and that the President be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial German Government; and to bring the conflict to a successful termination all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.

And by joint resolution bearing date of December 7, 1917, resolved: That a state of war is hereby declared to exist between the United States of America and the Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Government; and that the President be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on a war against the Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Government; and to bring the conflict to a successful termination all the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.

And whereas it is provided by section 1 of the act approved August 29, 1916, entitled "An act making appropriations for the support of the Army for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1917, and for other purposes," as follows:

.

The President in time of war is empowered, through the Secretary of War, to take possession and assume control of any system or systems of transportation, or any part thereof, and to utilize the same, to the exclusion, as far as may be necessary, of all other traffic thereon, for the transfer or transportation of troops, war material, and equipment, or for such other purposes connected with the emergency as may be needful or desirable.

And whereas it has now become necessary in the national defense to take possession and assume control of certain systems of transportation and to utilize the same, to the exclusion, as far as may be necessary, of other than war traffic thereon, for the transportation of troops, war material, and equipment therefor, and for other needful and desirable purposes connected with the prosecution of the war:

Now, therefore, I, WOODROW WILSON, President of the United States, under and by virtue of the powers vested in me by the foregoing resolutions and statute, and by virtue of all other powers thereto me enabling, do hereby, through Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War, take possession and assume control at 12.01 a. m. on the 25th day of July, 1918, of the following system of transportation and the appurtenances thereof, to wit, the canal and other property of the Boston, Cape Cod & New York Canal Co., a corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, consisting of a ship canal extending from Cape Cod Bay to Buzzards Bay in Massachusetts, with all the appurtenances and equipment of said canal, including all the lands, easements, wharves, docks, buildings, tugs, barges, ships, boats, tackle, appliances, and all other property of whatsoever kind owned, leased, chartered, controlled, or used by the said corporation in the maintenance and operation of said canal or in connection with the towage, pilotage, or anchorage of vessels passing through the same.

To the end that said system of transportation be utilized for the transfer and transportation of troops, war material, and equipment, to the exclusion so far as may be necessary of all other traffic thereon, and that so far as such exclusive use be not necessary or desirable such system of transportation be operated and utilized in the performance of such other services as the national interest may require and of the usual and ordinary operation of the said transportation system.

It is hereby directed that the possession, control, operation, and utilization of such transportation system, hereby by me undertaken, shall be exercised by and through William G. McAdoo, who has been duly appointed and designated Director General of Railroads. Said Director General may perform the duties imposed upon him, so long and to such extent as he shall determine, through the board of directors, officers, and employees of said corporation, or through such other agents or agencies as he may from time to time appoint. Until and except so far as said Director General shall from time to time by general or special orders otherwise provide, the board of directors, officers, and employees of said corporation shall continue the usual and ordinary operation of said transportation system in the name of said corporation.

Until and except só far as said Director General shall from time to time otherwise by general or special orders determine, such system of transportation shall remain subject to all existing statutes of the United States and to all statutes and orders of regulating commissions of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; but any orders, general or special, hereafter made by said Director General shall have paramount authority and be obeyed as such.

The Director General shall, as soon as may be after having assumed such possession and control, enter upon negotiations with the said corporation looking to an agreement for just and reasonable compensation for the possession, use, and control of its property.

Except with the prior written assent of said Director General, no attachment by mesne process or on execution shall during Federal control be levied on or against any of the property of said corporation or used by said transportation system in the maintenance and operation of said canal while under Federal control; but suits may be brought by and against the said corporation and judgments rendered as hitherto until and except so far as said Director General may, by general or special orders, otherwise determine.

From and after 12.01 a. m., on said 25th day of July, 1918, the transportation system included in this order and proclamation shall conclusively be deemed within the possession and control of said Director General without further act or notice.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done by the President, through New on D. Baker, Secretary of War, in the District of Columbia this 22d day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and eighteen and of the independence of the United States the one hundred and forty-third. WOODROW WILSON.

[SEAL.]

By the President:

FRANK L. POLK,

Acting Secretary of State.

NEWTON D. BAKER,

Secretary of War.

POSSESSION AND CONTROL OF AMERICAN RAILWAY EXPRESS COMPANY.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

A PROCLAMATION.

POSSESSION AND CONTROL OF A CERTAIN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

WHEREAS the organizations for the conduct of the express business over numerous systems of transportation which have been duly placed under Federal control, and pertaining to such systems of transportation, have been consolidated into the American Railway Express Company which has been made the sole agent of the Government for conducting the express business, with the result that the entire transportation system of said Express Company has been necessarily in substance and effect placed under Federal control, and

WHEREAS it is desirable, in order to administer to the best advantage the transportation business and operations of the American Railway Express System to make it specifically clear by this Proclamation that the President has the possession, use, control and operation of the entire transportation system of the American Railway Express Company,

Now, THEREFORE, I, WOODROW WILSON, President of the United States, under and by virtue of the powers vested in me by law do hereby, through Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War, take possession, and assume control at 12 o'clock noon on the 18th day of November, 1918, of that certain system of transportation called the American Railway Express Company and all of its appurtenances and property of every kind or nature, directly or indirectly, owned, leased, chartered, controlled, or used in the conduct of, or in connection with, its express business.

It is hereby further directed that the possession, control, operation and utilization of said express transportation system hereby by me undertaken shall be exercised by and through William G. McAdoo, heretofore appointed Director General of Railroads, with all the powers conferred upon him by the said Proclamations of December

26, 1917, and March 29, 1918, respectively, together with all and singular the powers conferred upon the President by the Act of Congress entitled, "An Act to Provide for the Operation of Transportation Systems while under Federal Control, for the Just Compensation of their Owners, and for Other Purposes," approved March 21, 1918.

The said Director General of Railroads may perform the duties hereby imposed upon him, so long and to such an extent as he shall determine, through the Board of Directors, officers and employees of the said American Railway Express Company, under the contract already made, and dated the twenty-sixth day of June, 1918, between the said Director General of Railroads and said American Railway Express Company, and until and except so far as said Director General shall from time to time by general or special orders otherwise provide, the Board of Directors, officers and employees of said Company shall continue the operation thereof in the usual and ordinary course under such contract.

From and after 12 o'clock noon on said 18th November, 1918, the said transportation system shall conclusively be deemed within the possession and control of said Director General without further act or notice.

In WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

[SEAL.]

DONE by the President, through Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War, in the District of Columbia, this 16th day of November, in the year of our Lord, one thousand nine hundred and eighteen, and of the independence of the United States the one hundred and forty-third. WOODROW WILSON.

By the President:

ROBERT LANSING,

Secretary of State.

NEWTON D. BAKER,

Secretary of War.

(No. 1497.)

ORDER OF RELINQUISHMENT.

WHEREAS in the exercise of the war power by proclamation dated April 11, 1918, the President of the United States through Benedict Crowell, Acting Secretary of War, took possession and assumed control as of the thirteenth day of April, 1918, of the following systems of transportation and appurtenances thereof, to wit: Clyde Steamship Company, a corporation of the State of Maine; Mallory Steamship Company, a corporation of the State of Maine; Merchants and Miners Transportation Company, a corporation of the State of Maryland; and Southern Steamship Company, a corporation of the State of Delaware; consisting of steamships, tugs, lighters, barges, ships, boats, and marine craft of any and every kind or description and all the tackle, appurtenances to and appliances thereof, together with all wharves, docks, warehouses, and other property of every kind or nature, real or chattel, owned, leased, chartered, controlled, or used by said companies or either of them in conducting or in connection with said transportation systems to the end that such systems be utilized for the transfer and transportation of troops, war material, and equipment, to the exclusion as far as may be necessary, of all other traffic thereon, etc., the said. possession, control, operation, and utilization to be exercised by and through the undersigned William G. McAdoo, Director General of Railroads; and

WHEREAS the emergency which made such exercise of the war power necessary and desirable has by reason of the signing of an armistice with the enemies of the United States ceased, and the use of the transportation systems aforesaid is no longer necessary for the transfer and transportation of troops, war material, and equipment or otherwise for the war purposes of the Government:

Now, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM G. McADOO, Director General of Railroads, by virtue of the power conferred upon me by the President of the United States, do hereby relinquish from Federal control effective December 6, 1918, at 12:01 a. m., the said Clyde Steamship Company, Mallory Steamship Company, Merchants and Miners Transportation Company, and Southern Steamship Company, together with all of the steamships, tugs, lighters, barges, ships, boats, and marine craft of any and every kind or description and all the other