The United States destroyer that was torpedoed by a German submarine during the night of October 3031, 1941, is shown above during the last stages of construction in August 1920. The picture is reproduced from a photograph among the records of the Navy Department in The National Archives. The vessel was named for Reuben James, an American seaman who fought under Stephen Decatur in the Tripolitan War in 1804. His petition shown below, signed by him as "Rubin James," was probably written in 1836 and forms a part of his pension file among the records of the Veterans' Administration in The National Archives. APPENDIX I RECENT LEGISLATION CONCERNING THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES1 ACT CONCERNING THE DISPOSAL OF PHOTOGRAPHED RECORDS, APPROVED SEPTEMBER 24, 1940 [54 Stat. 958] An Act to provide for the disposition of certain photographed records of the United States Government, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That whenever any agency of the United States Government shall have photographed or microphotographed all or any part of the records kept by or in the agency in a manner and on film that complies with the minimum standards of quality approved for permanent photographic records by the National Bureau of Standards, and whenever such photographs or microphotographs shall be placed in conveniently accessible files and provision made for preserving, examining, and using the same, the head of such agency may, with the approval of the Archivist of the United States, cause the original records from which the photographs or microphotographs have been made or any part thereof to be disposed of according to methods prescribed by law, provided records of the same specific kind in the particular agency have been previously authorized for disposition by Congress. SEC. 2. Photographs or microphotographs of any record photographed or microphotographed as herein provided shall have the same force and effect as the originals thereof would have had, and shall be treated as originals for the purpose of their admissibility in evidence. Duly certified or authenticated copies of such photographs or microphotographs shall be admitted in evidence equally with the original photographs or microphotographs. Approved, September 24, 1940. EXTRACT FROM THE INDEPENDENT OFFICES APPROPRIATION ACT, 1942, APPROVED APRIL 5, 1941 [Public, No. 28, 77th Cong.] National Archives Salaries and expenses: For the Archivist and for all other necessary and authorized expenditures in carrying out the provisions of the 1 Other legislation still in force concerning The National Archives, including the National Archives Act (48 Stat. 1122-1124), the Federal Register Act (49 Stat. 500-503), the resolution establishing the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library (53 Stat. 1062-1066), and the act concerning the disposal of records (53 Stat. 1219-1221), is printed in the Fifth Annual Report of the Archivist of the United States, 55-69. Act of June 19, 1934 (48 Stat. 1122-1124; 40 U. S. C. ch. 2A), as amended; the Act of July 26, 1935 (49 Stat. 500–503; U. S. C., Supp. II, title 44, ch. 8A), as amended; the Act of July 18, 1939 (53 Stat. 1062-1066), and the Act of August 5, 1939 (53 Stat. 1219-1221); including personal services in the District of Columbia; supplies and equipment, including scientific, technical, first-aid, protective, and other apparatus and materials for the arrangement, titling, scoring, repair, processing, editing, duplication, reproduction, and authentication of photographic and other records (including motion-picture and other films and sound recordings) in the custody of the Archivist: purchase and exchange of books, including lawbooks, books of reference, maps, and charts; contract stenographic reporting services; purchase of newspapers, and periodicals; not to exceed $100 for payment in advance when authorized by the Archivist for library membership in societies whose publications are available to members only or to members at a price lower than to the general public; travel expenses, including not to exceed $1,000 for the expenses of attendance at meetings concerned with the furtherance of the purposes of the said Acts; exchange of scientific and technical apparatus and labor-saving devices; repairs to equipment; and maintenance, operation, and repair of motor vehicles, $980,940. Printing and binding: For all printing and binding, $12,400. NATIONAL ARCHIVES trust fund BOARD ACT, APPROVED JULY 9, 1941 [Public, No. 161, 77th Cong.] An Act to establish a National Archives Trust Fund Board and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "National Archives Trust Fund Board Act". SEC. 2. The board is hereby created and established, to be known as the National Archives Trust Fund Board (hereinafter referred to as the "Board"), which shall consist of the Archivist of the United States, as Chairman, and the chairman of the House Library Committee and the chairman of the Senate Library Committee. Membership on the Board shall not be deemed to be an office within the meaning of the statutes of the United States. SEC. 3. The Board is hereby authorized to accept, receive, hold. and administer such gifts or bequests of money, securities, or other personal property, for the benefit of or in connection with The National Archives, its collections, or its services, as may be approved by the Board. SEC. 4. Any moneys or securities composing trust funds given or bequeathed to the Board shall be receipted for by the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall invest, reinvest, and retain such moneys or securities as the Board may from time to time determine. The Board shall not engage in any business or exercise any voting privilege which may be incidental to securities in such trust funds, nor shall the Secretary of the Treasury make any investments for the account of the Board which could not lawfully be made by a trust company in the District of Columbia, except that he may make any investment directly authorized by the instrument of gift or bequest |