582 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 221

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That the State Roads Commission is hereby authorized
and empowered immediately, after the passage of this Act, to
construct the National Defense Highway, as laid down by the
Act of Assembly of 1916, Chapter 706, from the State Road at
Camp Parole to the State Road at Bladensburg, connecting
Washington City with Annapolis, and for so doing they shall
use the money appropriated by said Act of the Legislature of
Maryland of 1916, Chapter 607, and the money if already re-
ceived by them, under the Act of Congress before any part of
the Federal Aid money shall be used in the construction of the
State Roads in Maryland, owing to the absolute necessity of said
road as a war measure to connect the capital of the United
States with its Naval Academy at Annapolis.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That in constructing said
road the same shall be commenced at the east end and west end
at the same time; that is to say at Camp Parole and be built
westward, and at Bladensburg built eastward according to the
lines as laid down by the said Act of 1916, Chapter 706.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That if there should not
be sufficient funds for the construction of the National Defense
Highway after using said State appropriation of one hundred
and twenty-five thousand dollars specified by the said Act of As-
sembly, to build said National Defense Highway, as well as
from the money derived from the Federal Aid Act, there should
be a gap or gaps or want of connection between the two
lines of construction of said highway, that then the said State
Roads Commission is hereby empowered and directed, first, to
make use ef any appropriation of money made by the General
Assembly of 1918 for road construction in Maryland, from any
surplus of general or special funds mentioned in the Budget
Bill sent to both branches of this Assembly by the Governor of
Maryland, or from any other money appropriated by this Gen-
eral Assembly for State road construction or maintenance of
the same.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That this act shall take
effect from the date of its passage.

Approved April 18th, 1918.