production of malt or vinous liquors, or import any such liquors except under license issued by the President and in compliance with rules and regulations determined by him governing the production and importation of such liquors and the alcoholic content thereof;

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, do hereby find and determine that the national security and defense will be subserved by the limitation of the amount of foods, fruits, food meterials, and feeds used in the production of melt liquor, and by reduction of the alcoholic content of malt liquor produced in the United States. And by this proclamation I prescribe and give public notice that on and after January 1, 1918, the total amount of foods, fruits, food materials, and feeds used by any person in the production of malt liquor shall not exceed seventy per cent (70%) of the average consumption of any such foods, fruits, food materials, or feeds in the production of such malt liquor by such person during the period from January 1, 1917, to January 1, 1918, the unit of time to be fixed by regulation; and that on and after January 1, 1918, no malt liquor except ale and porter shall be produced in the United States containing more than two and threequarters per cent (2.75%) of alcohol by weight.

No person shall, after January 1, 1918, use any foods, fruits, food materials, or feeds in the production of malt liquor, unless he secures a license so to do, to be issued by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, and complies with rules and regulations to be hereafter promulgated governing the production of such liquor and the alcoholic content thereof; and no person shell import any such liquor except under license to be issued by the Division of Customs, Treasury Department, and in compliance with any rules and regulations governing the importe tion of such liquors which may be promulgated. 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 eighth day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seventeen, 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. 1416.]

DECLARING ESTABLISHMENT OF RESERVATION FOR PROPOSED

PROVING GROUND.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas, by the urgent deficiency act, approved October 6, 1917 (Pub. No. 64, 65th Cong.), an appropriation of $7,000,000 was made for increasing the facilities for the proof and test of ordnance material, including necessary buildings, construction, equipment, land, and damages and losses to persons, firms and corporations resulting from the procurement of the land for this purpose; and also the salaries and expenses of any agents appointed to assist in the procurement of said land, or damages resulting from its taking;

And whereas, by said act it is further provided as follows:

That if the land and appurtenances and improvements attached thereto, as contemplated under the foregoing appropriation, can not be procured by purchase, then the President is hereby authorized and empowered to take over for the United States the immediate possession and title, including all easements, rights of way, riparian and other rights appurtenant thereto, or any land selected by him to be used for the carrying out of the purpose named in the aforesaid appropriation. That if said land and appurtenances and improvements shall be taken over as aforesaid the United States shall make just compensation therefor, to be determined by the President, and if the amount thereof, so determined by the President, is unsatisfactory to the person entitled to receive the same, such person shall be paid seventy-five per centum of the amount so determined by the President and shall be entitled to sue the United States to recover such further sum, as, added to the said seventy-five per centum, will make up such amount as will be just compensation therefor, in the manner provided for by section twenty-four, paragraph twenty, and section one hundred and fortyfive of the Judicial Code. Upon the taking over of said property by the President as aforesaid the title to all such property so taken over shall immediately vest in the United States: Provided further, That section three hundred and fifty-five of the Revised Statutes of the United States shall not apply to the expenditures authorized hereunder.

Now, therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, pursuant to the authority vested in me by the said act of Congress, do hereby order and declare that the following described tract of land is necessary for the purposes specified in said appropriation, namely, all lands within metes and bounds described as follows: Beginning at a point on the westerly side of Chesapeake Bay, at the south side of the mouth of Swan Creek, Harford County, Maryland, known as Plum Point; thence, on a straight line in a southwesterly direction to a point on the west of the southernmost arm of Swan Creek, three hundred feet southeast of and opposite to the stable on the Sidney Hall property; thence, by a straight line in a southwesterly direction to a point formed by the intersection of what is known as the New Cut Road with the road leading from Aberdeen to Michaelsville; thence along the southeasterly side of

the New Cut Road and following its various meanderings and in a southwesterly direction to the bridge across the east fork of Long Bridge Creek; thence, by a straight line, still in a southwesterly direction, except such variations as may be necessary to exclude the Wirsing property, to a point formed by the intersection of the southwesterly side of the main road leading from Perryman to Michaelsville with the southeasterly side of what is known as Sod Run Road; thence, by a straight line in a southwesterly direction, except such variations as may be necessary to exclude the Williams and Kirby properties, to the point of intersection of the easterly side of the road to Perryman with the northerly side of the Short Lane Road, said point of intersection being some distance south of the canning factory on the Chelsea Farm; thence, by a straight line in a southwesterly direction across Bush River to Fairview Point, on the west side of said river; thence, in a southwesterly and westerly direction on a line parallel with and one hundred yards distant north or inland from the low water mark on the northern shore of Bush River and the salient points of Lauderick Creek, to the northern boundary line of the Cadwallader estate; thence, following the northern boundary line of said estate to a point southeast of and two hundred and ten feet distant on a line at right angles to the center line of the right of way of the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad; thence, southwesterly along a line distant two hundred and ten feet southeasterly from the center line of said railroad to an intersection with Reardon Inlet; thence, in a southerly direction along the center line of Reardon Inlet to Gunpowder River; thence, in a southwesterly direction in a straight course to Marshy Point, at the junction of Dundee Creek and Saltpetre Creek; thence, on the same course to a point in Seneca Creek, on the extension of a straight line through Briar Point and the southwesterly point of the small islands lying close to and southwest of Lower Island Point on Carroll Island; thence, on the said extension and on said line to the southwesterly point of the said islands; thence, in a southeasterly direction to the most southwesterly point of Spry Island; thence, including all of Spry Island, in a southeasterly direction to the southwesterly point of Poole's Island, in Harford County, Maryland; thence, northeasterly in a straight course, except such variations as may be necessary to include all of Poole's Island, to Mulberry Point, Chesapeake Bay; thence, northeasterly to the point of intersection of the center line of Spesutie Narrows with Chesapeake Bay; thence, northerly along the center line of Spesutie Narrows to a point southeast of the westerly landing of the ferry across said narrows; thence, due northwest to said landing; thence, northwesterly to and along the low water mark on the shore of Chesapeake Bay to the point of beginning.

It having been ascertained that the said lands and appurtenances and improvements attached thereto can not be procured by purchase, I do hereby take over for the United States the immediate possession and title, including all easements, rights of way, riparian and other rights appurtenant thereto, for use for the purposes specified in said act of Congress, of and to all lands included within the metes and bounds above described, subject to the provisions of said act as to compensation to be paid therefor, and do hereby require that all persons now residing thereon shall vacate the same by January 1, 1918. All owners of land and improvements, title and possession of which are hereby taken under authority of said act of Congress, and all persons having claims or liens in respect thereto, are hereby notified to appear before the commission appointed by the Secretary of War at their office in Aberdeen, Maryland, and present their claims for compensation for consideration by said commission and ultimate determination by the President in accordance with the provisions of the said act of Congress.

This proclamation supersedes the proclamation issued on the 16th day of October, 1917, authorizing the Secretary of War to take over the lands above described together with other lands, which prior proclamation, in so far as it is inconsistent with this proclamation, is hereby revoked.

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 14th 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 forty-second.

POSSESSION AND CONTROL OF RAIL AND WATER TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas the Congress of the United States, in the exercise of the constitutional authority vested in them, by joint resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives, bearing date April 6, 1917, resolved:

That the state of war between the United States and the Imperial German Government which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared;

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 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 o'clock noon on the twentyeighth 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 transportation, whether operated by steam or by electric 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