threatened to destroy the equivalent Dutch tonnage which under the agreement was to leave Holland for the United States.

Nearly two months have elapsed since the making of the temporary chartering agreement, and the proposed general agreement has lain even longer without reply on the part of Holland. Meanwhile German threats have grown more violent, with a view to preventing any permanent agreement and of forcing Holland to violate any temporary agreement.

On March 7, through Great Britain, a final proposal, expiring on the 18th, was submitted to Holland. A reply has been received which, while in itself unacceptable, might under other conditions have served as a basis for further negotiations. But the events to which I have alluded had served to demonstrate conclusively that we have been attempting to negotiate where the essential basis for an agreement, namely, the meeting of free wills, is absent. Even were an agreement concluded, there is lacking that power of independent action which alone can assure performance. I say this not in criticism of the Dutch Government. I profoundly sympathize with the difficulty of her position under the menace of a military power which has in every way demonstrated its disdain of neutral rights. But, since coercion does in fact exist, no alternative is left to us but to accomplish, through the exercise of our indisputable rights as a sovereign, that which is so reasonable that in other circumstances we could be confident of accomplishing it by agreement.

Steps are accordingly being taken to put into our service Dutch shipping lying within our territorial jurisdiction. This action on our part and the similar action which is being taken by Governments associated with us leaves to Holland ample tonnage for her domestic and colonial needs. We have informed the Dutch Government that her colonial trade will be facilitated and that she may at once send ships from Holland to secure the bread serials which her people require. These ships will be freely bunkered and will be immune from detention on our part. The liner New Amsterdam, which came within our jurisdiction under an agreement for her return, will, of course, be permitted at once to return to Holland. Not only so, but she will be authorized to carry back with her the two cargoes of foodstuffs which Holland would have secured under the temporary chartering agreement had not Germany prevented. Ample compensation will be paid to the Dutch owners of the ships which will be put into our service, and suitable provision will be made to meet the possibility of ships being lost through enemy action.

It is our earnest desire to safeguard to the fullest extent the interests of Holland and of her nationals. By exercising in this crisis our admitted right to control all property within our territory, we do no wrong to Holland. The manner in which we proposed to exercise this right and our proposals made to Holland concurrently therewith can not, I believe, fail to evidence to Holland the sincerity of our friendship toward her. WOODROW WILSON.

170 United States, Requisition of Dutch Ships.

Statement of the Navy Department with reference to taking over of Dutch vessels, March 20, 1918.

(Official United States Bulletin, No. 263, p. 1.)

The following statment was given out by Secretary Daniels:

In compliance with a proclamation of the President and in accordance with the rules of international law which gives to belligerent powers the right in time of military exigency and for purposes essential to the prosecution of war the authority to take over and utilize neutral vessels lying within its jurisdiction, orders were given to take over and man by the Navy all the Dutch ships now lying within the territorial waters of the United States. These vessels will be taken over immediately and manned by the Navy and will be operated as may be necessary for essential purposes connected with the prosecution of the war. The services to which they will be placed will be jointly determined between the Navy Department and the United States Shipping Board. Later on it may become advisable to man some of these vessels with merchant crews supplied by the Shipping Board, dependent upon the special service on which they will be employed.

Executive order authorizing taking over of materials on Dutch ships, March 28, 1918.

[Official United States Bulletin, No. 273, p. 1.]

EXECUTIVE ORDER.

In pursuance of the authority conferred upon the President of the United States by the act approved June 15, 1917, entitled "An act making appropriations to supply urgent deficiencies for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1917, and for other purposes," the Secretary of the Navy is hereby authorized and directed to take over, on behalf of the United States, possession of all tackle, apparel, furniture, and equipment, and all stores, including bunker fuel, aboard each of the vessels of Netherlands registry now lying within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States, possession of which was taken in accordance with the proclamation of the President of the United States promulgated March 20, 1918; and in every instance in which such possession has heretofore been taken of such tackle, apparel, furniture, equipment, and stores, such taking is hereby adopted and made of the same force and effect as if it had been made subsequent to the signing of this Executive order.

The United States Shipping Board shall make to the owners of any tackle, apparel, furniture, equipment, and stores taken under the authority of this order full compensation in accordance with the principles of international law.

THE WHITE HOUSE, March 28, 1918.

WOODROW WILSON.

Executive order requisitioning Austro-Hungarian merchant vessel, May 11, 1918.

[Official United States Bulletin, No. 328, p. 10.]

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 vessel was, 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 Austria-Hungary, a nation with which the United States is now at war, or was flying the flag of or under the register of the Empire of Austria-Hungary, or of a political subdivision or municipality thereof:

Passenger steamship Martha Washington, now lying at the port of New York:

It is therefore ordered: That through the United States Shipping Board there be taken over to the United States the possession and title of the aforementioned vessel. The United States Shipping Board is further hereby authorized to repair, equip, and man said vessel; to operate, lease, or charter the same in any service of the United States, or in any commerce, foreign or coastwise; and to do and perform any and all things that may be necessary to accomplish the purposes of the joint resolution above set forth.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

WOODROW WILSON.

