Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 40 Part 2.djvu/399

 1734 PROCLAMATIONS, 1917. 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 puiiposes connected with the emergency as may be needful or desirab e. And whereas it has now become necessary in the national defense to take possemion 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 Emu, nm, and desirable urlgoses connected with thewirosecution of the wa1·; •u mu water sy; NOW, THER FORE, I, Woodrow ilson, President of the ',{,‘§‘%3,{,°$*§,‘}§;§’§Y‘*‘“ United States, under and by virtue of the powers vested in me. by ·,g;·j¢¢·P·*§&63 mg the foregoing resolutions and statute, and by virtue of all other ' pp' ’ owers thereto me enabling, do herebiy, through Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War, take possession an assume control at 12 o’clock noon on the twenty-eighth day of December, 1917, of each and every system of transportation and the appurtenances thereof located wholly or in part within the boundaries of the continental United States and consisting of railroads, and owned or controlled systems of coastwise and inland transportation, engaged in general trans ortation, whether operated by steam or by e ectric power, including also terminals, terminal companies and terminal associations, sleeping and parlor cars, private cars and private car lines, elevators, warehouses, telegraph and telephone lines and all other equipment and appurtenances commonly used upon or operated as a part of such rail or combined rail and water systems of transportation ;—-to the end that such systems of transportation be utilized for the transfer and trans rtation of troops, war material and e uipment, to the exclusion so ld as may be necessary of all other tragic thereon; and that so far as such exclusive use be not necessary or desirable, such systems of transportation be o erated and utilized in the performance of such other services as tlie national interest may require and _ of the usual and ordinary business and duties of common carriers. ..{E ’$§i It is hereby directed that the possession, control, operation and °‘}$gj'f°;d{é22 utilization of such transportation s stems hereby by me undertaken ' ` shall be exercised by an through Wiilliam G. McAdoo, who is hereby gipointed and designated Director General of Railroads. Said. irector may perform the duties impaxed upon him, so long and to such extent as he shall determine, t u h the Boards of Directors, Receivers, officers and employees of saidg systems of transportation. Until and except so far as said Director shall from time to time by gfneral or special orders otherwise provide, the Boards of Directors, eceiveis, officers and employees of the various transportation systems shall continue the operation thereof in the usual and ordinary ` course of the business o common carriers, in the names of their In respective companies. awa me reguhttorg 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 b said Director, shall have paramount Sm tc alecm authority and  obeyd as suclir. railwaylil niotwnow si. Nothing herein sh be construed as now affectin 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.