(b)
Whenever the Administrator, War Shipping Administration,[1] finds that, on or after October 1, 1941, and before thirty days after March 24, 1943, a master, officer, or member of the crew of, or any persons transported on, a vessel owned by or chartered to the Maritime Commission, the War Shipping Administration, or the War Department [2] or operated by, or for the account of, or at the direction or under the control of the Commission, the Administration, or the War Department, has suffered death, injury, detention, or other casualty, for which the War Shipping Administration would be authorized to provide insurance under Subtitle—Insurance of title II of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended by this Act, the Administrator may declare that such death, injury, detention, or other casualty, shall be deemed and considered to be covered by such insurance at the time of the disaster or accident, if the Administrator finds that such action is required to make equitable provision for loss or injury related to the war effort and not otherwise adequately provided for: Provided, That in making provision for insurance under this subsection the Administrator shall not provide for payments in excess of those generally provided for in comparable cases under insurance hereafter furnished under the said Subtitle—Insurance of title II, as amended: Provided further, That any money paid to any person by reason of insurance provided for under this subsection shall apply in pro tanto satisfaction of the claim of such person against the United States arising from the same loss or injury. There shall be no recovery of any money paid on account of insurance provided for the master, officers, or members of the crew of, or individuals transported on, any vessel under this subsection or under Subtitle—Insurance of title II of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended, from any person who in the judgment of the Administrator, War Shipping Administration, is without fault, and when in the judgment of the Administrator such recovery would defeat the purposes of benefits otherwise authorized or would be against equity and good conscience. The declarations, findings, and actions of or by the Administrator under this subsection shall be final and conclusive.
(c)
The Administrator, War Shipping Administration, is also authorized to make payments, in accordance with rate schedules provided by the United States Employees’ Compensation Act [5 U.S.C. 8101 et seq.], to a master, officer, or member of the crew of, or any persons transported on, a vessel owned by or chartered to the Maritime Commission or the War Shipping Administration or operated by, or for the account of, or at the direction or under the control of the Commission or the Administration, for permanent total or partial disability as long as such disability resulting from causes related to the war effort whether heretofore or hereafter arising exists; such payments to commence if and when insurance benefits provided by the War Shipping Administration for such person shall have been exhausted.
(d)
The War Shipping Administration shall have the right of intervention and a lien and right of recovery in the cases and to the extent of any payments paid and payable under this section or under Subtitle—Insurance of Title II of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended, in the manner provided in the last paragraph of subsection (c) of section 105 of the Act approved December 2, 1942 (Public Law 784, 77th Congress; 42 U.S.C., sec. 1701), as amended by Public Law 216, 78th Congress, approved December 23, 1943. Any amounts recovered under this provision shall be covered into the Marine and War-risk insurance fund, War Shipping Administration.
(Mar. 24, 1943, ch. 26, § 2, 57 Stat. 47; Sept. 30, 1944, ch. 451, 58 Stat. 758; Aug. 8, 1946, ch. 905, 60 Stat. 937.)