exceeds $2,000. The copies of each contract, order or agreement herein referred to shall be transmitted to the respective chairmen of the committees not later than twenty-four hours after such contract, order or agreement is made, and the chairman of each committee shall consider such contracts, orders or agreements confidential unless a majority of the members of his committee shall direct the particular transaction to be made public.

(c) Nothing herein shall be construed to repeal or modify sections 3 and 6, title V of the Act approved June 15, 1917 (40 Stat. 222; U. S. C., title 18, secs. 33 and 36).

TITLE II

SEC. 201. In connection with the national defense program, the Navy and War Departments and the United States Housing Authority are hereby authorized to cooperate in making necessary housing available for persons engaged in national defense activities, as hereinafter provided. "Persons engaged in national defense activities" (as that term is used in this title) shall include (i) enlisted men with families, who are in the naval and military service (excluding officers) and employees of the Navy and War Departments who are assigned to duty at naval or military reservations, posts, or bases, and (ii) workers with families, who are engaged or to be engaged in industries connected with and essential to the national defense program. No project shall be developed or assisted for the purposes of this title except with the approval of the President and upon a determination by him that there is an acute shortage of housing in the locality involved which impedes the national defense program.

SEO. 202. (a) Projects may be initiated hereunder by the Navy or War Department to provide dwellings on or near naval or military reservations, posts or bases for rental to the enlisted men and employees of the Navy and War Departments described in section 201. Such projects shall be developed by the Navy or War Department or by the Authority, whichever the President determines is better suited to the fulfillment of the purposes of this title with respect to any particular project. If the development of such project is to be undertaken by the Navy or War Department, the Authority is authorized to aid the development of the project by furnishing technical assistance and by transferring to such Department the funds necessary for the development of the project. Any project developed for the purpose of this section shall be leased to the Navy or War Department by the Authority (which shall have title to such project until repayment of the cost thereof to the Authority as prescribed in such lease) upon such terms as shall be prescribed in the lease, which may be the same terms as are authorized by the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, with respect to leases to public housing agencies. All the provisions of said Act which apply to the development of projects by the Authority shall (insofar as applicable and not inconsistent herewith) apply to the development of projects by the Navy or War Department. Notwithstanding other provisions of this or any other law, the Department leasing a project shall have the same jurisdiction over such project as it has over the reservation, post or base in

(b) The Navy or War Department, in connection with any project developed or leased by it, and the Authority, in connection with any project developed or assisted by it, for the purposes of this title, may acquire real or personal property or any interest therein by purchase, eminent domain, gift, lease or otherwise. The provisions of section 855 of the Revised Statutes shall not apply to the acquisition of any real property by the Navy or War Department or by the Authority for the purposes of this title or to the project developed thereon, and the provisions of section 321 of the Act of June 30, 1932 (U. S. C. 1934 edition, title 40, sec. 303b), shall not apply to any lease of any project developed for the purposes of this title or of any dwelling therein. Condemnation proceedings instituted by the Authority shall be in its own name and the practice and procedure governing such proceedings by the United States shall be followed, and the Authority shall likewise be entitled to proceed in accordance with the provisions of the Act of Congress approved February 26, 1931 (46 Stat. 1421), and an Act of Congress approved March 1, 1929 (45 Stat. 1415). If the Authority acquires land in connection with a project to be assisted for the purposes of this title, it may convey such land to the public housing agency involved for a consideration equal to the cost of the land to the Authority. The Navy and War Departments and the Authority may negotiate, contract and fix such fees as they determine are reasonable for the services of architects, engineers, surveyors, appraisers, title examiners and real estate negotiators in connection with specific projects developed by them under this title. The Secretaries of Navy and War are hereby authorized to make available to the Authority any land that is needed for a project to be developed by the Authority and leased to the Navy or War Department and to execute such leases, agreements and other instruments with the Authority as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this title.

SEC. 203. In any localities where the President determines that there is an acute shortage of housing which impedes the national defense program and that the necessary housing would not otherwise be provided when needed for persons engaged in national defense activities, the Authority may undertake the development and administration of projects to assure the availability of dwellings in such localities for such persons and their families, or the Authority may extend financial assistance to public housing agencies for the development and administration of such projects. Such financial assistance to public housing agencies shall be extended (except as otherwise provided herein and not inconsistent herewith) under the provisions of, and in the same manner and forms as provided in, title I of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, with respect to other housing projects.

