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[H. R. 11048.]

An Act To amend the war-risk insurance Act.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the war-risk insurance Act is hereby amended by adding to such Act a new section, to be known as section two b, to read as follows:

"SEC. 2b. That when it appears to the Secretary of the Treasury that vessels of foreign friendly flags, or their masters, officers, or crews, or shippers or importers in such vessels, are unable in any trade to secure adequate war-risk insurance on reasonable terms, the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, with the approval of the Secre tary, is hereby authorized to make provisions for the insurance by the United States of (1) such vessels of foreign friendly flags, their freight and passage moneys, and personal effects of the masters, officers, and crews thereof against the risks of war when such vessels are chartered or operated by the United States Shipping Board or its agent, or chartered by any person a citizen of the United States, and (2) the cargoes to be shipped in such vessels of foreign friendly flags, whether or not they are so chartered. Such insurance on the vessel, however, is authorized only when the United States Shipping Board or its agent operates the vessel or the charterers are, by the terms of the charter party or contract with the vessel owners, required to assume the war risk or provide insurance protecting the vessel owners against war risk during the term of the charter or hire of the vessel.

"The Bureau of War Risk Insurance, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, is also hereby authorized to insure the masters, officers, and crews of vessels operated or chartered as aforesaid against the loss of life or personal injury by the risk of war and for compensation during the detention following capture by enemies of the United States, whenever it appears to the Secretary that the owners, operators, or charterers of such vessels are unable, in any trade, to secure such insurance on reasonable terms."

SEC. 2. That scction five of the war-risk insurance Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 5. That the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to establish an advisory board, to consist of three members skilled in the practices of war-risk insurance, for the purpose of assisting the Bureau of War Risk Insurance in fixing rates of premium and in adjustment of claims for losses, and generally in carrying out the purposes of this Act; the compensation of the members of said board to be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, but not to exceed $20 a day each while actually employed. He is likewise authorized to appoint two persons skilled in the practice of accident insurance for the purpose of assisting the Bureau of War Risk Insurance in the adjustment of claims for death, personal injury, or detention; the compensation of persons so appointed to be determined by the

Secretary of the Treasury, but not to exceed $20 a 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 agents may reside. The Secretary of the Treasury is, in his judgment, authorized to compromise the claim either before or after the institution of an action therein."

SEO. 3. That section nine of the war-risk insurance Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 9. That the President is authorized whenever in his judg ment the necessity of further war insurance by the United States shall have ceased to exist to suspend the operation of this Act, in so far as the Division of Marine and Seamen's Insurance is concerned, which suspension shall be made in any event within six months after the end of the war, 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 Division of Marine and Seamen's Insurance may, in the discre tion of the President, be continued in existence for a period not exceeding three years after such suspension.

"The words 'end of the war' as used herein shall be deemed to mean the date of proclamation of exchange of ratification of the treaty of peace, unless the President shall, by proclamation, declare a prior date, in which case the date so proclaimed shall be deemed to be the end of the war' within the meaning of this Act."

Approved, July 11, 1918.

[H. R. 12100.]

An Act To amend the Act approved September seventh, nineteen hundred and sixteen, entitled "An Act to establish a United States Shipping Board for the purpose of encouraging, developing, and creating a naval auxiliary and naval reserve and a merchant marine to meet the requirements of the commerce of the United States with its Territories and possessions and with foreign countries; to regulate carriers by water in the foreign and interstate commerce of the United States; and for other purposes." "1

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 approved September seventh, nineteen hundred and sixteen, entitled "An Act to establish a United States Shipping Board for the purpose of encouraging, developing, and creating a naval auxiliary and naval reserve and a merchant marine to meet the requirements of the commerce of the United States with its Territories and possessions and with foreign countries; to regulate carriers by water in the foreign and interstate commerce of the United States; and for other purposes," is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof two paragraphs, as follows:

"The term 'vessel' includes all water craft and other artificial contrivances of whatever description and at whatever stage of construction, whether on the stocks or launched, which are used or are capable of being or are intended to be used as a means of transportation on

water.

"The term 'documented under the laws of the United States,' means 'registered, enrolled, or licensed under the laws of the United States.""

SEO. 2. That section two of said act is hereby amended by adding at the end of the first paragraph thereof a paragraph, as follows:

"The controlling interest in a corporation shall not be deemed to be owned by citizens of the United States (a) if the title to a majority of the stock thereof is not vested in such citizens free from any trust or fiduciary obligation in favor of any person not a citizen of the United States; or (b) if the majority of the voting power in such corporation is not vested in citizens of the United States; or (c) if through any contract or understanding it is so arranged that the majority of the voting power may be exercised, directly or indirectly, in behalf of any person who is not a citizen of the United States; or (d) if by any other means whatsoever control of the corporation is conferred upon or permitted to be exercised by any person who is not a citizen of the United States."

