to time in his discretion the rate of prospecting and development on, and the quantity and rate of production from, such lands of the United States under said plan or lease, any law to the contrary notwithstanding." (b) Section 3 of the Act of June 30, 1938, is amended to read as follows: "SEC. 3. All Acts or parts thereof in conflict with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed: Provided, however, That nothing herein contained shall be construed as limiting the powers of the President or the Secretary of the Navy under Title II of the Act of March 27, 1942, known as 'The Second War Powers Act, 1942'." Approved June 17, 1944. [CHAPTER 263-2D SESSION] JOINT RESOLUTION Providing for operation of naval petroleum and oil-shale reserves. Whereas it has been urgently requested by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and recommended by the Secretary of the Navy that production from Naval Petroleum Reserve Numbered 1 be substantially increased at the earliest possible date to meet the critical need for petroleum on the west coast to supply the armed services in the Pacific theater: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, notwithstanding the provisions of the Act of June 4, 1920, as amended, relating to the naval petroleum reserves, the Secretary of the Navy be, and he hereby is, authorized, with the approval of the President, during the period of eighteen months from and after June 1, 1944, to develop and operate, or to cause to be developed and operated, the lands in Naval Petroleum Reserve Numbered 1, directly or by contract, (a) to the end that the productive capacity of the reserve, including the privately owned and leased lands included therein, may be increased to permit a daily rate of production of sixty-five thousand barrels, but not in excess of such rate, and (b) to produce or to cause to be produced from said lands during said period up to but not in excess of a total of thirty million barrels of petroleum: Provided, That the Secretary of the Navy is hereby authorized to enter into contracts under the appropriation "Naval Emergency Fund" for increasing the production of petroleum in Naval Petroleum Reserve Numbered 1 to the extent authorized in this resolution. Approved June 17, 1944. [CHAPTER 268-2D SESSION] [S. 1767] AN ACT To provide Federal Government aid for the readjustment in civilian life of returning World War II veterans. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944". TITLE I CHAPTER I-HOSPITALIZATION, CLAIMS, AND PROCEDURES SEC. 100. The Veterans' Administration is hereby declared to be an essential war agency and entitled, second only to the War and Navy Departments, to priorities in personnel, equipment, supplies, and material under any laws, Executive orders, and regulations pertaining to priorities, and in appointments of personnel from civilservice registers the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs is hereby granted the same authority and discretion as the War and Navy Departments and the United States Public Health Service: Provided, That the provisions of this section as to priorities for materials shall apply to any State institution to be built for the care or hospitalization of veterans. SEC. 101. The Administrator of Veterans' Affairs and the Federal Board of Hospitalization are hereby authorized and directed to expedite and complete the construction of additional hospital facilities for war veterans, and to enter into agreements and contracts for the use by or transfer to the Veterans' Administration of suitable Army and Navy hospitals after termination of hostilities in the present war or after such institutions are no longer needed by the armed services; and the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs is hereby authorized and directed to establish necessary regional offices, suboffices, branch offices, contact units, or other subordinate offices in centers of population where there is no Veterans' Administration facility, or where such a facility is not readily available or accessible: Provided, That there is hereby authorized to be appropriated the sum of $500,000,000 for the construction of additional hospital facilities. SEC. 102. The Administrator of Veterans' Affairs and the Secretary of War and Secretary of the Navy are hereby granted authority to enter into agreements and contracts for the mutual use or exchange of use of hospital and domiciliary facilities, and such supplies, equipment, and material as may be needed to operate properly such facilities, or for the transfer, without reimbursement of appropriations, of facilities, supplies, equipment, or material necessary and proper for authorized care for veterans, except that at no time shall the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs enter into any agreement which will result in a permanent reduction of Veterans' Administration hospital and domiciliary beds below the number now established or approved, plus the estimated number required to meet the load of eligibles under laws administered by the Veterans' Adminis tration, or in any way subordinate or transfer the operation of the Veterans' Administration to any other agency of the Government. Nothing in the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, as amended, or any other Act, shall be construed to prevent the transfer or detail of any commissioned, appointed or enlisted personnel from the armed forces to the Veterans' Administration subject to agreements between the Secretary of War or the Secretary of the Navy and the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs: Provided, That no such detail shall be made