SEC. 204. Any contract made for financial assistance under the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, may be revised so as to provide that the project involved will be assisted for any of the purposes of this title. The Navy or War Department or the Authority, in the administration of any project developed for the purposes of this title, shall fix rentals for persons engaged in national defense activities and their families which will be within their

assistance or any lease of such a project, shall require the fixing of such rentals. Projects developed by the Navy or War Department, or developed or assisted by the Authority, for the purposes of this title shall not be subject to the elimination requirements of sections 10 (a) and 11 (a) of said Act, or to any provisions of section 9 of said Act which would require any part of the development cost thereof to be met in any manner other than from funds loaned or furnished by the Authority. Funds expended for the purposes of this title shall be excluded in determining, for the purposes of section 21 (d) of said Act, the amounts expended within each State. Except as otherwise provided herein or as may be inconsistent herewith, all the provisions of title I of said Act shall apply to this title. During the period when the President determines that in any locality there is an acute need for housing to assure the availability of dwellings for persons engaged in national defense activities, dwellings in a project developed or assisted in said locality which are devoted to the purposes of providing housing for persons engaged in national defense activities shall not be subject to sections 2 (1) and 2 (2) of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, and during such period such projects shall be deemed projects of a low-rent character for the purposes of any of the applicable provisions in title I of said Act.

SEC. 205. The Authority may use for the purposes of this title any of the funds or authorizations heretofore or hereafter made available to it. The provisions of title I of this Act shall not apply to

this title.

Approved, June 28, 1940.

[CHAPTER 447-3D SESSION]

[H. R. 6572]

AN ACT

To amend the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended, to provide for marine war-risk insurance and reinsurance and for marine risk reinsurance, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That title II of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended, is amended by adding at the end thereof a subtitle to read as follows:

"SUBTITLE-INSURANCE

"SEC. 221. (a) For the purpose of protecting the water-borne commerce of the United States from the impediments and burdens arising from the lack of adequate facilities for the insurance of such commerce, due to extraordinary risks arising under existing war conditions, the Commission is authorized to provide marine insurance and reinsurance against loss or damage by the risks of war and reinsurance against loss or damage by marine risks, as prescribed in this subtitle, whenever it appears to the Commission that such insurance adequate for the needs of the water-borne commerce of the United States cannot be obtained on reasonable terms and conditions from companies authorized to do an insurance business in a State of the United States.

"(b) There shall be in the Treasury of the United States a revolving fund to be known as the marine and war-risk insurance fund (hereinafter referred to as the fund), to be used for carrying out the provisions of this subtitle, and to be constituted of such sums as may be appropriated to such fund and of moneys and receipts credited thereto as herein provided. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated to such fund such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this subtitle. All moneys received from premiums and from salvage or other recoveries, and all receipts in connection with this subtitle shall be deposited to the credit of such fund. Payments of return premiums, losses, settlements, judgments, and all liabilities incurred by the United States under this subtitle shall be made from such fund.

"SEC. 222. The Commission may insure against loss or damage by the risks of war, property, as follows:

"(a) (1) American vessels (including vessels under construction), (2) cargoes shipped or to be shipped therein: Provided, That in the event of the suspension of the present neutrality law no vessel or its officers and crew, carrying contraband and no cargo of contraband shall be insured under any provision of this Act, (3) their disbursements, and freight and passage moneys, and (4) personal effects of the masters, officers, and crews of such vessels.

"(b) (1) Commercial vessels (including vessels under construction) owned or controlled by the United States or any department or agency thereof, (2) cargoes owned by the Government or in which the Government has an insurable interest, to the extent of such interest, (3) their disbursements, and freight and passage moneys, and (4) personal effects of the masters, officers, and crews thereof.

"SEO. 223. (a) The Commission may reinsure any company authorized to do an insurance business in any State of the United States on account of marine and marine war risks, including protection and indemnity risks, assumed by any such company, on (1) property or interests as set forth in section 222 (a) and (b) of this subtitle, and (2) masters, officers, and crews of American vessels (including any such vessel owned or controlled by or chartered to the Commission) against loss of life, personal injury, or detention by any government except that of the United States following capture.

"(b) The Commission may reinsure, in whole or in part, with companies authorized to do an insurance business in a State of the United States, war risks assumed by the Commission under this subtitle.

"(c) Any department or agency of the United States is hereby authorized to procure insurance from the Commission as provided for in section 222 (b) of this subtitle, except as provided in the Government Losses in Shipment Act, approved July 8, 1937 (50 Stat. 479).

"SEC. 224. Whenever the Commission determines that insurance for masters, officers, and crews of American vessels against loss of life, personal injury, or detention by any government except that of the United States following capture, arising from risks of war, cannot, with the aid of reinsurance provided for under this subtitle, be obtained on reasonable terms and conditions from companies authorized to do an insurance business in a State of the United States, the Commission is authorized to provide such insurance on a basis corresponding to the war risk insurance protection supplied, prior to such determination, for such personnel by companies authorized to do business in a State of the United States.

"SEC. 225. In the event of disagreement as to a claim for losses or the amount thereof, on account of insurance under this subtitle, an action on the claim may be brought and maintained 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, or in case the claimant has no residence in the United States, in a district court in which the Attorney General of the United States shall agree to accept service. Said suits shall proceed and shall be heard and determined according to the provisions of an Act entitled 'An Act authorizing suits against the United States in admiralty, suits for salvage services, and providing for the release of merchant vessels belonging to the United States from arrest and attachment in foreign jurisdictions, and for other purposes', approved March 9, 1920, as amended (known as the Suits in Admiralty Act), insofar as such provisions are not inapplicable and are not con