Chapter 526. To enable the mothers and widows of the deceased soldiers, sailors, and marines of the American forces now interred in the cemeteries of Europe to make a pilgrimage to these cemeteries
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Chap. 526: To enable the mothers and widows of the deceased soldiers, sailors, and marines of the American forces now interred in the cemeteries of Europe to make a pilgrimage to these cemeteries. 1929-03-02 526 Chapter 45 Stat. 1508 70 2 United States Government Publishing Office text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Digitization Vendor 2025-01-24 public Chapter 526.— An Act To enable the mothers and widows of the deceased soldiers, sailors, and marines of the American forces now interred in the cemeteries of Europe to make a pilgrimage to these cemeteries.
March 2, 1929.[[S. 5332](/us/bill/70/s/5332).][[Public, No. 952](/us/pl/70/952).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, * American cemeteries in Europe.Pilgrimages for mothers and widows of American forces who died during World War and buried therein, to be arranged for. That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized to arrange for pilgrimages to cemeteries in Europe by mothers and widows of members of the military or naval forces of the United States who died in the military or naval service at any time between April 5, 1917, and July 1, 1921, and whose remains are now interred in such cemeteries.
Such pilgrimages Expense by United States.shall be made at the expense of the United States under the conditions set forth in section 2. Sec. 2. Conditions. The conditions under which such pilgrimages may be made are as follows:
(a)Invitations to be extended. Invitations to make the pilgrimages shall be extended in the name of the United States to the mothers and widows for whom the pilgrimages are authorized to be arranged under section 1.
(b)Upon acceptance, one pilgrimage allowed.Restrictions. Upon acceptance of the invitation the mother or widow shall be entitled to make one such pilgrimage; but no mother or widow who has previous to the pilgrimage visited cemeteries described in section 1 shall be entitled to make any such pilgrimage, and no mother or widow shall be entitled to make more than one such pilgrimage.
(c)Designation of the times therefor. The pilgrimages shall be made at such times during the period from May 1, 1930, to October 31, 1933, as may be designated by the Secretary of War.
(d)Issue of special passports, with limitation, if parties are citizens. For the purpose of the pilgrimages the Secretary of State shall
(1)issue special passports, limited to the duration of the pilgrimage, to mothers and widows making the pilgrimages and to such personnel as may be selected to accompany and/or arrange for the pilgrimages, if such mothers, widows, and personnel are citizens of the Travel documents, if aliens.Without fee.Alien mothers, etc., permitted to return to United States within period of pilgrimage.United States, and
(2)issue suitable travel documents, if aliens. No fee for either of such documents or for any application therefor shall be charged. Such alien mothers, widows, and personnel shall be permitted to return and be granted admission to the United States without regard to any law, convention, or treaty relating to the immigration or exclusion of aliens, if the return is made within the period covered by the pilgrimage of the particular group or, in the case of personnel, within such times as the Secretary of War shall by regulationExtension of time. prescribe; except that in any case of unavoidable detention the Secretary of War may extend in such case the time during which return may be made without regard to such laws, conventions, or treaties.
(e)Shortest practical route and time to be designated.Period for Government expense limited. The pilgrimages shall be by the shortest practicable route and for the shortest practicable time, to be designated by the Secretary of War. No mother or widow shall be provided for at Government expense in Europe for a longer period than two weeks from the time of disembarkation in Europe to the time of reembarkation in Europe. In the case of any mother or widow willfully failing to continue the pilgrimage of her particular group, the United States shall not incur or be subject to any expense with regard to her pilgrimage after such failure. 1509
(f)Vessels owned or operated by the United States GovernmentSea travel by Government vessels. or any agency thereof shall be used for transportation at sea wherever practicable.
(g)Suitable transportation, accommodations, meals, and otherSuitable transportation, and other necessities for entire distance, etc., furnished. necessities pertaining thereto, as prescribed by the Secretary of War, shall be furnished each mother or widow included in any pilgrimage for the entire distance at sea and on land and while sojourning in Europe and while en route in the United States from home to port and from port to home. Cabin-class accommodations shall be furnishedCabins for sea transportation.No one entitled by any payment to be furnished transportation, etc., different from those prescribed for the particular group. for all transportation at sea. No mother or widow shall be entitled, by reason of any payment made by or for her, to be furnished by the Government with transportation, accommodations, meals, and other necessities pertaining thereto different in kind from those prescribed by the Secretary of War for the pilgrimage of the particular group.
(h)All pilgrimages shall be made in accordance with such regulationsRegulations to be prescribed for all matters of the pilgrimages. as the Secretary of War may from time to time prescribe as to the time, route, itineraries, composition of groups, accommodations, transportation, program, arrangements, management, and other matters pertaining to such pilgrimages. Sec. 3. There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as mayNecessary sums authorized.Investigation to determine numbers entitled, those who desire to make the pilgrimage, and probable cost. be necessary to carry into effect the provisions of this Act. The Secretary of War is directed to make an investigation for the purpose of determining
(1)the total numbers of mothers and widows entitled to make the pilgrimages,
(2)the number of such mothers and widows who desire to make the pilgrimages and the number who desire to make the pilgrimages during the calendar year 1930, and
(3)the probable cost of the pilgrimages to be made. The Secretary of WarReport of results to Congress. shall report to the Congress not later than December 15, 1929, the results of such investigation. Sec. 4. As used in this Act—Meaning of terms used.“Mother.”
(a)The term “mother” means mother, stepmother, mother through adoption, or any woman who stood in loco parentis to the deceased member of the military or naval forces for the year prior to the commencement of his service in such forces.
(b)The term “widow” means a widow who has not remarried“Widow.” since the death of the member of the military or naval forces. Approved, March 2, 1929.
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Chapter 526
To enable the mothers and widows of the deceased soldiers, sailors, and marines of the American forces now interred in the cemeteries of Europe to make a pilgrimage to these cemeteries
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