858. Recovery of bodies.-That there is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sum as may be necessary to pay the expenses incident to the recovery of bodies of officers. cadets, United States Military Academy, acting assistant surgeons, members of the Army Nurse Corps, warrant officers, enlisted men, and civilian employees, under such regulations as the Secretary of War may prescribe. Act of Mar. 8, 1928 (45 Stat. 248).

859. Burial expense and transportation of remains. That there is hereby authorized to be appropriated from time to time such sums as may be necessary for expenses of interment, cremation (only upon request from relatives of the deceased), or of preparation and transportation to their homes or to such national cemeteries as may be designated by proper authority, in the discretion of the Secretary of War, of the remains of officers on the active list and retired officers who die while on active duty, cadets, United States Military Academy, acting assistant surgeons, members of the Army Nurse Corps, and enlisted men in active service and retired enlisted men who die while on active duty, and accepted applicants for enlistment; for interment or preparation and transportation to their homes of the remains of civilian employees of the Army in the employ of the War Department who die abroad, in Alaska, in the Canal Zone, or on Army transports, or who die while on duty in the field; for interment of military prisoners who die at military posts; for the interment and shipment to their homes of remains of enlisted men who are discharged in hospitals in the United States and continue as inmates of said hospitals to the date of their death; for interment of prisoners of war and interned alien enemies who die at prison camps in the United States; for recovery of bodies of the abovementioned military personnel; for removal of remains from abandoned posts to permanent military posts or national cemeteries, including the remains of Federal soldiers, sailors, or marines interred in fields, abandoned graves, or abandoned private and city cemeteries; and for expenses of the segregation of bodies in permanent American cemeteries in Great Britain and France: Provided, That in any case where the expenses of burial or shipment of the remains of officers or enlisted men of the Army who die on the active list, or retired officers or enlisted men who die while on active duty, or of any of the military or civil personnel mentioned above, are borne by individuals, where such ex

penses would have been lawful claims against the Government, reimbursement to such individuals may be made of the amount allowed by the Government for such services, but no reimbursement shall be made of such expenses incurred prior to July 1, 1910. Act of March 9, 1928 (45 Stat. 251); U. S. C. 10: 916. Provided, That hereafter the heads of departments shall not authorize any expenditure in connection with transportation of remains of deceased employees, except when otherwise specifically provided by law. Sec. 1, act of June 7, 1897 (30 Stat. 86); U. S. C. 5: 103.

860. Same; members of National Guard, Officers' Reserve Corps, and military training camps.-* * * If the death of any person mentioned herein occurs while he is undergoing the training or hospital treatment contemplated by this section, the United States shall, under regulations prescribed as aforesaid, pay for burial expenses and the return of the body to his home a sum not to exceed $100. Sec. 6, act of Mar. 4, 1923 (42 Stat. 1508), as amended by sec. 4, act of June 3, 1924 (43 Stat. 365), as amended by act of Apr. 26, 1928 (45 Stat. 462); U. S. C. 10: 455; 32: 164.

