Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 54 Part 1.djvu/710

 PUBLIC IAWS-CHS. 439, 440-JUNE 28, 1940 " Commissioner" defined. Effective dates. Registration, etc., of aliens in Oanal Zone. Separability clause. Short title. (2) the term "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Immi- gration and Naturalization. (b) The provisions of this title shall take effect upon the date of enactment of this Act; except that sections 30 and 31 shall take effect sixty days after the date of its enactment. SEC. 39. The President is authorized to provide, by Executive order, for the registration and fingerprinting, in a manner as nearly similar to that provided in this title as he deems practicable, of aliens in the Panama Canal Zone. TITLE IV SEo. 40. If any provision of this Act, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the remainder of the Act, and the application of such provision to other persons or circum- stances, shall not be affected thereby. SEC. 41. This Act may be cited as the "Alien Registration Act, 1940". Approved, June 28, 1940. [CHAPTER 440] June 28,1940 [H. R. 9822] [Public, No. 671] National defense. Advance payments to contractors limi- tation. Security. Partial paymentson balance; limitation. Lien. Proisoe. Report to Congress. Contracts for acqui- sition, etc.. of naval vessels or aircraft. Machine tools, etc. Priority in deliv- riesa Proisos. Report to Congress. AN ACT To expedite national defense, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and Hose of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That whenever in the opinion of the President of the United States such course would be in the best interests of national defense during the national emergency declared by the President on September 8, 1939, to exist, the Secretary of the Navy, or the Secretary of the Treasury in the case of Coast Guard contracts, is authorized to advance, from appro- priations available therefor, payments to contractors in amounts not exceeding 30 per centum of the contract price, upon such terms as such Secretary shall prescribe, and adequate security for the pro- tection of the Government for the payments so made shall be required. The Secretary concerned is further authorized in his discretion to make partial payments on the balance of the contract price from time to time during the progress of the work, such partial payments not to exceed the value of the work already done, but to be subject to a lien as provided by the Act of August 22, 1911 (37 Stat. 32; U. S . C. title 34, sec. 582), entitled "An Act authorizing the Secretary of the Navy to make partial payments for work already done under public contracts": Provided, That the Secretary concerned shall report every three months to the Congress the advance payments made under the authority of this section. SEC. 2. (a) That whenever deemed by the President of the United States to be in the best interests of the national defense during the national emergency declared by the President on September 8, 1939, to exist, the Secretary of the Navy is hereby authorized to negotiate contracts for the acquisition, construction, repair, or alteration of complete naval vessels or aircraft, or any portion thereof, including plans, spare parts, and equipment therefor, that have been or may be authorized, and also for machine tools and other similar equipment, with or without advertising or competitive bidding upon determina- tion that the price is fair and reasonable, and deliveries of material under all orders placed pursuant to the authority of this section and all other naval contracts or orders and all Army contracts and orders shall, in the discretion of the President, take priority over all deliv- eries for private account or for export: Provided, That the Secretary of the Navy shall report every three months to the Congress the 676 [54 STAT.

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