Sec. 405. That in the event of disagreement as to a claim under the contract of insurance between the bureau and any beneficiary or beneficiaries thereunder, an action on the claim may be brought against the United States in the district court of the United States in and for the district in which such beneficiaries or any one of them resides. The court, as part of its judgment, shall determine and allow such reasonable attorney's fees, not to exceed ten per centum of the amount recovered, to be paid by the claimant on behalf of whom such proceedings are instituted to his attorney; and it shall be unlawful for the attorney or for any other person acting as claim agent or otherwise to ask for, contract for, or receive any other compensation because of such action. No other compensation or fee shall be charged or received by any person except such as may be authorized by the commissioner in regulations to be promulgated by him. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty. of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall, for each and every such offense, be fined not exceeding $500, or be imprisoned at hard labor not exceeding two years, or both, in the discretion of the

court.

Sec. 3. That section eight of the Act entitled "An act to authorize the President to increase temporarily the Military Establishment of the United States," approved May eighteenth, nineteen hundred and seventeen, shall be held and construed to authorize the President, in accordance with the provisions of said Act and for the period of the existing emergency only, to appoint as generals the Chief of Staff and the commander of the United States forces in France; and as lieutenant general each commander of an army or army corps organized as authorized by existing law: Provided, That the pay of the grades of general and lieutenant general shall be $10,000 and $9,000 a year, respectively, with allowances appropriate to said grades as determined by the Secretary of War: And provided, That brigadier generals of the Army shall hereafter rank relatively with rear admirals of the lower half of the grade. And, hereafter, the chief of any existing staff corps, department, or bureau, except as is otherwise provided for the Chief of Staff, shall have the rank, pay, and allowances of major general.

Approved, October 6, 1917.

[Public Resolution-No. 27-65th Congress. S. J. Res. 133.] Joint Resolution Authorizing the granting of insurance under the Act. entitled "An Act to authorize the establishment of a Bureau of War Risk Insurance in the Treasury Department," approved September second, nineteen hundred and fourteen, as amended by the Act approved October sixth, nineteen hundred and seventeen, on application by a person other than the person to be insured. [April 2, 1918].

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That insurance under the Act entitled "An Act to authorize the establishment of a Bureau of

War Risk Insurance in the Treasury Department," approved September second, nineteen hundred and fourteen, as amended by the Act approved October sixth, nineteen hundred and seventeen, shall be granted by the Bureau of War Risk Insurance on application made by the person to be insured or, subject to such regulations as the bureau may prescribe, by any person within the permitted class as specified in section four hundred and two of said Act: Provided, That the person to be insured has been taken a prisoner of war before April twelfth, nineteen hundred and eighteen: And provided further, That no one but the insured may designate a beneficiary, and nothing in this resolution shall be deemed to change or affect the permitted class of beneficiaries or impose any obligation on the insured against his will.

Approved, April 2, 1918.

[Public-No. 151-65th Congress. II. R. 11245.]

An Act to amend an Act entitled "An Act to authorize the establishment of a Bureau of War Risk Insurance in the Treasury Department," approved September second, nineteen hundred and fourteen, and an Act in amendment thereto, approved October sixth, nineteen hundred and seventeen. [May 20, 1918.] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section thirteen, article one, of the Act approved October sixth, nineteen hundred and seventeen, entitled "An Act to authorize the establishment of a Bureau of War Risk Insurance in the Treasury Department," be, and is hereby amended by striking out the following words in the last sentence: "to regulate the matter of compensation, if any, but in no case to exceed ten per centum, to be paid to claim agents and attorneys for services in connection with any of the matters provided for in articles two, three, and four," and insert at the end of the sentence the following' words: "Provided, however, That payment to any attorney. or agent for such assistance as may be required in the preparation and execution of the necessary papers shall not exceed $3 in any one case: And provided further, That no claim agent or attorney shall be recognized in the presentation or adjudication of claims under articles two, three, and four, except that in the event of disagrcement as to a claim under the contract of insurance between the bureau and any beneficiary or beneficiaries thereunder, an action. on the claim may be brought against the United States in the district court of the United States in and for the district in which such beneficiaries or any one of them resides, and that whenever judgment shall be rendered in an action brought pursuant to this provision, the court, as part of its judgment, shall determine and allow such reasonable attorney's fees, not to exceed five per centum of the amount recovered, to be paid by the claimant in behalf of whom such proceedings were instituted, to his attorney.

"Any person who shall directly or indirectly solicit, contract for, charge, or receive, or who shall attempt to solicit, contract for, charge, or receive, any fee or compensation, except as herein provided, shall be

guilty of a misdemeanor, and for each and every offense shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $500 or by imprisonment at hard labor for not more than two years, or by both such fine and imprisonment," so that the section as amended shall read as follows:

Sec. 13. That the director, subject to the general direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, shall administer, execute, and enforce the provisions of this Act, and for that purpose have full power and authority to make rules and regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, necessary or appropriate to carry out its purposes, and shall decide all questions arising under the Act, except as otherwise provided in section five. Wherever under any provision or provisions of the Act regulations are directed or authorized to be made, such regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, shall or may be made by the director, subject to the general direction of the Secretary of the Treasury. The director shall adopt reasonable and proper rules to govern the procedure of the divisions and to regulate and provide for the nature and extent of the proofs and evidence and the method of taking and furnishing the same in order to establish the right to benefits of allowance, allotment, compensation, or insurance provided for in this Act, the forms of application of those claiming to be entitled to such benefits, the methods of making investigations and medical examinations, and the manner and form of adjudications. and awards: Provided, however, That payment to any attorney or agent for such assistance as may be required in the preparation and execution of the necessary papers shall not exceed $3 in any one case: And provided further, That no claim agent or attorney shall be recognized in the presentation or adjudication of claims under articles two, three, and four, except that in the event of disagreement as to a claim under the contract of insurance between the bureau and any beneficiary or beneficiaries thereunder an action on the claim may be brought against the United States in the district court of the United States in and for the district in which such beneficiaries or any one of them resides, and that whenever judgment shall be rendered in an action brought pursuant to this provision the court, as part of its judgment, shall determine and allow such reasonable attorney's fees, not to exceed five per centum of the amount recovered, to be paid by the claimant in behalf of whom such proceedings were instituted to his attorney, said fee to be paid out of the payments to be made to the beneficiary under the judgment rendered at a rate not exceeding one-tenth of each of such payments until paid.

