SEC. 9. That section 411 of the War Risk Insurance Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 411. Subject to the provisions of section 29 of the War Risk Insurance Act and amendments thereto policies of insurance heretofore or hereafter issued in accordance with Article IV of the War Risk Insurance Act shall be incontestable after the insurance has been in force six months from the date of issuance, or reinstatement, except for fraud or nonpayment of premiums: Provided, That a letter mailed by the United States Veterans' Bureau to the insured at his last known address informing him of the invalidity of his insurance shall be deemed a contest within the meaning of this section: Provided further, That this section shall be deemed to be in effect as of April 6, 1917."

SEC. 10. That a new section is hereby added to Article IV of the War Risk Insurance Act (including therein section 18 of the Act entitled "An Act to amend and modify the War Risk Insurance Act," approved December 24, 1919), to be known as section 412, and to read as follows:

"SEC. 412. That all premiums paid on account of insurance converted under the provisions of Article IV of the War Risk Insurance Act shall be deposited and covered into the Treasury to the credit of the United States Government life-insurance fund and shall be available for the payment of losses, dividends, refunds, and other benefits provided for under such insurance. Payments from this fund shall be made upon and in accordance with awards by the director.

"The United States Veterans' Bureau is hereby authorized to set aside out of the fund so collected such reserve funds as may be required, under accepted actuarial principles, to meet all liabilities under such insurance; and the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to invest and reinvest the said United States Government life-insurance fund, or any part thereof, in interest-bearing obligations of the United States or bonds of the Federal farm loan banks and to sell said obligations of the United States or the bonds of the Federal farm loan banks for the purposes of such fund." Approved, March 4, 1923.

[H. R. 7959]

An Act To provide adjusted compensation for veterans of the World War, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

TITLE I.-DEFINITIONS

SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the "World War Adjusted Compensation Act."

SEC. 2. As used in this Act

(a) The term "veteran" includes any individual, a member of the military or naval forces of the United States at any time after April 5, 1917, and before November 12, 1918; but does not include (1) any individual at any time during such period or thereafter separated from such forces under other than honorable conditions, (2) any conscientious objector who performed no military duty whatever or refused to wear the uniform, or (3) any alien at any time during such period or thereafter discharged from the military or naval forces on account of his alienage;

66

(b) The term oversea service means service on shore in Europe or Asia, exclusive of China, Japan, and the Philippine Islands; and service afloat, not on receiving ships; including in either case the period from the date of embarkation for such service to the date of disembarkation on return from such service, both dates inclusive;

(c) The term "home service" means all service not oversea service; (d) The term "adjusted service credit" means the amount of the credit computed under the provisions of Title II; and

(e) The term "person" includes a partnership, corporation, or association, as well as an individual.

TITLE II.-ADJUSTED SERVICE CREDIT

SEC. 201. The amount of adjusted service credit shall be computed by allowing the following sums for each day of active service, in excess of sixty days, in the military or naval forces of the United States after April 5, 1917, and before July 1, 1919, as shown by the service or other record of the veteran: $1.25 for each day of oversea service, and $1 for each day of home service; but the amount of the credit of a veteran who performed no oversea service shall not $500, and the amount of the credit of a veteran whe oversea service shall not exceed $625.

.

SEC. 202. In computing the adjusted service credit no allowance shall be made to

(a) Any commissioned officer above the grade of captain in the Army or Marine Corps, lieutenant in the Navy, first lieutenant or first lieutenant of engineers in the Coast Guard, or passed assistant surgeon in the Public Health Service, or having the pay and allowances, if not the rank, of any officer superior in rank to any of such grades in each case for the period of service as such;

(b) Any individual holding a permanent or provisional commission or permanent or acting warrant in any branch of the military or naval forces, or (while holding such commission or warrant) serving under a temporary commission in a higher grade-in each case for the period of service under such commission or warrant or in such higher grade after the accrual of the right to pay thereunder. This subdivision shall not apply to any noncommissioned officer;

(c) Any civilian officer or employee of any branch of the military or naval forces, contract surgeon, cadet of the United States Military Academy, midshipman, cadet or cadet engineer of the Coast Guard, member of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, member of the Students' Army Training Corps (except an enlisted man detailed thereto), Philippine Scout, member of the Philippine Guard, member of the Philippine Constabulary, member of the National Guard of Hawaii, member of the insular force of the Navy, member of the Samoan native guard and band of the Navy, or Indian Scout-in each case for the period of service as such;

(d) Any individual entering the military or naval forces after November 11, 1918-for any period after such entrance;

(e) Any commissioned or warrant officer performing home service not with troops and receiving commutation of quarters or of subsistence for the period of such service;

(f) Any member of the Public Health Service-for any period during which he was not detailed for duty with the Army or the Navy;

(g) Any individual granted a farm or industrial furlough-for the period of such furlough;

(h) Any individual detailed for work on roads or other construction or repair work-for the period during which his pay was equalized to conform to the compensation paid to civilian employees in the same or like employment, pursuant to the provisions of section 9 of the Act entitled "An Act making appropriations for the service of the Post Office Department for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1920, and for other purposes," approved February 28, 1919; or

(i) Any individual who was discharged or otherwise released from the draft-for the period of service terminating with such discharge or release.

