portation 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 systems 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 business and duties of common carriers.

It is hereby directed that the possession, control, operation and utilization of such transportation systems hereby by me undertaken shall be exercised by and through William G. McAdoo, who is hereby appointed and designated Director General of Railroads. Said director may perform the duties imposed upon him, so long and to such extent as he shall determine, through the boards of directors, receivers, officers, and employees of said systems of transportation. Until and except so far as said director shall from time to time by general or special orders otherwise provide, the boards of directors, receivers, officers, and employees of the various transportation systems shall continue the operation thereof in the usual and ordinary course of the business of common carriers, in the names of their respective companies.

Until and except so far as said director shall from time to time otherwise by general or special orders determine, such systems of transportation shall remain subject to all existing statutes and orders of the Interstate Commerce Commission, and to all statutes and orders of regulating commissions of the various States in which said systems or any part thereof may be situated. But any orders, general or special, hereafter made by said director, shall have paramount authority and be obeyed as such.

Nothing herein shall be construed as now affecting the possession, operation, and control of street electric passenger railways, including railways commonly called interurbans, whether such railways be or be not owned or controlled by such railroad companies or systems. By subsequent order and proclamation, if and when it shall be found necessary or desirable, possession, control, or operation may be taken of all or any part of such street railway systems, including subways and tunnels; and by subsequent order and proclamation possession, control, and operation in whole or in part may also be relinquished to the owners thereof of any part of the railroad systems or rail and water systems, possession and control of which are hereby assumed. The director shall as soon as may be after having assumed such possession and control enter upon negotiations with the several companies looking to agreements for just and reasonable compensation for the possession, use, and control of their respective properties on the basis of an annual guaranteed compensation, above accruing depreciation and the maintenance of their properties, equivalent, as nearly as may be, to the average of the net operating income thereof

for the three-year period ending June 30, 1917-the results of such negotiations to be reported to me for such action as may be appropriate and lawful.

But nothing herein contained, expressed, or implied, or hereafter done or suffered hereunder, shall be deemed in any way to impair the rights of the stockholders, bondholders, creditors, and other persons having interests in said systems of transportation or in the profits thereof, to receive just and adequate compensation for the use and control and operation of their property hereby assumed.

Regular dividends hitherto declared, and maturing interest upon bonds, debentures, and other obligations, may be paid in due course; and such regular dividends and interest may continue to be paid until and unless the said director shall from time to time otherwise by general or special orders determine; and, subject to the approval of the director, the various carriers may agree upon and arrange for the renewal and extension of maturing obligations.

Except with the prior written assent of said director, no attachment by mesne process or on execution shall be levied on or against any of the property used by any of said transportation systems in the conduct of their business as common carriers; but suits may be brought by and against said carriers and judgments rendered as hitherto until and except so far as said director may, by general or special orders, otherwise determine.

From and after twelve o'clock on said twenty-eighth day of December, 1917, all transportation systems included in this order and proclamation shall conclusively be deemed within the possession and control of said Director without further act or notice. But for the purpose of accounting said possession and control shall date from twelve o'clock midnight on December 31, 1917.

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 Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War, in the District of Columbia, this 26th day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seventeen, and of the independence of the United States the one hundred and fortysecond.

[SEAL.]

By the President:

ROBERT LANSING,
Secretary of State.

WOODROW WILSON.

NEWTON D. BAKER,
Secretary of War.

[No. 1419]

PROHIBITING AIRCRAFT EXPOSITIONS.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas, a state of war exists, and the military and naval forces of the United States are endangered by enemy aircraft, and

Whereas, this danger will be increased by communicating to the enemy the present state of aircraft invention in the United States, and

Whereas, the holding of so-called expositions of aircraft is a method of collecting and distributing information important to the enemy, Now, therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby, for the protection of such forces, proclaim to all whom it may concern that, under the pains and penalties prescribed by the laws of war and the statutes of the United States, throughout the present war no exposition of aircraft shall be held in the United States or its possessions.

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 first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and eighteen, and of the independence of the United States the one hundred and fortysecond.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas under and by virtue of an act of Congress entitled "An act to provide further for the national security and defense by encouraging the production, conserving the supply, and cont olling the distribution of food products and fuel," approved by the President on the 10th day of August, 1917, it is provided among other things as follows: That by reason of the existence of a state of war, it is essential to the national security and defense, for the successful prosecution of the war, and for the support and maintenance of the Army and Navy, to assure an adequate supply and equitable

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 essential in order to carry into effect the provisions of the said act, and in order to secure an adequate supply and equitable distribution, and to facilitate the movement of certain hecessaries hereafter in this proclamation specified that the license 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 on 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 the following necessaries: Ammonia, ammoniacal liquors, and ammonium sulphate from whatever source produced.

All persons, firms, corporations, and associations (except those specifically exempted by said act of Congress) engaged in the business of importing, manufacturing, storing, or distributing ammonia, ammoniacal liquors, or ammonium sulphate from whatever source produced are hereby required to secure a license on or before January 21, 1918, which will be issued under such rules and regulations governing the conduct of the business as may be prescribed.

The Secretary of Agriculture shall supervise, direct, and carry into effect the provisions of said act, and the powers and authority thereby given to the President as far as the same apply to ammonia, ammoniacal liquors, and ammonium sulphate from whatever source pro

duced, and to any and all practices, procedure, and regulations applicable thereto, authorized or required under the provisions of said act, and in this behalf he shall do and perform such acts and things as may be authorized or required of him from time to time by direction of the President and under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the President from time to time. All departments and agencies of the Government are hereby directed to cooperate with the Secretary of Agriculture in the performance of the duties hereinbefore set forth.

Applications for licenses must be made to the Law Department, License Division, United States Food Administration, Washington, D. C., upon forms prepared for that purpose.

Any person, firm, corporation, or association, other than those herein before excepted, who shall engage in the business of importing, manufacturing, storing, or distributing ammonia, ammoniacal liquors, or ammonium sulphate from whatever source produced after the date aforesaid, without first securing such license, will be liable to the penalties 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 third 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:

ROBERT LANSING,

Secretary of State.

WOODROW WILSON.

[No. 1421]

LICENSING THE IMPORTATION, MANUFACTURE, STORAGE, AND DISTRIBUTION OF FEEDS, AND CERTAIN OTHER FOOD COMMODI

TIES.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas, under and by virtue of an act of Congress entitled “An act to provide further for the national security and defense by encouraging the production, conserving the supply, and controlling the distribution of food products and fuel," approved by the Presi37639-18- -11