table distribution and to facilitate the movement of foods, feeds, fuel, including fuel oil and natural gas, and fertilizer and fertilizer ingredients, tools, utensils, implements, machinery and equipment, required for the actual production of foods, feeds and fuel, hereafter in this Act called necessaries; to prevent, locally, or generally, scarcity, monopolization, hoarding, injurious speculation, manipulations, and private controls, affecting such supply, distribution and movement; and to establish and maintain governmental control of such necessaries during the war. For such purposes the instrumentalities, means, methods, powers, authorities, duties, obligations and prohibitions hereinafter set forth are created, established, conferred and prescribed. The President is authorized to make such regulations and to issue such orders as are essential effectively to carry out the provisions of this Act.

And, whereas, it is further provided in said Act as follows:

That, from time to time whenever the President shall find it essential to license the importation, manufacture, storage, mining or distribution of any necessaries, in order to carry into effect any of the purposes of this Act, and shall publicly so announce, no person shall, after a date fixed in the announcement, engage in or carry on any such business specified in the announcement of importation, manufacture, storage, mining, or distribution of any necessaries as set forth in such announcement, unless he shall secure and hold a license issued pursuant to this section. The President is authorized to issue such licenses and to prescribe regulations for the issuance of licenses and requirements for systems of accounts and auditing of accounts to be kept by licensees, submission of reports by them, with or without oath or affirmation, and the entry and inspection by the President's duly authorized agents of the places of business of licensees.

And, whereas, it is not possible to move promptly our abundant supplies of fuel oil by reason of the traffic congestion on our railways and the transfer to trans-Atlantic service of a large number of tank steamers ordinarily engaged in coastwise trade, and it therefore seems desirable that a plan of control be made effective in case the distributing companies are unable to transport as required fuel oil to all consumers now being served,

And whereas it is essential, in order to carry into effect the provisions of the said Act, that the powers conferred upon the President by said Act be at this time exercised, to the extent hereinafter set forth.

Now, therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the powers conferred upon me by said Act of Congress, hereby find and determine and by this proclamation do announce that it is essential, in order to carry into effect the purposes of said Act, to license the importation, manufacture, storage and distribution of fuel oil to the extent hereinafter specified. All persons, firms, corporations, and associations engaged in the business of both manufacturing and distributing fuel oil (including gas oil), whose gross sales of fuel oil (including gas oil) amount to more than One hundred thousand (100,000) barrels per annum, are hereby required to secure on or before February 11, 1918, a license, which license will be issued under such rules and regulations governing the conduct of the business as may be prescribed. Application

for license must be made to the United States Fuel Administration, Washington, D. C., License Division.

Any person, firm, corporation or association other than those hereinbefore excepted who shall engage in or carry on any business herein before specified on and after February 11, 1918, without first securing such license, will be liable to the penalty prescribed by said Act of Congress.

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

Done in the District of Columbia, this thirty-first day of January, in the Year of our Lord, One Thousand Nine Hundred and Eighteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the One Hundred and Forty-second.

[SEAL.]

By the President:

FRANK L. POLK

Acting Secretary of State.

WOODROW WILSON

[No. 1426.]

PART III. EXECUTIVE ORDERS UNDER CURRENT STATUTES.

GERMAN BOATS.

It is hereby ordered that, through the Secretary of the Navy, there be taken over to the United States the immediate possession and title of and to the German vessel Odenwald and the German vessel Praesident, now lying in the harbor of San Juan, in the Island of Porto Rico, and until further directions the Secretary of the Navy is ordered to operate and equip such vessels in the service of the Navy of the United States.

This order shall take effect from date.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

May 14, 1917.

WOODROW WILSON.

[No. 2619-A.]

GERMAN BOATS.

In accordance with a request of the Secretary of the Navy, concurred in by the United States Shipping Board, the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby directed to transfer the German vessel Atlas, now at San Francisco, to the commandant of the twelfth naval district, for use in harbor patrol.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

May 16, 1917.