or extend beyond six months after the termination of the war. SEC. 103. The Administrator of Veterans' Affairs shall have authority to place officials and employees designated by him in such Army and Navy installations as may be deemed advisable for the purpose of adjudicating disability claims of, and giving aid and advice to, members of the Army and Navy who are about to be discharged or released from active service. SEC. 104. No person shall be discharged or released from active duty in the armed forces until his certificate of discharge or release from active duty and final pay, or a substantial portion thereof, are ready for delivery to him or to his next of kin or legal representative; and no person shall be discharged or released from active service on account of disability until and unless he has executed a claim for compensation, pension, or hospitalization, to be filed with the Veterans' Administration or has signed a statement that he has had explained to him the right to file such claim: Provided, That this section shall not preclude immediate transfer to a veterans' facility for necessary hospital care, nor preclude the discharge of any person who refuses to sign such claim or statement: And provided further, That refusal or failure to file a claim shall be without prejudice to any right the veteran may subsequently assert. Any person entitled to a prosthetic appliance shall be entitled, in addition, to necessary fitting and training, including institutional training, in the use of such appliance, whether in a Service or a Veterans' Administration hospital, or by out-patient treatment, including such service under contract. SEC. 105. No person in the armed forces shall be required to sign a statement of any nature relating to the origin, incurrence, or aggravation of any disease or injury he may have, and any such statement against his own interest signed at any time, shall be null and void and of no force and effect. CHAPTER II-AID BY VETERANS' ORGANIZATIONS SEC. 200. (a). That upon certification to the Secretary of War or Secretary of the Navy by the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs of paid full time accredited representatives of the veterans' organizations specified in section 200 of the Act of June 29, 1936 (Public national organizations recognized by the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs thereunder in the presentation of claims under laws administered by the Veterans' Administration, the Secretary of War and Secretary of the Navy are hereby authorized and directed to permit the functioning, in accordance with regulations prescribed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, of such accredited representatives in military or naval installations on shore from which persons are discharged or released from the active military or naval service: Provided, That nothing in this section shall operate to affect measures of military security now in effect or which may hereafter be placed in effect, nor to prejudice the right of the American Red Cross to recognition under existing statutes. (b) The necessary regulations shall be promulgated by the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy jointly with the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs to accomplish the purpose of this section, and in the preparation of such regulations the national officer of each of such veterans' organizations who is responsible for claims and rehabilitation activities shall be consulted. The commanding officer of each such military or naval installation shall cooperate fully with such authorized representatives in the providing of available space and equipment for such representatives. CHAPTER III-REVIEWING AUTHORITY SEC. 300. The discharge or dismissal by reason of the sentence of a general court martial of any person from the military or naval forces, or the discharge of any such person on the ground that he was a conscientious objector who refused to perform military duty or refused to wear the uniform or otherwise to comply with lawful orders of competent military authority, or as a deserter, or of an officer by the acceptance of his resignation for the good of the service, shall bar all rights of such person, based upon the period of service from which he is so discharged or dismissed, under any laws administered by the Veterans' Administration: Provided, That in the case of any such person, if it be established to the satisfaction of the Administrator that at the time of the commission of the offense such person was insane, he shall not be precluded from benefits to which he is otherwise entitled under the laws administered by the Veterans' Administration: And provided further, That this section shall not apply to any war risk, Government (converted) or national service life-insurance policy. SEC. 301. The Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy, after conference with the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, are authorized and directed to establish in the War and Navy Departments, respectively, boards of review composed of five members each, whose duties shall be to review, on their own motion or upon the request of a former officer or enlisted man or woman or, if deceased, by the surviving spouse, next of kin, or legal representative, the type and nature of his discharge or dismissal, except a discharge or dismissal by reason of the sentence of a general court martial. Such review shall be based upon all available records of the service department relating to the person requesting such review, and such other evidence as may be presented by such person. Witnesses shall be |