"Any person who shall, directly or indirectly, solicit, contract for, charge, or receive, or who shall attempt to solicit, contract for, charge, or receive any fee or compensation, except as herein provided, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and for each and every offense shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $500 or by imprisonment at hard labor for not more than two years, or by both such fine and imprisonment."

Sec. 2. That Article IV of said Act, approved October sixth, nineteen hundred and seventeen, entitled "An Act to authorize the estab

lishment of a Bureau of War Risk Insurance in the Treasury Department," is hereby amended by striking out section four hundred and five thereof.

Approved May 20, 1918.

[Public-No. 175-65th Congress. S. 4482.]

An Act to amend an Act entitled "An Act to authorize the establishment of a Bureau of War Risk Insurance in the Treasury Department," approved September second, nineteen hundred and fourteen, as amended. [June 25, 1918.]

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the second subdivision (4) of section twenty-two of the Act entitled "An Act to authorize the establishment of a Bureau of War Risk Insurance in the Treasury department," approved September second, nineteen hundred and fourteen, as amended, relating to the definition of the term "parent," is hereby amended to read as follows:

"(4) The term 'parent' includes a father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, father through adoption, mother through adoption, stepfather, and stepmother, either of the person in the service or of the spouse."

Sec. 2. That four new sections are hereby added to Article I of said Act, to be known as sections twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, and thirty, respectively, and to read as follows:

"Sec. 27. That whoever shall obtain or receive any money, check, allotment, family allowance, compensation, or insurance under Articles II, III, or IV of this Act, without being entitled thereto, with intent to defraud the United States or any person in the military or naval forces of the United States, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $2,000, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.

"Sec. 28. That the allotments and family allowances, compensation, and insurance payable under Articles II, III, and IV, respectively, shall not be assignable; shall not be subject to the claims of creditors of any person to whom an award is made under Articles II, III, or IV; and shall be exempt from all taxation: Provided, That such allotments and family allowances, compensation, and insurance shall be subject to any claims which the United States may have, under Articles II, III, and IV, against the person on whose account the allotments and family allowances, compensation, or insurance is payable.

"Sec. 29. That the discharge or dismissal of any person from the military or naval forces on the ground that he is an enemy alien, conscientious objector, or a deserter, or as guilty of mutiny, treason, spying, or any offense involving moral turpitude, or willful and persistent misconduct shall terminate any insurance granted on the life of such person under the provisions of Article IV, and shall bar all rights to any compensation under Article III or any insurance under Article IV.

"Sec. 30. That this Act may be cited as the war-risk insurance Act."

Sec. 3. That section two hundred of said Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 200. That the provisions of this article shall apply to all enlisted men in the military or naval forces of the United States, except the Philippine Scouts, the insular force of the Navy, and the Samoan native guard and band of the Navy."

Sec. 4. That the second and third paragraphs of section two hundred and one of said Act are hereby amended to read as follows: "The monthly compulsory allotment shall be $15. For a wife living separate and apart from her husband under court order or written agreement, or for a former wife divorced, the monthly compulsory. allotment shall not exceed the amount specified in the court order, decree, or written agreement to be paid to her, and for an illegitimate child, to whose support the father has been judicially ordered or decreed to contribute, it shall not exceed the amount fixed in the order or decree.

"If there is a compulsory allotment for a wife or child, then a former wife divorced who has not remarried and to whom alimony has been decreed, shall not be entitled to a compulsory allotment, but shall be entitled to a family allowance as hereinafter provided."

Sec. 5. That section two hundred and three of said Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 203. That in case one-half of an enlisted man's monthly pay is not allotted, regulations to be made by the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy, respectively, may require, under circumstances and conditions as may be prescribed in such regulations, that any proportion of such one-half pay as is not allotted shall be deposited to his credit, to be held during such period of his service as may be prescribed. Such deposit shall bear interest at the same rate as United States bonds bear for the same period, and, when payable, shall be paid principal and interest to the enlisted man, if living, otherwise to any beneficiary or beneficiaries he may have designated, or if there be no such beneficiary, then to the person or persons who, under the laws. of the State of his residence, would be entitled to his personal property in case of intestacy."

Sec. 6. That the third and fourth paragraphs of section two hundred and four of said Act are hereby amended to read as follows:

"Class A. In the case of a man to his wife (including a former wife divorced) and to his child or children

"(a) If there is a wife but no child, $15;

"(b) If there is a wife and one child, $25;

"(c) If there is a wife and two children, $32.50, with $5 per month additional for each additional child;

"(d) If there is no wife, but one child, $5;

"(e) If there is no wife, but two children, $12.50;

"(f) If there is no wife, but three children, $20;

"(g) If there is no wife, but four children, $30, with $5 per month additional for each additional child:

"(h) If there is a former wife divorced who has not remarried and to whom alimony has been decreed, $15.