The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-12-29

and royal Austro- Hungarian govern
ment; and that the president be, and
he is hereby, authorized and directed
to employ the entire naval and mill
tary forces of the United States and
the resources of the government to
carry on war against the imperial am
royal Austro-Hungarian government; ;
and to bring the conflict to a success
full termination, all the resources o.
the country are hereby pledged by
the congress of the United States.
"'And whereas it is provided b!
section 1 of the act approved Angus
20, 1916, entitled "An Act making ap-
preparations for the support of the
army for the fiscal year ending June
80. 1917, and for other purposes az,
follows
THE president in time of war, l.,
| empowered, through the secretary o..
war; to take possession and ASSUME
control of any system or systems OF
| transportation or any part thereof
and to utilizs sizs game, to the exclu
sion as far as may be necessary OF
all other traffic thereon for the trans
| fer or transportation of troops, wa
material and equipment, or for such
| other purposes connected with thu
emergency as may be needful or de
sirable.
"And whereas, it has now becomo
necessary in the national defense to
take possession and assume contro'
of certain systems of transportatio,
and to utilize the same, to the eX-
clusion as may be necessary of other
than war traffic thereon, for th(
transportation Of troops, war materia
and equipment therefore and for 9TH
I fer needful and desirable purposes
connected with the prosecution OF
fthe war;
Now, therefore, T.. Woodrow vii.
son, president of the United States
under and by virtue Of the powers
vested in me by the foregoing reso-
luton and statute, and by virtue of al
powers thereto me enabling, do here
by, through Newton ID. Baker, secre-
Itary Of war, take possession and as
|sume control at IL o'clock noon on
the 28th day Of December, 1917, OF
each and every system of transporta-
ton and the appurtenances thereo.
located wholly or in part within the
boundaries Of the continental United
States and consisting jof railroads, and
owned or controlled systems Of coast
wise and inland transportation wheth
er operated by steam or by electric
|power. including also terminals, ter
minal companies and terminal asso-
Citations. sleeping and parlor cars
private cars and private lines, eleva.
tors. warehouses, telegraph and tele.
phone lines and all other euuipmen,
and appurtenances commonly used
upon or operated as n part of such
rail or combined rail and water sys-
TENS or transportation, to the end
THAT such system of transportation be
sutilized for the transfer and trans
portation OF troops, war material and
equipment. to the exclusion so far a.
may be necessary of all other traf
ic thereon; and that so far as the
exclusive use be not necessary or de.
sirable. such systems Of transporta-
ton be operated and utilized in the
performance of such service as tn
national interest may require and OF
the usual and ordinary business and
duties OF common carriers.
1T is hereby directed that the DOS
session. control operation and utili-
|zation Of such transportation system
hereby by me under taken shall be
exercised by and through William C.,
McAdoo, who is hereby appointed and
designated director general of rail
roads. Said director may perform the
duties imposed upon him. so long anl
20 such extent as he shall determine
through the boards OF directors. re-
ceivers, officers and employees of sale
systems of transportation. Until and
except so far as said director shall
from time to time by general or spe-
poards of directors, receivers, officers
and employees of the various trans
portation systems shall continue the
ordinary course of the business or
common carriers in the names of
their respective companies.
Until and except so far as said di-
RECTOR shall from time to time 9TH
erwise by general or special orders