such declaration has been filed. Any declaration filed by or in behalf of a corporation shall be signed by the president, secretary, or treasurer thereof.

"Whoever knowingly makes any false statement of a material fact in any such declaration 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.

"SEO. 41. That whenever by said section nine or thirty-seven the approval of the board is required to render any act or transaction lawful, such approval may be accorded either absolutely or upon such conditions as the board prescribes. Whenever the approval of the board is accorded upon any condition a statement of such condition shall be entered upon its records and incorporated in the same document or paper which notifies the applicant of such approval. A violation of such condition so incorporated shall constitute a misdemeanor and shall be punishable by fine and imprisonment in the same manner, and shall subject the vessel, stocks, bonds, or other subject matter of the application conditionally approved to forfeiture in the same manner, as though the act conditionally approved had been done without the approval of the board, but the offense shall be deemed to have been committed at the time of the violation of the condition.

"Whenever by this Act the approval of the board is required to render any act or transaction lawful, whoever knowingly makes any false statement of a material fact to the board, or to any member thereof, or to any officer, attorney, or agent thereof, for the purpose of securing such approval, 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.

"SEO. 42. That any vessel registered, enrolled, or licensed under the laws of the United States shall be deemed to continue to be documented under the laws of the United States within the meaning of subdivision (b) of section thirty-seven, until such registry, enrollment, or license is surrendered with the approval of the board, the provisions of any other Act of Congress to the contrary notwithstanding.

"SEO. 43. That the fact that a war or emergency has ended shall, for the purposes of this Act, be evidenced by a proclamation of the President.

"SEO. 44. That this Act may be cited as 'Shipping Act, 1916.'" Approved, July 15, 1918.

[PUBLIC NO. 233–65TH CONGRESS]

SHIPPING BOARD.

EMERGENCY SHIPPING FUND.

1. The emergency shipping fund provision of the urgent deficiency appropriation Act of June 15, 1917, as amended by the Act of April 22, 1918 (Public Act No. 138 of the Sixty-fifth Congress), is hereby amended as follows:

(I) In subdivision (d) of paragraph one, to begin said subdivision and to precede the words to requisition," are now inserted the words: To acquire, construct, establish, or extend any plant, and in pursuance thereof, to purchase, requisition, or otherwise acquire title to or use of land improved or unimproved or interest therein; and ". (II) In subdivision (f) of said paragraph one, after the words 'or assume control of," are now inserted the words "or to extend, improve, or increase, or cause to be extended, improved, or increased". (III) After said subdivision (f) in said paragraph one, a new subdivision is now inserted as follows:

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"(g) In pursuance of the foregoing powers, or any of them, to make advance payments or loans of such amounts and upon such terms as the President may deem necessary and proper."

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(IV) In paragraph eight of said provisions, after the word "shipyard," are now inserted the words "dry-dock, marine railway, pier." In said paragraph the words "or other facilities connected therewith " are stricken out and there are now inserted after the word terminal," the following words: "and any facilities or improvements connected with any of the foregoing descriptions of property." 2. For the acquisition or establishment of plants suitable for shipbuilding or ship maintenance or repair, or of materials essential thereto, and for the enlargement or extension of such plants as are now or may be hereafter acquired or established, authority is granted to enter into contracts or otherwise to incur obligations for not to exceed $34,662,500 in addition to the amounts heretofore appropriated: Provided, That obligations incurred hereunder may be met from appropriations made or to be made for the construction of ships.

3. The United States Shipping Board shall not require payment from the War Department for the charter hire of vessels furnished or to be furnished from July 1, 1918, to June 30, 1919, inclusive, for the use of that department when such vessels are owned by the United States Government.

Approved, Nov. 4, 1918.

62555 O-60-5

[S. J. Res. 42.]

Joint Resolution Authorizing the President to take over for the United States the possession and title of any vessel within its jurisdiction, which at the time of coming therein was owned in whole or in part by any corporation, citizen, or subject of any nation with which the United States may be at war, or was under register of any such nation, and for other purposes.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President be, and he is hereby, authorized to take over to the United States the immediate possession and title of any vessel within the jurisdiction thereof, including the Canal Zone and all territories and insular possessions of the United States except the American Virgin Islands, which at the time of coming into such jurisdiction was owned in whole or in part by any corporation, citizen, or subject of any nation with which the United States may be at war when such vessel shall be taken, or was flying the flag of or was under register of any such nation or any political subdivision or municipality thereof; and, through the United States Shipping Board, or any department or agency of the Government, to operate, lease, charter, and equip such vessel in any service of the United States, or in any commerce, foreign or coastwise.

