Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 56 Part 1.djvu/1086

 PUBLIC LAWS-CHS. 765, 766-DEC. 18, 1942 out of the fund created by said deposits; shall not be subject to for- feiture by sentence of court-martial, but shall be forfeited by deser- tion; and shall be exempt from liability for such soldier's debts: Provided, That the Government shall be liable for the amount deposited to the person so depositing the same." SEC. 2 . Section 1306, Revised Statutes, as amended, is hereby fur- ther amended to read as follows: "For any sums not less than $5 so deposited for the period of six months, or longer, the soldier, on his final discharge or at such time or times prior thereto as may be prescribed by the Secretary of War, shall be paid interest at the rate of 4 per centum per annum." SEC. 3 . The amendments herein provided shall be effective during the present war and for a period of one year thereafter. Approved, December 18, 1942. [CHAPTER 766] December 18, 1942 [S. 2528] [Public Law 814] Settlement of Mexi- can Claims Act of 1942. American Mexican Claims Commission. Personal services. 42 Stat. 1488 . U. S ..C. 661-674; Bupp. I, ch. 13 . Ante, p. 733. Rules and regula- tions. Termination of au. thority. Final decisions on certain claims. Ararian claims AN ACT To provide for the settlement of certain claims of the Government of the United States on behalf of American nationals against the Government of Mexico. 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 "Settlement of Mexican Claims Act of 1942". SEC. 2 . (a) There is hereby established a commission to be known as the American Mexican Claims Commission (hereinafter referred to as the "Commission") and to be composed of three persons to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Each member of the Commission shall receive a salary at the rate of $10,000 a year. One of such members shall be desig- nated by the President as Chairman of the Commission. Two mem- bers of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Any vacancy that may occur in the membership of the Commission shall be filled in the same manner as in the case of an original appointment. (b) The Commission may, without regard to the civil-service laws, employ a secretary, and such legal, clerical, and technical assistants as may be necessary to carry out its functions under this Act, and shall fix their compensation without regard to the Classification Act of 1923, as amended. (c) The Commission is authorized to make such rules and regula- tions as may be necessary to carry out its functions under this Act. (d) The authority of the Commission under this Act, and the terms of office of its members, shall terminate at the expiration of two years after the date on which a majority of its members first appointed take office, but the President may by Executive order fix an earlier termination date. Upon the termination of the authority of the Com- mission, all books, records, documents, and other papers in the posses- sion of the Commission shall be deposited with the Department of State. SEC. 3. (a) The Commission shall have authority to examine and render final decisions in the following categories of claims on behalf of American nationals against the Government of Mexico- (1) Agrarian claims which arose between January 1, 1927, and August 30, 1927, inclusive and which were not filed with the General Claims Commission established pursuant to the Convention between the United States and Mexico signed September 8, 1923 (43 Stat. 1730); (2) Agrarian claims which are predicated upon provisional expro- priation decrees signed between August 31, 1927, and December 1, 1988, inclusive, but not published prior to December 1, 1938, and Proviso. Interest. 10U.S.C. 907. Duration. 1058 [56 STAT.

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