SEO. 3. That section nine of said act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 9. That any vessel purchased, chartered, or leased from the board may be registered or enrolled and licensed, or both registered and enrolled and licensed, as a vessel of the United States and entitled to the benefits and privileges appertaining thereto: Provided, That foreign-built vessels admitted to American registry or enrollment and license under this Act, and vessels owned, chartered, or leased by any

corporation in which the United States is a stockholder, and vessels sold, leased, or chartered to any person a citizen of the United States, as provided in this Act, may engage in the coastwise trade of the United States while owned, leased, or chartered by such a person. "Every vessel purchased, chartered, or leased from the board shall, unless otherwise authorized by the board, be operated only under such registry or enrollment and license. Such vessels while employed solely as merchant vessels shall be subject to all laws, regulations, and liabilities governing merchant vessels, whether the United States be interested therein as owner, in whole or in part, or hold any mortgage, lien, or other interest therein. No such vessel, without the approval of the board, shall be transferred to a foreign registry or flag, or sold; nor, except under regulations prescribed by the board, be chartered or leased.

"No vessel documented under the laws of the United States or owned by any person a citizen of the United States or by a corporation organized under the laws of the United States or of any State, Territory, District, or possession thereof, except one which the board is prohibited from purchasing, shall be sold to any person not a citizen of the United States or transferred to or placed under a foreign registry or flag, unless such vessel is first tendered to the board at the price in good faith offered by others, or, if no such offer, at a fair price to be determined in the manner provided in section ten.

"Any vessel sold, chartered, leased, transferred to or placed under a foreign registry or flag, or operated, in violation of any provision of this section shall be forfeited to the United States, and whoever violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of not more than $5,000 or to imprisonment for not more than five years, or both."

SEC. 4. That said Act is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof eight sections, as follows:

"SEC. 37. That when the United States is at war or during any national emergency, the existence of which is declared by proclamation of the President, it shall be unlawful, without first obtaining the approval of the board:

(a) To transfer to or place under any foreign registry or flag any vessel owned in whole or in part by any person a citizen of the United States or by a corporation organized under the laws of the United States, or of any State, Territory, District, or possession thereof; or "(b) To sell, mortgage, lease, charter, deliver, or in any manner transfer, or agree to sell, mortgage, lease, charter, deliver, or in any manner transfer, to any person not a citizen of the United States, (1) any such vessel or any interest therein, or (2) any vessel documented under the laws of the United States, or any interest therein, or (3) any shipyard, dry dock, ship-building or ship-repairing plant or facilities, or any interest therein; or

"(c) To enter into any contract, agreement, or understanding to construct a vessel within the United States for or to be delivered to any person not a citizen of the United States, without expressly stipulating that such construction shall not begin until after the war or emergency proclaimed by the President has ended; or

"(d) To make any agreement or effect any understanding whereby there is vested in or for the benefit of any person not a citizen of the United States, the controlling interest or a majority of the voting

power in a corporation which is organized under the laws of the United States, or of any State, Territory, District, or possession thereof, and which owns any vessel, shipyard, dry dock, or shipbuilding or ship-repairing plant or facilities; or

"(e) To cause or procure any vessel constructed in whole or in part within the United States, which has never cleared for any foreign port, to depart from a port of the United States before it has been documented under the laws of the United States.

"Whoever violates, or attempts or conspires to violate, any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 or by imprisonment for not more than five years, or both.

"Any vessel, shipyard, dry dock, ship-building or ship-repairing plant or facilities, or interest therein, sold, mortgaged, leased, chartered, delivered, transferred, or documented, or agreed to be sold, mortgaged, leased, chartered, delivered, transferred, or documented, in violation of any of the provisions of this section, and any stocks, bonds, or other securities sold or transferred, or agreed to be sold or transferred, in violation of any of such provisions, or any vessel departing in violation of the provisions of subdivision (e), shall be forfeited to the United States.

"Any such sale, mortgage, lease, charter, delivery, transfer, documentation, or agreement therefor shall be void, whether made within or without the United States, and any consideration paid therefor or deposited in connection therewith shall be recoverable at the suit of the person who has paid or deposited the same, or of his successors or assigns, after the tender of such vessel, shipyard, dry dock, ship building or ship-repairing plant or facilities, or interest therein, or of such stocks, bonds, or other securities, to the person entitled thereto, or after forfeiture thereof to the United States, unless the person to whom the consideration was paid, or in whose interest it was deposited, entered into the transaction in the honest belief that the person who paid or deposited such consideration was a citizen of the United States.

"SEO. 38. That all forfeitures incurred under the provisions of this Act may be prosecuted in the same court, and may be disposed of in the same manner, as forfeitures incurred for offenses against the law relating to the collection of duties.

"SEC. 39. That in any action or proceeding under the provisions of this Act to enforce a forfeiture the conviction in a court of criminal jurisdiction of any person for a violation thereof with respect to the subject of the forfeiture shall constitute prima facie evidence of such violation against the person so convicted.

"SEC. 40. That whenever any bill of sale, mortgage, hypothecation, or conveyance of any vessel, or part thereof, or interest therein, is presented to any collector of the customs to be recorded, the vendee, mortgagee, or transferee shall file therewith a written declaration in such form as the board may by regulation prescribe, setting forth the facts relating to his citizenship, and such other facts as the board requires, showing that the transaction does not involve a violation of any of the provisions of section nine or thirtyseven. Unless the board, before such presentation, has failed to prescribe such form, no such bill of sale, mortgage, hypothecation, or conveyance shall be valid against any person whatsoever until

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