SEC. 2. That the Secretary of the Navy be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to appoint, subject to the approval of the President, a board of survey, whose duty it shall be to ascertain the actual value of the vessel, its equipment, appurtenances, and all property contained therein, at the time of its taking, and to make a written report of their findings to the Secretary of the Navy, who shall preserve such report with the records of his department. These findings shall be considered as competent evidence in all proceedings on any claim for compensation.

Approved, May 12, 1917.

[PUBLIC-No. 152-66TH CONGRESS]

SEC. 437. The eleventh paragraph of section 20 of the Interstate Commerce Act is hereby amended by inserting immediately before the first proviso thereof the following:

"Provided, That if the loss, damage, or injury occurs while the property is in the custody of a carrier by water the liability of such carrier shall be determined by and under the laws and regulations applicable to transportation by water, and the liability of the initial carrier shall be the same as that of such carrier by water."

SEC. 438. The third proviso of the eleventh paragraph of section 20 of the Interstate Commerce Act (not counting the proviso added by section 437 of this Act) is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Provided further, That it shall be unlawful for any such common carrier to provide by rule, contract, regulation, or otherwise a shorter period for giving notice of claims than ninety days, for the filing of claims than four months, and for the institution of suits than two years, such period for institution of suits to be computed from the day when notice in writing is given by the carrier to the claimant that the carrier has disallowed the claim or any part or parts thereof specified in the notice."

SEO. 439. The Interstate Commerce Act is further amended by inserting therein a new section between section 20 and section 21, to be designated section 20a, and to read as follows:

"SEC. 20a. (1) That as used in this section the term 'carrier' means a common carrier by railroad (except a street, suburban, or interurban electric railway which is not operated as a part of a general steam railroad system of transportation) which is subject to this Act, or any corporation organized for the purpose of engaging in transportation by railroad subject to this Act.

"(2) From and after one hundred and twenty days after this section takes effect it shall be unlawful for any carrier to issue any share of capital stock or any bond or other evidence of interest in or indebtedness of the carrier (hereinafter in this section collectively termed 'securities') or to assume any obligation or liability as lessor, lessee, guarantor, indorser, surety, or otherwise, in respect of the securities of any other person, natural or artificial, even though permitted by the authority creating the carrier corporation, unless and until, and then only to the extent that, upon application by the carrier, and after investigation by the Commission of the purposes and uses of the proposed issue and the proceeds thereof, or of the proposed assumption of obligation or liability in respect of the securities of any other person, natural or artificial, the Commission by order authorizes such issue or assumption. The Commission

shall make such order only if it finds that such issue or assumption: (a) is for some lawful object within its corporate purposes, and compatible with the public interest, which is necessary or appropriate for or consistent with the proper performance by the carrier of service to the public as a common carrier, and which will not impair its ability to perform that service, and (b) is reasonably necessary and appropriate for such purpose.

(3) The Commission shall have power by its order to grant or deny the application as made, or to grant it in part and deny it in part, or to grant it with such modifications and upon such terms and conditions as the Commission may deem necessary or appropriate in the premises, and may from time to time, for good cause shown, make such supplemental orders in the premises as it may deem necessary or appropriate, and may by any such supplemental order modify the provisions of any previous order as to the particular purposes, uses, and extent to which, or the conditions under which, any securities so theretofore authorized or the proceeds thereof may be applied, subject always to the requirements of the foregoing paragraph (2).

"(4) Every application for authority shall be made in such form and contain such matters as the Commission may prescribe. Every such application, as also every certificate of notification hereinafter provided for, shall be made under oath, signed and filed on behalf of the carrier by its president, a vice president, auditor, comptroller, or other executive officer having knowledge of the matters therein set forth and duly designated for that purpose by the carrier.

"(5) Whenever any securities set forth and described in any application for authority or certificate of notification as pledged or held unencumbered in the treasury of the carrier shall, subsequent to the filing of such application or certificate, be sold, pledged, repledged, or otherwise disposed of by the carrier, such carrier shall, within ten days after such sale, pledge, repledge, or other disposition, file with the Commission a certificate of notification to that effect, setting forth therein all such facts as may be required by the Commission.

"(6) Upon receipt of any such application for authority the Commission shall cause notice thereof to be given to and a copy filed with the governor of each State in which the applicant carrier operates. The railroad commissions, public service or utilities commissions, or other appropriate State authorities of the State shall have the right to make before the Commission such representations as they may deem just and proper for preserving and conserving the rights and interests of their people and the States, respectively, involved in such proceedings. The Commission may hold hearings, if it sees fit, to enable it to determine its decision upon the application for authority.

"(7) The jurisdiction conferred upon the Commission by this section shall be exclusive and plenary, and a carrier may issue securities and assume obligations or liabilities in accordance with the provisions of this section without securing approval other than as specified herein.

"(8) Nothing herein shall be construed to imply any guaranty or obligation as to such securities on the part of the United States.