claimed by the President or declared by concurrent resolution of the Congress. Sec. 25, added to act of Aug. 2, 1939, by sec. 2, act Aug. 21, 1944 (58 Stat. 728).

For section 9 referred to, supra, see 674a, ante. For voting by members of the armed forces, see 2290, post.

899q. Central Statistical Committee and Board.

By Part I, Reorganization Plan No. I, transmitted to Congress under authority of section 4, act of April 3, 1939, ante, 888c, and effective July 1, 1939, the Central Statistical Committee was abolished, and the Central Statistical Board was transferred to the Bureau of the Budget in the Executive Office of the President.

The first paragraph of the original text of this section, based on section 1, aet of July 25, 1935 (49 Stat. 498); 5 U. S. C. 141, and the second paragraph, based on section 5, act of July 25, 1935 (49 Stat. 499); 5 U. S. C. 145, have been eliminated from the Code.

900. War Council.

By section 11, act of June 14, 1940 (54 Stat. 395), a Naval Consulting Board was established, to make recommendations in matters concerning the naval establishment and the national defense.

Decorations; Legion of Merit and Medal for
Merit, 924a.

Decorations and medals in general; award

to personnel of cobelligerents, 924c. Service flag and service lapel button, 924f. Unauthorized wearing, manufacture, or sale, 925.

Military societies of veterans of Spanish Flag of the United States; specifications, American War, 921.

Insignia of veterans' organizations;

926.

ful manufacture, sale or reproduction for commercial purposes, 923a.

901. Medal of Honor; establishment.

Foreign decorations; acceptance and right to wear, 936.

So much of the act of April 23, 190% (35 Stat. 274), as was carried in 10 U. S. C. 1402 and 10 U. S. C. 1404 has been eliminated from the Code. It has been retained in the Military Laws as of historic interest.

903. Medal of Honor; conditions of award.

Provision for award of medals of honor, etc., to persons in the naval service is made by act of February 4, 1919 (40 Stat. 1056), as amended by act of August 7, 1942 (56 Stat. 743).

908. Silver star. *** And for each citation of any person for gallantry in action while serving in any capacity with the Army of the United States, published in orders issued from the headquarters of a force commanded by, or which is the appropriate command of, a general officer, not warranting the award of a medal of honor or distinguished-service cross, he or she shall be permitted to wear, as the President shall direct, a silver star threesixteenths of an inch in diameter. Chap. I, act of July 9, 1918 (40 Stat. 871); sec. 1, act of Jan. 24, 1920 (41 Stat. 398); act of Dec. 15, 1942 (56 Stat. 1052); 10 U. S. C. 1412.

This section has been amended as indicated.

917a. Army of Occupation of Germany Medal.-That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized and directed to procure and issue an Army of Occupation of Germany Medal of appropriate design, including suitable appurtenances, to be issued to each officer and enlisted man of the armed forces, or to the nearest of kin surviving of those deceased, who served in Germany or Austria-Hungary during the period of occupation at any time during the inclusive period from November 12, 1918, to July 11, 1923: Provided, That such medals and appurtenances shall not be issued in cases where the person has, during or subsequent to such service, been dismissed or discharged other than honorably from the service or deserted. Act of Nov. 21, 1941 (55 Stat. 781).

921. Badges; military societies of veterans of Spanish-American War. By act of April 22, 1940 (54 Stat. 152), an organization to be known as "United Spanish War Veterans" was created a body corporate and politic of the District of Columbia.

923a. Insignia of veterans' organizations; unlawful manufacture, sale or reproduction for commercial purposes.-That the manufacture, sale, or pur

chase for resale, either separately or appended to, or to be appended to, or the reproduction on any article of merchandise manufactured or sold, of the badge, medal, emblem, or other insignia or any colorable imitation thereof, or the reproduction thereof for commercial purposes, of any veterans' organization incorporated by Act of Congress, or the printing, lithographing, engraving or other like reproduction on any poster, circular, periodical, magazine, newspaper, or other publication, or the circulation or distribution of any such printed matter bearing a reproduction of such badge, medal, emblem, or other insignia or any colorable imitation thereof, of any such veterans' organization, is prohibited except when authorized under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by such organization so incorporated. Any person who knowingly offends against any provision of this Act shall on conviction be punished by a fine not exceeding $250 or by imprisonment not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Act of June 25, 1940 (54 Stat. 571); 18 U. S. C. 76e.

924a. Decorations; Legion of Merit and Medal for Merit.-(1) That there is hereby created a decoration to be known as the "Legion of Merit", which shall have suitable appurtenances and devices and not more than four degrees, and which the President, under such rules and regulations as he shall prescribe, may award to (a) personnel of the armed forces of the United States and of the Government of the Philippines and (b) personnel of the armed forces of friendly foreign nations who, since the proclamation of an emergency by the President on September 8, 1939, shall have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services.

(2) That there is hereby created a decoration to be known as the "Medal for Merit", which shall have distinctive appurtenances and devices and only one degree, and which the President, under such rules and regulations as he shall prescribe, may award to such civilians of the nations prosecuting the war under the joint declaration of the United Nations and of other friendly foreign nations as have, since the proclamation of an emergency by the President on September 8, 1939, distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services: Provided, That awards to civilians of foreign nations shall be only for the performance of an exceptionally meritorious or courageous act or acts in furtherance of the war efforts of the United Nations. Sec. 2, act of July 20, 1942 (56 Stat. 662); 10 U. S. C. 1408b.

