duties with reference to the settlement there of the accounts of the Military Establishment that the comptroller and auditor now have at the seat of Government and in foreign countries under the provisions of this section, and shall perform such duties in accordance with the instructions received from and rules and regulations made by the comptroller and auditor. Such persons as are residing in a foreign country when first employed hereunder shall not be required to take an oath of office or be required to be employed pursuant to the laws, rules, and regulations relating to the classified civil service, nor shall they be reimbursed for subsistence expenses at their post of duty or for expenses in traveling to or from the United States. (e) That it shall be the duty of all contracting, purchasing, and disbursing officers to allow any representative of the comptroller or auditor to examine all books, records, and papers in any way connected with the receipt, disbursement, or disposal of public money, and to render such accounts and at such times as may be required by the comptroller. No administrative examination by the War Department shall be required of accounts rendered and settled abroad, and the time within which these accounts shall be rendered by disbursing officers shall be prescribed by the comptroller, who shall have power to waive any delinquency as to time or form in the rendition of these accounts. All contracts connected with accounts to be settled by the auditor abroad shall be filed in his office there. (f) That any person appointed or employed under the provisions of this section who at the time is in the service of the United States shall, upon termination of his services hereunder, be restored to the position held by him at the time of such employment. No provision of existing law shall be construed to prevent the payment of money appropriated for the salary of any Government officer or employee at the seat of Government who may be detailed to perform duty under this section outside the District of Columbia, and such details are hereby authorized. (g) That for the payment of the expenses in carrying into effect this section, including traveling expenses, per diem of $4 in lieu of subsistence for officers and employees absent from Washington, rent, cablegrams and telegrams, printing, law books, books of reference, periodicals, stationery, office equipment and exchange thereof, supplies, and all other necessary expenses, there is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and eighteen, the sum of $300,000, of which not exceeding $25,000 may be expended at Washington for the purposes of this section, but no officer or employee shall receive for duty in Washington any compensation other than his regular salary. (h) That the Secretary of the Treasury may designate not more than two persons employed hereunder to act as special disbursing agents of the appropriation herein, to serve under the direction of the comptroller, and their accounts shall be rendered to and settled by the accounting officers of the Treasury in Washington. All persons employed under this section shall perform such additional duties as the Secretary of the Treasury may direct. (i) That the comptroller and the auditor, and such persons as may be authorized in writing by either of them, may administer oaths to American citizens in respect to any matter within the jurisdiction of either of said officers and certify the official character, when known, of any foreign officer whose jurat or certificate may be necessary on any paper to be filed with them. (j) That persons engaged in work abroad under the provisions of this section may purchase from Army stores for cash and at cost price for their own use such articles or stores as may be sold to officers and enlisted men. (k) That the authority granted under this section shall terminate six months after the close of the war or at such earlier date as the Secretary of the Treasury may direct, and it. shall be the duty of the comptroller and auditor to make such reports as the Secretary of the Treasury may require of the expenditures made and work done pursuant to this section, and such reports shall be transmitted to the Congress at such time as he may decide to be compatible with the public interest. (1) No officers, employees, or agents appointed or employed under this section shall receive more salary or compensation than like officers, employees, or agents of the Government now receive. SEC. 13. That for the purposes of this Act the date of the termination of the war between the United States and the Imperial German Government shall be fixed by proclamation of the President of the United States. Approved, September 24, 1917. EXHIBIT D. $3,000,000,000. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 10-25-YEAR 4 PER CENT CONVERTIBLE GOLD BONDS. SECOND LIBERTY LOAN. Bearing interest from November 15, 1917. Due November 15, 1942. Redeemable at the option of the United States, at par and accrued interest, on and after November 15, 1927. Interest payable May 15 and November 15. Authorized by an act of Congress approved September 24, 1917. Offered for subscription in Department Circular No. 90, dated October 1, 1917, to be found on the following pages, to which reference is made for full information concerning the bonds and this offering, and from which the statements on this page are summarized. Denominations.-Coupon and registered bonds, $50, $100, $500, $1,000, $5,000, $10,000; and registered bonds of $50,000 and $100,000. Exempt as to principal and interest from all taxation by the United States, any State, or any of the possessions of the United States, or by any local taxing authority, except (a) estate or inheritance taxes, and (b) United States graduated additional income taxes (commonly known as surtaxes) and excess-profits and warprofits taxes. The interest on an amount of bonds and certificates authorized by said act, the principal of which does not exceed in the aggregate $5,000, owned by any individual, partnership, association, or corporation, shall be exempt from the taxes provided for in clause (b) above. Convertible upon the terms and conditions stated in said circular into higher-rate bonds if and when higher-rate bonds are next issued during the war. Applications must reach the Treasury Department, Washington, D. C., a Federal reserve bank or branch thereof, or some incorporated bank or trust company within the United States (not including outlying territories and possessions) on or before the close of business October 27, 1917, the right being reserved by the Secretary of the Treasury to close the subscription at any earlier date. Terms of payment.