition, or any necessary supplies or equipment for the Army, and any individual, firm, association, company, corporation, or organized manufacturing industry or the responsible head or heads thereof owning or operating any manufacturing plant, which, in the opinion of the Secretary of

War shall be capable of being readily transformed into a plant for the manufacture of arms or ammunition, or parts thereof, or other necessary supplies or equipment, who shall refuse to give to the United States such preference in the matter of the execution of orders, or who shall refuse to manufacture the kind, quantity, or quality of arms or ammunition, or the parts thereof, or any necessary supplies or equipment, as ordered by the Secretary of War, or who shall refuse to furnish such arms, ammunitions, or parts of ammunition, or other supplies or equipment, at a reasonable price as determined by the Secretary of War, then, and in either such case, the President, through the head of any department of the Government, in addition to the present authorized methods of purchase or procurement herein provided for, is hereby authorized to take immediate possession of any such plant or plants, and through the Ordnance Department of the United States Army, to manufacture therein in time of war, or when war shall be imminent, such product or material as may be required, and any individual, firm, company, association, or corporation, or organized manufacturing industry, or the responsible head or heads thereof, failing to comply with the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than three years and by a fine not exceeding $50,000. Id.

1602. Same-Compensation or rental for use of plant to be fair and just.-The compensation to be paid to any individual, firm, company, association, corporation, or organized manufacturing industry for its products or material, or as rental for use of any manufacturing plant while used by the United States, shall be fair and just. Id.

1603. List of private arms and ammunition plants, showing capacity, etc.-The Secretary of War shall also make, or cause to be made, a complete list of all privately owned plants in the United States equipped to manufacture arms or ammunition, or the component parts thereof. He shall obtain full and complete information regarding the kind of arms or ammunition, or the component parts thereof, manufactured or that can be manufactured by each such plant, the equipment in each plant, and the maximum capacity thereof. Id., 214.

1604. Same-List of private manufacturing plants capable of being transformed into ammunition factories, with plans for such transformation. He shall also prepare, or cause to be prepared, a list of privately owned manufacturing plants in the United States capable of being readily, transformed into ammunition factories, where the capacity of the plant is sufficient to warrant transforming such plant or plants into ammunition factories in time of war or when war shall be imminent; and as to all such plants the Secretary

of War shall obtain full and complete information as to the equipment of each such plant, and he shall prepare comprehensive plans for transforming each such plant into an ammunition factory, or a factory in which to manufacture such parts of ammunition as in the opinion of the Secretary of War such plant is best adapted. Id. 1605. Board on Mobilization of Industries Essential to Military Preparedness.-The President is hereby authorized, in his discretion, to appoint a Board on Mobilization of Industries Essential for Military Preparedness, nonpartisan in character, and to take all necessary steps to provide for such clerical assistance as he may deem necessary to organize and coordinate the work hereinbefore described. Id.

1606. Board to investigate Government manufacture of arms, munitions, and equipment.-The Secretary of War is hereby authorized to appoint a board of five citizens, two of whom shall be civilians and three of whom shall be officers of the Army, to investigate and report to him the feasibility, desirability, and practicability of the Government manufacturing arms, munitions, and equipment, showing in said report the comparative prices of the arms, munitions, and equipment manufactured in Government plants and those manufactured in private plants, the amount of money necessary to build and operate Government plants for the manufacture of arms, munitions, and equipment; showing also what the Government plants and arsenals are now doing in the way of manufacturing arms, munitions, and equipment, and what saving has accrued to the Government by reason of its having manufactured a large part of its own arms, munitions, and equipment for the last four years. And the Secretary of War is hereby directed to transmit said report to Congress on or before January first, nineteen hundred and seventeen. 121. id.

Sec.

1607. Procurement of gauges, dies, tools, drawings, etc., for manufacture of arms and ammunition.-The Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized to prepare or cause to be prepared, to purchase or otherwise procure, such gauges, dies, jigs, tools, fixtures, and other special aids and appliances, including specifications and detailed drawings, as may be necessary for the immediate manufacture, by the Government and by private manufacturers, of arms, ammunition, and special equipment necessary to arm and equip the land forces Ikely to be required by the United States in time of war. Sec. 123, id. 215.

1603. Same-May be purchased without advertisement.-In the expenditure of any sums appropriated to carry out the purposes of this section the existing laws prescribing competition in the procurement of supplies by purchase shall not govern, whenever in the opin

ion of the Secretary of War such action will be for the best interest of the public service. Id.

1609. Same-Appropriation for purchase of, for manufacture of ammunition. That $250,000 of this appropriation may be used to procure gauges, dies, jigs, tools, fixtures, and other special aids and appliances, including specifications and detailed drawings necessary for the manufacture by the Government and by private manufacturers of ammunition necessary for the use of the land forces of the United States in time of war, and in the purchase of lots of ammunition to complete the object of this proviso the existing laws prescribing competition in the procurement of supplies by purchase shall not govern in orders not to exceed $50,000 in any one case. Act of Aug. 29, 1916 (39 Stat. C42).

1610. Same-Appropriation for purchase of for manufacture of arms.—That $200,000 of this appropriation may be used to procure gauges, dies, jigs, tools, fixtures, and other special aids and appliances, including specifications and detailed drawings, necessary for the manufacture by private manufacturers, of arms necessary to arm the land forces likely to be required by the United States in time of war, and in the purchase of lots of arms to complete the object of this proviso the existing laws prescribing competition in the procurement of supplies by purchase shall not govern in orders not to exceed $50,000 in any one case. Id. 643.

1611. Same-Appropriation for purchase of for manufacture of Field Artillery ammunition for National Guard.-Not more than $200,000 of this appropriation may be used to procure gauges, dies, jigs, tools, fixtures, and other special aids and appliances, including specifications and detailed drawings necessary for the manufacture by private manufacturers of Field Artillery ammunition necessary for the use of the land forces of the United States in time of war, and in the purchase of lots of ammunition to complete the object of this proviso the existing laws prescribing competition in the procurement of supplies by purchase shall not govern in orders not to exceed $50,000 in any one case. Id. 644.

1611a. Cooperation of Departments, Bureau, and Council of National Defense, in standardizing and testing standard gauges, screw threads, etc.-To provide by cooperation of the Bureau of Standards, the War Department, the Navy Department, and the Council of National Defense, for the standardization and testing of the standard gauges, screw threads, and standards required in manufacturing throughout the United States, and to calibrate and test such standard

The appropriation referred to is $10,000.000 for the manufacture and purchase of ammunition for small arms.

The appropriation referred to is $5,000,000 for the manufacture of arms. The appropriation referred to is $10,000,000 for Field Artillery ammunition for the National Guard.