Rules and regulations for the award of the "Legion of Merit" were prescribed by Executive Order No. 9260, October 29, 1942, and for the award of the "Medal for Merit" by Executive Order No. 9286, December 24, 1942, as superseded by Executive Order No. 9331, April 19, 1943.

924c. Decorations and medals in general; award to personnel of cobelligerants. For the duration of the present war and six months thereafter the President is authorized, under regulations to be prescribed by him, to confer such decorations and medals as may be authorized in the military service of the United States upon units of, or upon any person serving in any capacity with, the military forces of the countries now, or which may hereafter be, engaged with the United States in the present war. Sec. 1, act of Dec. 17, 1942 (56 Stat. 1056); 10 U. S. C. 1423b.

924f. Service flag and service lapel button.-That the Secretary of War is authorized and directed to approve a design for a service flag, which flag may

be displayed in a window of the place of residence of persons who are members of the immediate family of a person serving in the armed forces of the United States during the current war. Sec. 1, act of Oct. 17, 1942 (56 Stat. 796); 36 U. S. C. 179.

The Secretary of War is also authorized and directed to approve a design for a service lapel button, which button may be worn by members of the immediate family of a person serving in the armed forces of the United States during the current war. Sec. 2, act of Oct. 17, 1942 (56 Stat. 796); 36 U. S. C. 180.

Upon the approval by the Secretary of War of the design for such service flag and service lapel button, he shall cause notice thereof, together with a description of the approved flag and button, to be published in the Federal Register. Thereafter any person may apply to the Secretary of War for a license to manufacture and sell the approved service flag, or the approved service lapel button, or both. Any person, firm, or corporation who manufactures any such service flag or service lapel button without having first obtained such a license, or otherwise violates this Act, shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not more than $1,000. Sec. 3, act of Oct. 17, 1942 (56 Stat. 796); 36 U. S. C. 181.

The Secretary of War is authorized to make such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. Sec. 4, act of Oct. 17, 1942 (56 Stat. 796); 36 U. S. C. 182.

Section 5, act of May 10, 1943 (57 Stat. 82); 50 U. S. C. App. 753d, authorized the Administrator, War Shipping Administration, to approve a design for a seamen's service flag and service lapel button similar to the design approved by the Secretary of War under authority of the act of October 17, 1942, supra, provided the Secretary of War consented thereto.

925. Unauthorized wearing, manufacture, or sale.

That hereafter the manufacture, sale, or possession of any badge, identification card, or other insignia, of the design prescribed by the head of any department or independent office of the United States for use by any officer or subordinate thereof, or of any colorable imitation thereof, or the photographing, printing, or in any other manner making or executing any engraving, photograph, print, or impression in the likeness of any such badge, identification card, or other insignia, or of any colorable imitation thereof, is prohibited, except when and as authorized under such regulations as may be prescribed by the head of the department or independent office of which such insignia indicates the wearer is an officer or subordinate. Sec. 1, act of June 29, 1932 (47 Stat. 342); act of May 22, 1939 (53 Stat. 752); 18 U. S. C. 76a.

*

No funds heretofore or hereafter appropriated for the War Department shall be used directly or indirectly for or devoted to the purpose of the cancelation of existing certificates of authority with respect to the manufacture and distribution of Army insignia and no such funds shall be used directly or indirectly either to enforce or announce the provisions of order AR 600-90, as amended, or any amended or similar or comparable order or regulation restricting the manufacture and distribution of Army insignia: Provided, That this section shall be effective as of date March 1, 1943. Sec. 305, act of Dec. 23, 1943 (57 Stat. 642).

646631°-45-19

The third paragraph of this section has been amended as indicated by the first paragraph, supra.

The second paragraph, supra, is added as a new provision.

926. Flag of the United States; specifications.

The act of June 22, 1942 (56 Stat. 377), as amended by the act of December 22, 1942 (56 Stat. 1074), codifies existing rules and customs pertaining to the display and use of the flag of the United States.

Proclamation 2605, February 18, 1944, authorized the use of the flag of the United States or any representation thereof, when approved by the Foreign Economic Administration, on labels, packages, etc., for products of the United States intended for export as lend-lease aid, as relief and rehabilitation aid, or as emergency supplies for the Territories and possessions of the United States. If any article so labelled should by force of circumstances be diverted to the ordinary channels of domestic trade, no person shall be considered as violating the rules and customs pertaining to the display, etc., of the flag solely because of such labelling.

928a. National anthem.

"36 U. S. C. 144" should be eliminated from the citation to this section, based on act of March 3, 1931 (46 Stat. 1508), and "36 U. S. C. 170" added.

936. Foreign decorations; acceptance and right to wear.

That officers and enlisted men of the armed forces of the United States be, and they are hereby, authorized during the present war and for a year thereafter to accept from the governments of cobelligerent nations or the other American republics such decorations, orders, medals, and emblems, as may be tendered them, and which are conferred by such governments upon members of their own military forces, hereby expressly granting the consent of Congress required for this purpose by clause 8 of section 9, article I, of the Constitution: Provided, That any such officer or enlisted man is hereby authorized to accept and wear any decoration, order, medal, or emblem heretofore bestowed upon such person by the government of a cobelligerent nation or of an American republic. Sec. 1, act of July 20, 1942 (56 Stat. 662); 10 U. S. C. 1423a.

The above provision is added as a new paragraph of this section.