Indemnity for the death of Reginald Ethelbert Myrie, British subject, 1928_. $1,000 Public Act No. 344, approved May 3, 1928, directs the Secretary of the Treasury to pay to the British Government the sum of $1,000 as full indemnity for the death of Reginald Ethelbert Myrie, a British subject, alleged to have been killed in the Panama Canal Zone on February 5, 1921, by a United States Army truck driven by a private in the Motor Transport Corps. Reimbursement of the Government of Great Britain for sums expended by the British chaplain, the Rev. F. North, for relief of American nationals, 1928. $19, 407. 60 Public Act No. 345, approved May 3, 1928, directs the Secretary of the Treasury to pay to the Government of Great Britain the sum of $19,407.60, being the equivalent of £3,988 at par exchange, as reimbursement on account of certain sums expended by the British chaplain in Moscow, the Rev. F. North, for the relief of American nationals in Russia in 1920. The Gorgas Memorial Laboratory, 1929.. $50,000 The act approved May 7, 1928, entitled "An act to authorize a permanent annual appropriation for the maintenance and operation of the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory," authorizes to be permanently appropriated for each year the sum of $50,000 to be paid to the Gorgas Memorial Institute of Tropical and Preventive Medicine (Inc.), for the maintenance and operation by it of a laboratory to be known. as the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory to be constructed in Panama or the Canal Zone, on condition that the laboratory be constructed within five years from the date of the act; and also authorizes to be appropriated annually for a period not exceeding the five years hereinbefore named said sum of $50,000 to permit the organization of the laboratory and its maintenance and operation in temporary quarters or in any existing laboratory in Panama or the Canal Zone. Conference on conciliation and arbitration, Washington, D. C., 1929... $50, 000 Public Resolution No. 32, approved May 3, 1928, requests the President to extend to the Republics of America an invitation to attend a conference of conciliation and arbitration to be held at Washington during 1928 or 1929, and authorizes an appropriation of $60,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, for the expenses of such conference. Permanent International Association of Road Congresses, 1929------ $25,000 Public Resolution No. 18, approved March 28, 1928, authorizes and requests the President to extend to the Permanent International Association of Road Congresses an invitation to hold the sixth session of the association in the United States, either in 1929 or 1930, as the association may determine, and authorizes the sum of $25,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to be appropriated for the expenses of such session. Second Pan American Conference on Highways at Rio de Janeiro, 1929. $15,000 Public Resolution No. 24, approved April 3, 1928, authorizes the sum of $15,000 to be appropriated for the expenses of participation by the United States in the Second Pan American Conference on Highways at Rio de Janeiro, which it is expected will be held in the summer of 1929. H D-70-1-vol 24-47 Sesquicentennial of the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands, 1929___ $5,000 Public Resolution No. 13, approved March 7, 1928, authorizes and requests the President to extend a formal invitation to the Government of Great Britain to participate in the celebration of the sesquicentennial of the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands, and authorizes an appropriation of $5,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, for the purpose of defraying the expense of participation by the Government of the United States in the said celebration, which will be held in August, 1928. Bringing home criminals, 1929... $9,000 This estimate is necessary because of the additional expense which will be incurred in carrying out the provisions of the conventions. between the United States and Great Britain in respect of Canada, to suppress smuggling, and extradition on account of crimes or offenses against narcotic laws, signed June 6, 1924, and January 8, 1925, respectively. It is estimated that there are approximately 46 known fugitives who should be brought back under these conventions, the average cost of which will be $200 in each case. Mixed Claims Commission, United States and Germany-Tripartite Claims Commission, United States, Austria, and Germany, 1929. $60,000 Under the agreement signed August 10, 1922, between the United States and Germany for a mixed commission to determine the amount to be paid by Germany in satisfaction of Germany's financial obligations under the treaty concluded between the two Governments on August 25, 1921, the commission is authorized to consider only such claims as are brought before it within at least six months after its first meeting as provided in Article III of the agreement. The first meeting of the commission was held on October 9, 1922, and under the terms of the agreement the commission could consider only those claims which were brought before it by April 9, 1923. Section 2 (j) of the act entitled "An act to provide for the settlement of certain claims of American nationals against Germany, Austria, and Hungary, and of nationals of Germany, Austria, and Hungary, against the United States, and for the ultimate return of all property held by the Alien Property Custodian," approved March 10, 1928, provides that- The President is requested to enter into an agreement with the German Government by which the Mixed Claims Commissions will be given jurisdiction of and authorized to decide claims of the same character as those of which the commission now has jurisdiction, notice of which is filed with the Department of State before July 1, 1928. If such agreement is entered into before January 1, 1929, awards in respect of such claims shall be certified under subsection (a) and shall be in all other respects subject to the provisions of this section. The appropriation for the fiscal year 1929 is $118,762, which was made prior to the passage of the act of March 10, 1928, and is intended to cover the expenses of the commission in considering only those claims presented to April 9, 1923; the additional $60,000 requested for 1929 is necessary to enable the commission to handle claims presented subsequent to April 9, 1923, and prior to July 1, 1928, as provided by said act. The estimate also authorizes the purchase of law books and books of reference, in order to comply with the act of March 15, 1898, which provides that such books when for the use of any executive department or other establishment at the seat of government shall not be purchased unless specifically provided in the law granting the appropriation. And the appropriations for the fiscal years 1928 and 1929 are made available for the payment of special counsel, translators, and other technical experts heretofore or hereafter employed by contract without regard to the provisions of any other statute, so that these persons may be engaged for part-time work by contract. instead of by appointment; and for contract stenographic reporting services without regard to section 3709, Revised Statutes, to permit the employment of persons skilled in reporting proceedings before international tribunals without being required to advertise and award the contract to the lowest bidder. PROPOSED LEGISLATION AFFECTING AN EXISTING APPROPRIATION General and Special Claims Commissions, United States and Mexico: The appropriations for the General and Special Claims Commissions, United States and Mexico, for the fiscal years 1928 and 1929 shall be available also for the payment of special counsel, translators, and other technical experts heretofore or hereafter employed by contract without regard to the provisions of any other statute, and for contract stenographic reporting services without regard to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes of the United States. The purpose of this proposed legislation is the same as that requested for the Mixed Claims Commission, United States and Germany-Trespartite Claims Commission, United States, Austria, and Hungary. Approval is recommended of the estimates of appropriations and the proposed legislation. Very respectfully, H. M. LORD, Director of the Bureau of the Budget. Supplemental estimates of appropriations required for the service of the fiscal years ending June 30, 1928 and 1929, by the Department of State Indemnity for the death of Chang Lin and Tong Huan Yah, Chinese Indemnity for the death of Juan Soriano, citizen of the Dominican $1, 100. 00 2, 000. 00 240. 55 $2,500.00 Indemnity for the death of Edwin Tucker, British subject: For Reimbursement of the Government of Great Britain for sums Conference on conciliation and arbitration, Washington, D. C.: For 1,000.00 9, 200.00 1,000.00 19, 407. 60 50,000.00 50,000.00 Permanent International Association of Road Congresses: For the Sesquicentennial of the Discovery of the Hawaiian Islands: For $25, 000. 00 15, 000, 00 5, 000. 00 9, 000, 0 60, 000. 00 Total... 250, 448. 15 Amount appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1928..... 119, 117. 00 |