--Two per cent with application; 18 per cent on November 15, 1917; 40 per cent on December 15, 1917; 40 per cent on January 15, 1918 (with accrued interest on both deferred installments). Payment in full of any subscription for an amount of bonds not in excess of $1,000, at face value without interest, may be made with the application, if the subscriber prefers, in which case prompt delivery of a bond'or bonds dated and bearing interest from November 15, 1917, will be made. Except in such cases payment for the amount allotted can only be completed on November 15, or, with accrued interest, on December 15 or January 15, previous installments having been duly paid. Allotment. Subscriptions for $3,000,000,000 of these bonds are invited, the right being reserved to allot additional bonds up to onehalf the amount of any oversubscription. Every subscriber for an amount of bonds not in excess of $1,000 will receive the full amount of bonds subscribed for. Other applications are received subject to allotment. Delivery.-Bonds as described in the circular will be delivered promptly upon completion of payments. Price, 100 per cent and accrued interest. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Washington, October 1, 1917. 1917. Department Circular No. 90. (Liberty Loan Circular No. 6.) TREASURY DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, The Secretary of the Treasury invites subscriptions, at par and accrued interest, from the people of the United States, for $3,000,000,000 of United States of American 10-25 year 4 per cent convertible gold bonds, of an issue authorized by act of Congress approved September 24, 1917; the right being reserved to allot additional bonds up to one-half the amount of any oversubscription. DESCRIPTION OF BONDS. Denominations.-Bearer bonds with interest coupons attached will be issued in denominations of $50, $100, $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000. Bonds registered as to principal and interest will be issued in denominations of $50, $100, $500, $1,000, $5,000, $10,000, $50,000, and $100,000. Provision will be made for the interchange of bonds of different denominations and of coupon and registered bonds and for the transfer of registered bonds without charge by the United States and under rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury. Rate of interest, date of bonds, maturity, and redemption.—The bonds will be dated November 15, 1917, and will bear interest at the rate of 4 per cent per annum from that date, payable semiannually on May 15 and November 15. The bonds will mature November 15, 1942, but the issue may be redeemed at the option of the United States on or after November 15, 1927, in whole or in part, at par and accrued interest, on any interest day, on six months' notice given in such manner as the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe. In case of partial redemption, the bonds to be redeemed will be determined by such method as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury. The principal and interest of the bonds will be payable in United States gold coin of the present standard of value. Tax exemption.-The bonds shall be exempt, both as to principal and interest, from all taxation now or hereafter imposed by the United States, any State, or any of the possessions of the United States, or by any local taxing authority, except (a) estate or inheritance taxes and (b) graduated additional income taxes, commonly known as surtaxes, and excess-profits and war-profits taxes, now or hereafter imposed by the United States, upon the income or profits of individuals, partnerships, associations, or corporations. The interest on an amount of bonds and certificates authorized by said act, the principal of which does not exceed in the aggregate $5,000, owned by any individual, partnership, association, or corporation, shall be exempt from the taxes provided for in clause (b) above. Conversion privilege.-If a subsequent series of bonds (not including United States certificates of indebtedness, war savings certificates, and other obligations maturing not more than five years from the issue of such obligations, respectively), bearing interest at a higher rate than 4 per cent per annum shall, under the authority of said act approved September 24, 1917, or any other act, be issued by the United States before the termination of the war between the United States and the Imperial German Government (the date of such termination to be fixed by proclamation of the President of the United States), then the holders of bonds of the present series shall have the privilege, at the option of the several holders, of converting their bonds, at par, into bonds bearing such higher rate of interest, at the issue price of bonds of such subsequent series, not less than par, with an adjustment of accrued interest. Such conversion privilege must be exercised, if at all, at any time within the period, after the public offering of bonds of such subsequent series, beginning at the date of issue of bonds of such subsequent issue, as such date shall be fixed in such public offering, and terminating six months after such date of issue, and under such rules and regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury shall have prescribed. The bonds to be issued upon such conversion of bonds of the present series shall be substantially the same in form and terms as shall be prescribed by or pursuant to law with respect to the bonds of such subsequent series, not only as to interest rate but also as to convertibility (if future bonds be issued at a still higher rate of interest) or nonconvertibility, and as to exemption from taxation, if any, and in all other respects, except that the bonds issued upon such conversion shall have the same dates of maturity, of principal, and of interest, and be subject to the same terms of redemption before maturity as the bonds converted; and such bonds shall be issued from time to time if and when and to the extent that the privilege of conversion so conferred shall arise and shall be exercised. If the privilege of conversion so conferred shall once arise and shall not be exercised with respect to any bonds of the present series within the period above prescribed, then such privilege shall terminate as to such bonds and shall not arise again though again thereafter bonds be issued bearing interest at a higher rate or rates than 4 per cent per annum. APPLICATIONS. Official agencies.-The agencies designated by the Secretary of the Treasury to receive applications for the bonds now offered are the |