An Act to provide a method of paying certain unsettled claims for damages sustained as a result of the explosions at Port Chicago, Calif., on July 17, 1944, in the amounts found to be due by the Secretary of the Navy
PL 83-378 (H.R.2696), enacted 05/28/1954

156 
PUBLIC LAW 378-MAY 28, 1954 
[68 STAT 
(a) The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized, in his discre-
tion and when the public interest will be benefited thereby— 
(1) to exchange public lands in the State of Wyoming, within 
or without the boundaries of the project, for non-Federal lands of 
approximately equal value within the exterior boundaries of the 
project which are adaptable for use in the construction, operation, 
or maintenance of project irrigation facilities; 
(2) upon concurrence of the Secretary of Agriculture, to trans-
fer to the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture public lands 
within the exterior boundaries of the project which are suitable for 
development and settlement; and 
(3) for the purpose of consolidating Federal holdings of lands 
in the project, upon concurrence of the Secretary of Agriculture, 
to exchange public lands in the State of Wyoming, within or 
without the boundaries of the project, for non-Federal lands of 
approximately equal value within the exterior boundaries of the 
project which are suitable for development and, upon consumma-
tion of such exchange, the lands received in exchange shall there-
upon become a part of the project and subject to the jurisdiction of 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(b) The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby authorized and directed— 
(1) when in his judgment the public interests will be benefited 
thereby, to exchange lands under his jurisdiction within the 
exterior boundaries of the project for non-Federal lands of approx-
imately equal value within the boundaries of the project which he 
finds are suitable for project development and settlement; and 
(2) upon concurrence of the Secretary of the Interior, to trans-
fer to the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior lands or 
interests in lands which are adaptable for use in the construction, 
operation, or maintenance of project irrigation facilities, or are 
unsuited for incorporation into farm units and are surplus to the 
needs of the project. 
(c) (1) The lands transferred to the jurisdiction of the Secretary 
of Agriculture under the provisions of section (a) (2) and received in 
exchange under the provisions of sections (a) (3) and (b) (1) shall be 
developed, settled, disposed of and otherwise administered in the same 
manner as acquired project lands; and (2) the lands transferred to the 
jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior under the provisions of 
section (b) (2) shall be administered under the public land laws, 
excepting lands transferred for use in the construction, operation, or 
maintenance of project irrigation facilities which, together with the 
lands received in exchange under the provisions of section (a) (1), 
shall be administered by the Secretary of the Interior in all respects 
the same as other project lands under his jurisdiction. 
Approved May 28, 1954. 
Public Law 378 
CHAPTER 246 
May 28. 1954 
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^ ^ T 
[H. R. 2696] 
To provide a method of paying certain unsettled claims for damages sustained as 
a result of the explosions at Port Chicago, California, on July 17, 1944, in the 
amounts found to be due by the Secretary of the Navy. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
Port Chi cago, United States of America in Congress assembled^ That for the purpose 
Settlement o
f of effecting thc Settlement of those claims against the United States 
claims. 
resulting from the explosions which occurred at the naval ammunition 
depot at Port Chicago, California, on July 17, 1944, which have not 
68 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 379-MAY 29, 1954 
157 
been settled by the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the Treas-
ury be, and he is hereby, authorized to pay, out of any money in the 
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, in full settlement of all such 
claims, the respective sums found to be due in the reports of the Secre-
tary of the Navy to Congress dated November 26,1951, and November 
12, 1952, submitted pursuant to Public Law 637, Eightieth Congress 
(62 Stat. 389) : Provided^ That no part of the amount appropriated 
in this Act in excess of 10 per centum thereof shall be paid or delivered 
to or received by any agent or attorney on account of services rendered 
in connection with this claim, and the same shall be unlawful, any 
contract to the contrary notwithstanding. Any person violating the 
provisions of this Act shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and 
upon conviction thereof shall be fined in any sum not exceeding $1,000. 
Approved May 28, 1954. 
Public Law 379 
CHAPTER 249 
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^^^ 
May 29, 1954 
To revise certain laws relating to warrant officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, 
[H. R. 6374] 
Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That this Act may be 
cited as the "Warrant Officer Act of 1954". 
Warrant Off icer 
Act of 1954. 
DEFINITIONS 
SEC. 2. For the purposes of this Act— 
(a) The term "Secretary", unless otherwise qualified, means the 
Secretary of the Army, with respect to the Army; the Secretary of the 
Navy, with respect to the Navy and Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard 
when it is operating as a service in the Navy; the Secretary of the Air 
Force, with respect to the Air Force; and the Secretary of the Treasury, 
with respect to the Coast Guard when it is operating as a service in the 
Treasury Department. 
(b) The term "warrant officer", unless otherwise qualified, means an 
officer who holds a warrant or a commission in a permanent or tempo-
rary warrant officer grade in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, 
or Coast Guard, including any component thereof. 
(c) The term "date of ^ failure of 'selection for promotion" unless 
otherwise qualified, is that date on which the Secretary approves the 
report of the board under section 10 (b) of this Act, or the date upon 
which the name of the officer concerned is removed from a recom-
mended list under section 10 (c) of this Act, or the date prescribed by 
the Secretary under section 12 of this Act, as appropriate. 
(d) The term "active service" means active service as defined in 
section 511 of the Career Compensation Act of 1949. 
|^ u^^' lll\ 
ESTABLISHMENT OF GRADES OF WARRANT OFFICERS 
SEC. 3. (a) Warrant officer grades, as prescribed in the following 
table, are hereby established in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine 
Corps, and Coast Guard. 
These warrant officer grades shall cor-
respond to the various pay grades prescribed for warrant officers by 
section 201 (a) of the Career Compensation Act of 1949 (63 Stat. 802, 
806), as amended, in accordance with the following table: 
37 use 232.