53 STAT.]
76TH CONG., 1sT SESS. -CH. 190-JUNE 7, 1939
811
[CHAPTER 190]
June 7,1939
To provide for the common defense by acquiring stocks of strategic and critical
Is. 572]
materials essential to the needs of industry for the manufacture of supplies for [Public, No. 117]
the armed forces and the civilian population in time of a national emer-
gency, and to encourage, as far as possible, the further development of strategic
and critical materials within the United States for common defense.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the natural Acquisition of cer-
tain strategic and crit-
resources of the United States in certain strategic and critical ical materials.
materials being deficient or insufficiently developed to supply the policy.l
n
industrial, military, and naval needs of the country for common
defense, it is the policy of Congress and the purpose and intent of
this Act to provide for the acquisition of stocks of these materials
and to encourage the development of mines and deposits of these
materials within the United States, and thereby decrease and pre-
vent wherever possible a dangerous and costly dependence of the
United States upon foreign nations for supplies of these materials in
times of national emergency.
SEC. 2. To effectuate the policy set forth in section 1 hereof the Muons Board, de-
Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of termination of strate-
gicand critical mate-
the Interior? acting jointly through the agency of the Army and rials.
Navy Munitions Board, are hereby authorized and directed to deter-
mine which materials are strategic and critical under the provisions
of this Act and to determine the quality and quantities of such tQitui and quan-
tities to be purchased.
materials which shall be purchased within the amount of the appro-
ph
priations authorized by this Act. In determining the materials which iCtedP Departments.
are strategic and critical and the quality and quantities of same to
be purchased the Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Commerce shall
each designate representatives to cooperate with the Secretary of
War, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Interior
in carrying out the provisions of this Act.
SEc. 3. The Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy, when Purchases by Treas-
ury Dlepartment when
they deem such action appropriate because the domestic production domesti prouc
or supply of any of the above materials is insufficient to meet the to sutply eeds.
nt
industrial, military, and naval needs of the country, shall direct the
Secretary of the Treasury, through the medium of the Procurement
Division of his Department and from the funds authorized by the
provisions of this Act, to make purchases of such materials in accord-
ance with specifications prepared by the Procurement Division of
the Treasury Department and approved by the Secretary of War
and the Secretary of the Navy, and to provide for the storage and
Strge and main-
maintenance, and, where necessary to prevent deterioration, for the
rotation of such materials. To accomplish such rotation, the Secre-
Replacement of
stocks of material sub-
tary of the Treasury, with the approval of the Secretary of War and ject to deterioration.
the Secretary of the Navy, is authorized to replace acquired stocks
of any such material subject to deterioration by equivalent quantities
of the same material in such manner as he deems will best serve the
purposes of this Act. The Secretary of the Treasury is empowered
to meet, out of the funds authorized in this Act, expenses necessary
to accomplish such rotation. The Secretary shall include in his peAndiureport
a
eth-
annual report to Congress a detailed statement of expenditures made od of rotation em-
under this section and the method of rotation employed. The mate- ployed.
rials so purchased shall be stored by the Procurement Division of the
Treasury Department on military and naval reservations or in other
locations approved by the Secretary of War and the Secretary of
the Navy.
SEc. 4 . Materials acquired under this Act except for rotation to Userestr
prevent deterioration shall be used only upon the order of the Presi-
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