[No. 2621.]

WOODROW WILSON.

GERMAN BOATS.

It is hereby authorized that, through the Secretary of the Navy, there shall be taken over to the United States the immediate possession and title to the German vessels Kronprinz Wilhelm and Prinz Eitel Friedrich, now at the navy yard, Philadelphia, the Liebenfels, now at the navy yard, Charleston, and the Geir and Locksen, now at the naval station, Hawaii, and until further directions the Secretary of the Navy is ordered to operate and equip such vessels in the service of the Navy of the United States.

This order shall take effect from date.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

WOODROW WILSON.

May 22, 1917.

[No. 2624.]

169

GERMAN BOATS.

In accordance with a request of the Secretary of the Navy, concurred in by the United States Shipping Board, the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby directed to transfer the following German vessels to the Navy for use as colliers and cargo carriers:

Hohenfelde.

Frieda Leonhardt.
Nicaria.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

May 22, 1917.

GERMAN BOATS.

It is hereby ordered that through the Secretary of the Navy there be taken over to the United States the immediate possession and title of and to the German vessel Staatssekretar Solf, now lying at Tutuila, Samoa, and until further directions the Secretary of the Navy is ordered to operate and equip such vessel in the service of the Navy of the United States.

This order shall take effect from date.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

WOODROW WILSON.

June 12, 1917.

[No. 2635.]

EXPORT LICENSES EXPORTS COUNCIL.

By virtue of authority vested in me by Title VII of the act approved June 15, 1917, entitled, "An act to punish acts of interference with the foreign relations, the neutrality, and the foreign commerce of the United States, to punish espionage, and better to enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and for other purposes," I hereby vest in the Secretary of Commerce the executive administration of all instructions issued by the President under said Title VII and of the proclamations thereunder, and the said Secretary is hereby authorized and directed to take such measures as may be necessary to administer and execute the same and to grant or refuse export licenses thereunder, in accordance with those instructions.

I hereby establish an Exports Council, to be composed of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Food Administrator, and I hereby authorize and direct

the said Exports Council thus constituted to formulate, for the consideration and approval of the President, policies and make the recommendations necessary to carry out the purposes of this act. WOODROW WILSON.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

June 22, 1917.

[No. 2645.]

GERMAN BOATS.

Whereas the following joint resolution adopted by Congress was approved by the President May 12, 1917:

Joint Resolution Authorizing the President to take over for the United States the possession and title of any vessel within its jurisdiction, which at the time of coming therein was owned in whole or in part by any corporation, citizen, or subject of any nation with which the United States may be at war, or was under register of any such nation, and for other purposes.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President be, and he is hereby, authorized to take over to the United States the immediate possession and title of any vessel within the jurisdiction thereof, including the Canal Zone and all territories and insular possessions of the United States except the American Virgin Islands, which at the time of coming into such jurisdiction was owned in whole or in part by any corporation, citizen, or subject of any nation with which the United States may be at war when such vessel shall be taken, or was flying the flag of or was under register of any such nation or any political subdivision or municipality thereof; and, through the United States Shipping Board, or any department or agency of the Government, to operate, lease, charter, and equip such vessel in any service of the United States, or in any commerce, foreign or coastwise.

SEC. 2. That the Secretary of the Navy be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to appoint, subject to the approval of the President, a board of survey, whose duty it shall be to ascertain the actual value of the vessel, its equipment, appurtenances, and all property contained therein, at the time of its taking, and to make a written report of their findings to the Secretary of the Navy, who shall preserve such report with the records of his department. These findings shall be considered as competent evidence in all proceedings on any claim for compensation.

And whereas the following vessels were, at the time of coming into the jurisdiction of the United States, owned in whole or in part by a corporation, citizen, or subject of the Empire of Germany, a nation with which the United States is now at war, or were flying the flag of or under the register of the Empire of Germany, or of a political subdivision or municipality thereof: