An Act to authorize relief of authorized certifying officers from exceptions taken to payments pertaining to terminated war agencies in liquidation by the Department of State
PL 83-636 (S.1184), enacted 08/23/1954

774 
PUBLIC LAW 636-AUG. 23, 1954 
[68 ST A T . 
or other person liable. On any such thing in action an action may be 
brought or continued against the personal representative of the de-
ceased person, but punitive or exemplary damages shall not be award-
ed nor penalties adjudged in any such action. This section shall extend 
to a thing in action for wrongfully causing death arising under sec-
tion 131 of title 4, and an action under said section 131 may be brought 
or continued against the personal representative of the tort feasor 
or other person liable. Where a thing in action arises simultaneously 
with or after the death of the tort feasor or other person who would 
have been liable if his death had not occurred simultaneously Avith 
the act, omission, circumstance, or event giving rise to such thing in 
action, or had not intervened between the wrongful act, omission, 
circumstances, or event and the coming into being of the thing in 
action, an action to enforce such thing in action may be maintained 
against the personal representative of such tort feasor or other per-
son. Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing the 
transfer of any thing in action arising out of any tort against the 
person. 
"§ 374. Survival of thing in action after death of person injured 
"No thing in action sounding in tort, arising after the date of enact-
ment of this section, shall be lost because of the death of the person 
in whose favor the thing in action arose. On any such thing in action 
an action may be brought or continued by the personal representative 
of the deceased person. The damages recovered in any action under 
this section shall form a part of the estate of the deceased. No thing 
in action for damages caused by any injury or wrong to a third person 
shall be lost because of the death of such third person. If an action 
be brought for physical injuries to a person, and a separate action be 
brought for his wrongful death arising out of the same wrongful act, 
omission, circumstance, or event, such actions shall be consolidated 
for trial on the motion of any interested party: Provided^ however^ 
That the award of damages appertaining to physical injuries shall 
not include prospective profits or earnings after the date of death 
of the person injured. 
Nothing in this section shall be construed 
as authorizing the transfer of any thing in action arising out of any 
tort against the person." 
Approved August 23, 1954. 
August 23, 1954 
[S.1184] 
Public Law 636 
n M ^^t CHAPTER 840 
AN ACT 
To authorize relief of authorized certifying officers from exceptions taken to 
payments pertaining to terminated war agencies in liquidation by the Depart-
ment of State. 
Certain State De-
partment 
certify-
ing officers. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of AnieHca in Congress assembled, That the Comp-
troller General of the United States is authorized and directed to allow 
credit in the accounts of authorized certifying officers of terminated 
war agencies, in process of liquidation by the Department of State at 
the time of the enactment of this Act, for the amounts of suspensions 
and disallowances, which have been, or may be, raised by the General 
Accounting Office on account of payments made in accordance with 
vouchers certified by such certifying officers: Provided, That the Sec-
retary of State or his authorized representative shall certify that in 
his opinion there is no evidence of fraud or collusion on the part of the 
certifying officers in connection with the payments. 
68 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 637~AUG. 24, 1954 
775 
SEC. 2. "Authorized certifying officers of terminated war agencies 
in process of liquidation by the Department of State" as used in this 
Act means certifying officers employed by terminated war agencies 
transferred to the Department of State for liquidation and certifying 
officers under the Department of State who certified payments for the 
activities of such terminated war agencies, or any terminated wartime 
activity of the Department of State from funds allocated to or made 
available to the Department of State by working funds or reimburse-
ments pursuant to the provisions of section 686, title 31, United States 
^"^ stat. 4i7. 
Code, or other authority of law: Provided, however, That no certify-
ing officer of the Department of State shall be released hereunder as 
to payments made from funds appropriated directly to the Depart-
ment of State or as to payments made after the date of enactment of 
this Act: Provided fwrther, That the authority granted under this Act 
Expiration, 
shall expire not later than two years after the date of enactment of 
this Act. 
Approved August 23, 1954. 
Public Law 637 
CHAPTER 886 
AN A C T 
August 24, 1954 
To outlaw the Communist Party, to prohibit members of Communist organiza- 
[s. 3706] 
tions from serving in certain representative capacities, 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 "Communist Control Act of 1954". 
FINDINGS OF FACT 
SEC. 2. The Congress hereby finds and declares that the Communist 
Party of the United States, although purportedly a political party, 
is in fact an instrumentality of a conspiracy to overthrow the Govern-
ment of the United States. 
It constitutes an authoritarian dictator-
ship within a republic, demanding for itself the rights and privileges 
accorded to political parties, but denying to all others the liberties 
guaranteed by the Constitution. 
Unlike political parties, which evolve 
their policies and programs through public means, by the reconcilia-
tion of a wide variety of individual views, and submit those policies 
and programs to the electorate at large for approval or disapproval, 
the policies and programs of the Communist Party are secretly pre-
scribed for it by the foreign leaders of the world Communist move-
ment. 
Its members have no part in determining its goals, and are 
not permitted to voice dissent to party objectives. 
Unlike members 
of political parties, members of the Communist Party are recruited 
for indoctrination with respect to its objectives and methods, and are 
organized, instructed, and disciplined to carry into action slavishly 
the assignments given them by their hierarchical chieftains. 
Unlike 
political parties, the Communist Party acknowledges no constitutional 
or statutory limitations upon its conduct or upon that of its members. 
The Communist Party is relatively small numerically, and gives scant 
indication of capacity ever to attain its ends by lawful political means. 
The peril inherent in its operation arises not from its numbers, but 
from its failure to acknowledge any limitation as to the nature of its 
activities, and its dedication to the proposition that the present consti-
tutional Government of the United States ultimately must be brought 
to ruin by any available means, including resort to force and violence. 
Holding that doctrine, its role as the agency of a hostile foreign power 
renders its existence a clear present and continuing danger to the 
Communist Con-
trol Act of 1954.