benefits and services; procures data regarding applications and claims; rates and adjudicates claims and makes awards for disability compensation and pension; conducts physical and mental examinations for claims purposes; establishes eligibility and need for hospitalization in other Government and private institutions and State-home care; renders outpatient treatment and social service; handles guardianship and fiduciary matters and authorized legal proceedings; aids, guides, and prescribes vocational rehabilitation training and administers educational benefits for World War II veterans; guarantees loans for purchase or construction of homes, farms, or business property; aids and otherwise assists the veteran in exercising his rights to benefits and services; conducts administrative, finance, supply, files, and records activities; and supervises Veterans' Administration offices under its jurisdiction. Veterans Benefits Office-District of Columbia The Veterans Benefits Office-District of Columbia, is a field station which grants benefits and services provided by law for veterans and their dependents and beneficiaries. This office performs the functions of a regional office for an assigned territory and in addition adjudicates claims for death compensation and pension, all types of Government insurance and indemnity benefits filed by beneficiaries of deceased veterans, and reimbursement for burial, funeral, and transportation expenses of deceased veterans not assigned to the VA district offices. Hospital A Veterans' Administration hospital is an organizational element established to provide all eligible beneficiaries with the best possible diagnostic and therapeutic services in accordance with the highest current professional standards. Hospitals are generally classified as GM&S (General Medical and Surgical), NP (Neuropsychiatric), and TB (Tuberculosis) indicating the major type of treatment. Usually, however, hospitals are equipped to render more than one type of treatment and some hospitals have facilities for highly specialized services such as those for tumors, chest surgery, neurosurgery, paraplegia, etc. Center A Veterans' Administration center is an organizational element consisting of a combination of activities of two or more of the following VA field stations under jurisdiction of one manager: regional office, hospital, or domiciliary. Domiciliary A Veterans' Administration domiciliary is a field station having only domiciliary activities. By domiciliary activities is meant the providing of a home and the furnishing of domiciliary care and medical treatment when needed to those veterans who are unable because of their disabilities to care for themselves but who are not in need of nursing service, constant medical supervision, or definitive medical treatment. Domiciliary service is not to be considered as a convalescent home or an adjunct to the hospital for treatment of chronic diseases or as custodial care of incompetent veterans. VA Office A VA office is an organizational element under either a manager or an officer-in-charge established to provide contact service and such other services as cannot be conveniently provided to veterans, their dependents and beneficiaries, and others in a given locality by the parent regional office or center. (For addresses, see 20 F. R. 3807.) SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION International Joint Commission-United States and Canada. Appendix A-Executive Agencies and Functions of the Federal Govern- ment Abolished, Transferred, or Terminated Subsequent to March 4, 1933 .. 616 534 QUASI-OFFICIAL AGENCIES National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council 2101 Constitution Avenue NW. EXecutive 3-8100 OFFICIALS. President__ Vice President__ Executive Officer__ * CREATION AND AUTHORITY.-The National Academy of Sciences was established by an act of Congress approved by President Abraham Lincoln on March 3, 1863 (12 Stat. 806). The act of incorporation specifies that 66* * the Academy shall, whenever called upon by any department of the Government, investigate, examine, experiment, and report upon any subject of science or art, the actual expense of such investigations, examinations, experiments, and reports to be paid from appropriations which may be made for the purpose, but the Academy shall receive no compensation whatever for any services to the Government of the United States." DETLEV W. BRONK. GEORGE W. CORNER. JOHN G. KIRKWOOD. HUGH L. DRYDEN. WILLIAM J. ROBBINS. S. DOUGLAS CORNELL. GEORGE D. MEID. The National Research Council was organized in 1916, by the National Academy of Sciences under the Congressional Charter of the Academy. Its organization was requested by President Wilson as a measure of national preparedness. The National Research Council was perpetuated by the National Academy of Sciences on April 29, 1919, in response to President Wilson's further request, as expressed in Executive Order 2859, dated May 11, 1918, with duties as described in the order. Approved. DETLEV W. BRONK, President, National Academy of Sciences. PURPOSE.- The purposes of the American National Red Cross are to furnish volunteer aid to the sick and wounded of armies in time of war and to act as a medium of voluntary relief and communication between the people of the United States and their armed forces. It is further charged with providing a system of national and international relief to mitigate the sufferings caused by pestilence, famine, fire, floods, and other great calamities, and to devise and carry out measures for their prevention. ORGANIZATION.-The American National Red Cross is administered through a national headquarters in Washington, D. C., and area offices in Alexandria, Va., Atlanta, Ga., St. Louis, Mo., and San Francisco, Calif. The local unit of the Red Cross is the chapter, whose territory is usually a county. There are 3,700 local chapters and 4,000 chapter branches. In general, chapters communicate with national headquarters through the area offices. The governing body of the organization, the Board of Governors, is composed of 50 members, of whom 30 are elected by the chapters; 12 are elected by the Board of Governors itself, to represent the national interest at large; and 8 are appointed by the President of the United States, 1 to serve as Chairman of the organization and 7 to represent Government depart ments. RAMONE S. EATON. JOHN C. WILSON. DEWITT SMITH. HAROLD W. STARR. MARION B. FOLSOM. PRESNELL K. BETTS. HAROLD B. NEARMAN. W. W. JEFFERSON. WALKER L. MILLNER. SAM B. MONTGOMERY. The Red Cross is a membership organization supported entirely by voluntary contributions. Ninety-nine percent of its nearly two million workers are volunteers. In its activities the Red Cross seeks to cooperate to the fullest with other agencies, both public and private. Red Cross cooperative relationships with many of these agencies are based upon written agreement. ACTIVITIES SERVICES TO THE ARMED FORCES AND VETERANS. In the discharge of responsibilities imposed by Federal statute and under military regulations, the American Red Cross acts in matters of voluntary relief and as a medium of communication between the people of the United States and members of its armed forces wherever they are stationed. American Red Cross services to the armed forces relate to the welfare of men and women in uniform and their families. These activities include social services for able-bodied and hospitalized service men and women through field directors at military installations and in hospitals and for the dependents of armed forces members through chapters in civilian communities. Field directors of Service at Military Installations and Service in Military Hospitals, stationed or providing service itinerantly at United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard stations and hospitals at home and overseas, working in cooperation with Home Service in chap |