Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 53 Part 2.djvu/335

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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- 98907°-39-P - 2 -20