The fifth branch of the activities of the Fuel Administration consisted in the taking of steps to secure economy and efficiency in the consumption of coal. With the coöperation of the Bureau of Mines a campaign of education was carried on which had for its purpose to inform coal users how best to feed and stoke their furnaces to secure the maximum result with the minimum use of fuel. The use of wood in substitution for coal was encouraged. On November 9, 1917, an order was issued prohibiting the use of coal for purposes of generating electricity for use in operating illuminated advertisements, notices, signs, etc., between the hours of 7:45 and 11 p. m. This was followed by the excessively drastic order of January 17, 1918, which provided that on the following five days (January 18-22) and on every Monday beginning with January 28 to March 25, 1918, inclusive," no manufacturer, or manufacturing plant, except certain specified ones having to do with work that must be continuously prosecuted or handling perishable products or printing daily newspapers or magazines periodically issued, should burn any coal; and that on each of the designated Mondays no coal should be burned, except as necessary to prevent injury to or loss of property, by wholesale and retail stores and places of amusement, or for the heating of offices except those used by Government officers, transportation and publicutility companies, banks, physicians and dentists. Hotels and restaurants not serving intoxicating drinks were also excepted from this order. This order applied only to the region east of the Mississippi River, including the whole of Louisiana and Minnesota.

It is unnecessary to say that this order excited much discussion in respect to its necessity. It was, however, generally and loyally observed until it was finally re

scinded on February 13, 1918. The reason for its issuance was not wholly that of the absolute shortage of coal. Primarily it was issued to break the blockade of cars on the railroads and to enable the sailing of vessels so as to relieve the congestion in the eastern ports and to dispatch to our allies the products of which they were urgently in need. Thus the President, in a statement given to the public for the purpose of making known that the order had been issued with his full approval, said:

It is absolutely necessary to get the ships away; it is absolutely necessary to relieve the congestion at the ports and upon the railways; it is absolutely necessary to move the great quantities of food; and it is absolutely necessary that our people should be warm in their homes if nowhere else, and half-way measures would not have accomplished the desired ends.

Another order restricting the use of fuel was that of July 19, 1918, limiting greatly the use of fuel for general outdoor illumination purposes, the lighting of shop windows, etc. Every effort was also made to cut down. the consumption of fuel by steam and electric railways by the use of greater care in stoking, by cutting down or eliminating the heating of cars, and by reduction in the number of stops made by street-railway cars.

At the outset the activities of the Fuel Administration were devoted almost wholly to the production, distribution, and consumption of coal. On January 31, 1918, control over the distribution of fuel oil was established by a proclamation of the President establishing a licensing system under the administration of the Fuel Administration for all producers and dealers in fuel oil whose annual gross sales amounted to more than 100,000 barrels. This was followed by an order of the Fuel Admin

istration of the same date fixing priority in respect to the securing of fuel oil. On August 7, 1918, the President, acting under the power conferred upon him by the Overman Act, transferred to the Fuel Administration the duty of preparing and adopting standardized specifications for the supply of petroleum and its products to all Government departments and agencies, and for this purpose directed the creation of a committee representing the more important war agencies and the Bureaus of Mines and of Standards for the preparation of such specifications. A final step in bringing under Government control practically all classes of fuel except wood was taken through the issue on September 16, 1918, of a proclamation requiring the licensing by the Fuel Administration of all importers, producers, manufacturers, transporters (except those specifically exempted by the Food and Fuel Control Act), and all retailers (except those whose sales did not amount to $100,000 a year) of crude oil, fuel oil, gas oil, kerosene, gasoline, and natural gas. The Fuel Administrator was at the same time authorized to establish and enforce such regulations in respect to the issuance or cancellation of such licenses as in his opinion were necessary to carry into effect the purposes of the Food and Fuel Control Act.

Almost immediately upon the signing of the armistice action was taken to remove restrictions upon the transportation and consumption of coal as rapidly as possible.

At the outset the cancellation of orders related to minor matters. On February 1, 1919, however, practically all restrictions on the prices of coke and of coal and the zone regulations governing the movement of these fuels by rail were removed. The provision that shipments of coal to tidewater should go through the

Tide-Water Coal Exchange was, however, continued in order to avoid congestion at the ports, but this provision in turn was cancelled on February 28. On May 15, 1919, all regulations governing licensees engaged in the business of importing, manufacturing, distributing and transporting crude oil, fuel oil, natural gas, etc., or in the production or sale of these commodities, were revoked. In general terms it may be said that with this order the Fuel Administration surrendered its active control over the fuel industry of the country. The Administration, however, continued its existence in order to render assistance in meeting problems that might arise in its field during the period of reconstruction and also to be available should circumstances render it advisable that governmental control over the fuel industry be revived.

CHAPTER XIII

THE CONTROL OF ENEMY ALIENS AND SUPPORTERS

Enemy sympathizers and their activities Existing statutes and special legislation for their control― Elements in the problem - Seditious utterances -Trading with the enemy Registration and restriction of enemy aliens Enemy insurance, patents, and copyrights - Sequestration of enemy property-Creation of the Alien Property Custodian - His powers and functions under the Trading-with-the-Enemy Act Organization of his office-His procedure and operations - His disclosures of German methods of economic penetration.

One of the special problems that had to be met by the United States in the prosecution of the war arose from the residence within our midst of large numbers of persons who were citizens of the countries with which we were at war or of countries allied with them, or who, although citizens of the United States, sympathized with the enemy because of the fact that they had been born in the enemy country or were descendants of persons so born. Overwhelming evidence accumulated during the period intervening between the outbreak of the war in Europe and our entrance into it that many of these enemy aliens or sympathizers, acting under the encouragement and direct support of the diplomatic and consular representatives of the Central Powers in the United States, were prepared to go to almost any length to promote the interests of the enemy and to injure those of the country whose hospitality they had been and were enjoying.

To meet this situation the most stringent measures of precaution had to be taken and the powers of the Government greatly enlarged by appropriate legislation.