11 May, 1918.

CENSORSHIP REGULATIONS.

Executive order relating to censorship of telegraph, telephone, and cable lines, April 28, 1917.

CENSORSHIP OF

(Official United States Bulletin, No. 1, p. 8.)

EXECUTIVE ORDER. 1

SUBMARINE CABLES, TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE
LINES.

Whereas the existence of a state of war between the United States and the Imperial German Government makes it essential to the public safety that no communication of a character which would aid the enemy or its allies shall be had.

Therefore, by virtue of the power vested in me under the Constitution and by the joint resolution passed by Congress on April 6, 1917, declaring the existence of a state of war, it is ordered that all companies or other persons owning, controlling, or operating telegraph and telephone lines or submarine cables are hereby prohibited from transmitting messages to points without the United States, and from delivering messages received from such points, except those permitted under rules and regulations to be established by the Secretary of War for telegraph and telephone lines and by the Secretary of the Navy for submarine cables.

To these departments, respectively, is delegated the duty of preparing and enforcing rules and regulations under this order to accomplish the purpose mentioned.

This order shall take effect from date.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

WOODROW WILSON.

April 28, 1917.

I OBJECTS OF CENSORSHIP.

The Committee on Public Information announces that arrangements have been made to put the Executive order into instant effect. Conference with the heads of the cable, telephone, and telegraph companies have been held in Washington during the week and all plans have been worked cut in detail. An expert personnel, previously selected, and the generous and complete cooperation of the various companies combine to assure expedition and efficiency from the outset. The objects of the cenorship are these:

(1) To deny the enemy information of military value or any information prejudicial to the interests of the United States or to the interests of other enemies of the Imperial German Government.

(2) To obtain information of value to the several departments of the United States Government.

(3) To prevent the spreading of false reports or reports likely to interfere directly or indirectly with the successes of the naval or military operations of the United States or likely to prejudice relations with foreign powers or the security, training, discipline, or administration of the naval and military forces of the United States.

Secretary Daniels has assigned Commander D. W. Todd, Director of Naval Communications, to have charge of the cable censorship, and Commander Arthur B. Hoff will be in control of the New York division. Brig. Gen. McIntyre has been selected by Secretary Baker to direct the telephone and telegraph supervision on the border. The censorship of telephones and teiegraphs will affect the Mexican border only.

The Committee on Public Information will provide the clearing house necessary to relate the activities of the naval and military censorship to every department of Government. (Official United States Bulletin, No. 1, p. 8.)

Regulations for cable censorship, May 1, 1917.

[Official United States Bulletin, No. 1, p. 8.]

These cable censorship regulations are issued for the guidance of the public.

CABLE CENSORSHIP REGULATIONS.

Codes. The following authorized codes may be used, conditioned upon their acceptability under the censorship regulations in effect in the foreign countries concerned. The name of the code shall be written in the check and be signaled free:

A. B. C.; 5th.

Scott's, 10th edition.

Western Union (not including five-letter edition.)

Lieber's (not including five-letter edition).

Bentley's Complete Phrase Code (not including the oil and mining supplements).

Broomhall's Imperial Combination Code.

Broomhall's Imperial Combination Code, rubber edition.

Meyer's Atlantic Cotton Code, 39th edition.

Riverside Code, 5th edition.

A. Z.

Addresses. Must be complete, but properly registered addresses may be used where permitted by the censorship abroad. However, code addresses registered subsequent to December 31, 1916, may not be used in messages to and from Central South America, Cuba, Porto Rico, Virgin Islands, Haiti, San Domingo, Curacao, or in messages transiting over the Commercial Pacific cable or via Trans-Pacific wireless.

Text.-Cablegrams without text will not be passed.

Signatures.-All cablegrams must be signed by the name of the firm, or, in case of an individual, by at least the surname. Code addresses as signatures are not permitted.

Decoding and translation of cablegrams. All code cablegrams and cablegrams written in the approved foreign languages will be decoded or translated by censors.

Suppressions, delays, etc.—All cablegrams are accepted at the sender's risk and may be stopped, delayed, or otherwise dealt with at the discretion of the censor, and without notice to the senders. No information respecting the transmission, delivery, or other disposal of any cablegram shall be given by paid service, and requests made by mail must be addressed to the telegraph or cable companies and must be passed upon by the censor. Telegraphic and post acknowledgements of receipt (P. C. and P. C. P. services) are suspended in all countries.

Information to senders.-Any explanation of a text word or words, etc., required by the censor from the sender in the United States shall be obtained by a collect message from the censor to the sender and by a paid reply from the sender of the cablegram.

Coded cablegrams filed directly at cable offices where a cable censor is stationed, as at New York, Key West, Galveston, and San Francisco, should be accompanied by a translation. This will expedite the works of the censor and thereby greatly reduce delay.