861. Same; veterans of any war.-* Where a veteran of any war, including those women who served as Army nurses under contracts between April 21, 1898, and February 2, 1901, who was not dishonorably discharged, dies after discharge or resignation from the service, the director, in his discretion and with due regard to the circumstances of each case, shall pay for burial and funeral expenses and the transportation of the body (including preparation of the body) to the place of burial, a sum not exceeding $107 to cover such items and to be paid to such person or persons as may be fixed by regulations: Provided, That when such person dies while receiving from the bureau compensation or vocational training the above benefits shall be payable in all cases: Provided further, That where such person, while receiving from the bureau medical, surgical, or hospital treatment, or vocational training, dies away from home and at the place to which he was ordered by the bureau, or while traveling under orders of the bureau, the above benefits shall be payable in all cases and in addition thereto the actual and necessary cost of the transportation of the body of the person (including preparation of the body) to the place of burial, within the continental limits of the United States, its Territories, or possessions, and including also, in the discretion of the director, the actual and necessary cost of transportation of an attendant: Provided further, That no accrued pension, compensation, or insurance due at the time of death shall be deducted from the sum allowed: Provided further, That the director may, in his discretion, make contracts for burial and funeral services within the limits of the amounts allowed herein without regard to the laws prescribing advertisement for proposals for supplies and services for the United States Veterans' Bureau: And provided jurther, That section 5, title 41, of the United States Code, shall not be applied to contracts for burial and funeral expenses heretofore entered into by the director so as to deny payment for services rendered thereunder, and all suspensions of payment heretofore made in connection with such contracts are hereby removed, and any and all payments which are now or may hereafter become due on such contracts are hereby expressly authorized: And provided further, That no deduction shall be made from the sum allowed because of any contribution toward the burial which shall be made by any State, county, or municipality. but the aggregate of the sum allowed plus such contribution or contributions shall not exceed the actual cost of the burial. Sec. 201(1), act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 617), as amended by sec. 7, act of Mar. 4, 1925 (43 Stat. 1305), sec. 8, act of July 2, 1926 (44 Stat. 794), and sec. 7, act of May 29, 1928 (45 Stat. 966); U. S. C. 38: 472.

862. Same; beneficiaries of the Veterans' Bureau.-If death occur or shall have occurred subsequent to April 6, 1917, and before discharge or resignation from the service, the United States Veterans' Bureau shall pay for burial and funeral expenses and the return of body to his home a sum not to exceed $100, as may be fixed by regulation. Sec. 201(1), act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 617) as amended by sec. 7, act of March 4, 1925 (43 Stat. 1305), sec. 8, act of July 2, 1926 (44 Stat. 794), and sec. 7, act of May 29, 1928 (45 Stat. 966); U. S. C. 38: 472.

* * *

863. Estates of deceased Army personnel.-Hereafter, in the settlement of the accounts of deceased officers or enlisted men of the Army, where the amount due the decedent's estate is less than five hundred dollars and no demand is presented by a duly appointed legal representative of the estate, the accounting officers may allow the amount found due to the decedent's widow or legal heirs in the following order of precedence: First, to the widow; second, if decedent left no widow, or the widow be dead at time of settlement, then to the children or their issue, per stirpes; third, if no widow or descendants, then to the father and mother in equal parts, provided the father has not abandoned the support of his family, in which case to the mother alone; fourth, if either the father or mother be dead then to the one surviving; fifth, if there be no widow, child, father, or mother at the date of settlement, then to the brothers and sisters and children of deceased brothers and sisters, per stirpes: Provided, That this act shall not be so construed as to prevent payment from the amount due the decedent's estate of funeral expenses, provided a claim therefor is presented by the person or persons who actually paid the same before settlement by the accounting officers. Act of June 30, 1906 (34 Stat. 750), making appropriations for sundry civil expenses; U. S. C. 19: 868.

See also A. W. 112, ante, 470.

864. Transportation of mounts of deceased officers.-That hereafter, under such regulations as the Secretary of War may prescribe, authorized mounts of officers who die in the service may, within ninety days after the death of the officer, be transported at public expense from their last duty station to such places within the limits of the United States as may be the home of their families, or as may be designated by their legal representatives or executors, or such mount may be disposed of as directed by such representatives or executors. Chap. XVIII, act of July 9, 1918 (40 Stat. 892), making appropriations for the support of the Army; U. S. C. 10: 810.

865. Transportation of baggage of deceased civilian employees.-That hereafter, under such regulations as the Secretary of War may prescribe, transportation at public expense may be provided for the baggage of civilian employees who die in the service from their last duty station to such places within the limits of the United States as may be the home of their families, or as may be designated by their legal representatives or executors. Chap. XVIII, act of July 9, 1918 (40 Stat. 892); U. S. C. 10: 822.