SEC. 203. (a) The periods referred to in subdivision (e) of section 202 may be included in the case of any individual if and to the extent that the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy jointly find that such service subjected such individual to exceptional hazard. A full statement of all action under this subdivision shall be included in the reports of the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy required by section 307.

(b) In computing the credit to any veteran under this title effect shall be given to all subdivisions of section 202 which are applicable.

(c) If part of the service is oversea service and part is home service, the home service shall first be used in computing the sixty days' period referred to in section 201.

(d) For the purpose of computing the sixty days' period referred to in section 201, any period of service after April 5, 1917, and before July 1, 1919, in the military or naval forces in any capacity may be included, notwithstanding allowance of credit for such period, or a part thereof, is prohibited under the provisions of section 202, except that the periods referred to in subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) of that section shall not be included.

(e) For the purposes of section 201, in the case of members of the National Guard or of the National Guard Reserve called into service by the proclamation of the President dated July 3, 1917, the time of service between the date of call into the service as specified in such proclamation and August 5, 1917, both dates inclusive, shall be deemed to be active service in the military or naval forces of the United States.

TITLE III.-GENERAL PROVISIONS

BENEFITS GRANTED VETERANS

SEC. 301. Each veteran shall be entitled:

(1) To receive "adjusted service pay as provided in Title IV, if the amount of his adjusted service credit is $50 or less;

(2) To receive an "adjusted service certificate" as provided in Title V, if the amount of his adjusted service credit is more than $50.

APPLICATION BY VETERAN

SEC. 302. (a) A veteran may receive the benefits to which he is entitled by filing an application claiming the benefits of this Act with the Secretary of War, if he is serving in, or his last service was with, the military forces; or with the Secretary of the Navy, if he is serving in, or his last service was with, the naval forces.

(b) Such application shall be made on or before January 1, 1928, and if not made on or before such date shall be held void.

(c) An application shall be made (1) personally by the veteran, or (2) in case physical or mental incapacity prevents the making of a personal application, then by such representative of the veteran and in such manner as the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy shall jointly by regulation prescribe. An application made by a representative other than one authorized by any such regulation shall be held void.

(d) The Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy shall jointly make any regulations necessary to the efficient administration of the provisions of this section.

TRANSMITTAL OF APPLICATION

SEC. 303. (a) As soon as practicable after the receipt of a valid application the Secretary of War or the Secretary of the Navy, as the case may be, shall transmit to the Director of the United States

Veterans' Bureau (hereinafter in this Act referred to "Director") the application and a certificate setting forth(1) That the applicant is a veteran;

(2) His name and address;

(3) The date and place of his birth; and

(4) The amount of his adjusted service credit together with the facts of record in his department upon which such above conclusions are based.

(b) Upon receipt of such certificate the Director shall proceed to extend to the veteran the benefits provided for in Title IV or V.

PUBLICITY

SEC. 304. (a) The Director shall, as soon as practicable after the enactment of this Act, prepare and publish a pamphlet or pamphlets containing a digest and explanation of the provisions of this Act; and shall from time to time thereafter prepare and publish such additional or supplementary information as may be found necessary. (b) The publications provided for in subdivision (a) shall be distributed in such manner as the Director may determine to be most effective to inform veterans and their dependents of their rights under this Act.

STATISTICS

SEC. 305. Immediately upon the enactment of this Act the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy shall ascertain the individuals who are veterans as defined in section 2, and, as to each veteran, the number of days of oversea service and of home service, as defined in section 2, for which he is entitled to receive adjusted service credit, and their findings shall not be subject to review by the General Accounting Office, and payments made by disbursing officers of the United States Veterans' Bureau made in accordance with such findings shall be passed to their credit.

ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS

SEC. 306. Any officer charged with any function under this Act shall make such regulations, not inconsistent with this Act, as may be necessary to the efficient administration of such function.

REPORTS

SEC. 307. Any officer charged with the administration of any part of this Act shall make a full report to Congress on the first Monday of December of each year as to his administration thereof.

EXEMPTION FROM ATTACHMENT AND TAXATION

SEC. 308. No sum payable under this Act to a veteran or his dependents, or to his estate, or to any beneficiary named under Title V, no adjusted service certificate, and no proceeds of any loan made on such certificate, shall be subject to attachment, levy, or seizure under any legal or equitable process, or to National or State taxation.