The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-07
Nations Of World Notified Of
Existence of State of War
With Germany
WAR PREPARATIONS
ON GIGANTIC SCALE
War Fleet Modified and Pres.
ident Calls for Volunteers to
Bring Army and National
Guard to Full War Suensth
BY r. II. SARTwEL4.

Washington, April with the
United States formally at war with
the imperial German government.
President Wilson, communicating
chief of the armies and navies OF the
United States, tonight ordered the full
power OF the nation launched against
the enemy. Immediately after the
president by his signature placed on
the statute books the act of congress
formally recognizing the existence of
n state of war, orders for the Begin
ming OF the conflict went forth. The
naval. military and civil forces or
the government were placed on a war
footing and the nation began the
Hateful conflict which may last for
years. Defense against the enemy
without and within was organized al
once. The president and his cabinet,
at their first war meeting, went over
war plans of a magnitude such as tho
United States In all Its history has
never known. Within few brief
hours after the president fixed HIS
name to the law which sends Tho
United States hurting into the H1aei-
strom of strife which for three years
has swirled about Europe, the fol-
lowing steps had been taken:
All Nations Notified.
The nations of the world. inciud-
ing Germany. we're formally notified
of the formal recognition by the
United States of state OF war with
the imperial German government.
The grand feet of the navy. with
all its auxiliaries, was informed OF
the existence of state OF war, and
its full 400 ships and 100000 men
were ordered modified at once for
war service.
The president called for volunteers
to bring the regular army and the
national guard up to full war
strength. and in a statement en-
dorsed the war department bill. now
before congress, prescribing selec-
tive draft to secure five hundred
thousand men at once, and additional
are needed. All enlistments will be
for the period of the emergency"
War Is Proclaimed.
BY proclamation the president noti-
fed the nation of the existence Of
state OF war. and issued drastic regula-
tions to govern the conduct Of enemy
aliens who continue to reside In th9
United States during the war. The
military and civil forces of the nation
were ordered to enforce these regulA-
lions strictly.
The arrest of sixty-fivc enemy aliens
under the regulations was ordered ut
once by Attorney-Genera Gregory. and
department OF Justice agents through-
out the country Immediately began 70
gather them in. ss
The senate passed an appropriations
OF s11o. 5000 to be placed at the dis
posal of the president for immediate
war expenditures and congress com@
mittees began the whiriwind consider
alton of a mass Of war legislation. The
president and his cabinet discussed the
plans worked out by the navy depart.
ment for active cooperation between
the navy OF the United States and the
entente navies.
The cabinet meeting likewise went
over in detail the problem of supply.
ing the civil population. and keeping
the nations industries intact during
the period Of the war.
All ships seized.
The executive departments completed
the seizure of all German ships. war;
bound In American ports. which vas
begun as soon as the house Of repre-.
sentatiyes passed the war resolution
early today
The final formal act. which plunged
the United States into the tunult u
war. WAS committed with little formal-
ity. The momentous document the en-
crossed war resolution. which Vice.
President Marshall signed soon after
the senate met at noon. was hurried
to the White House. President wilson
and Mrs. Wilson were out walking. ana
when they returned. the resolution wAe
taken to the White House proper from
the executive Offices by Rudolph Kcr@
ster. executive clerk OF the Whtte
House force. Mrs Wilson. Miss Helen
Woodrow Bones. the presidents niecAl
and Ike" Hoover. the White HOUSE
chief usher. were with the presiden4
when he signed the resolution IN tha
little usher's room near the front en-
trance TO the White House. The his-'
toric act took place At 1850 O'Clock r.
NJ. NJ
Calls Ter velunA@ &es.
The movement toward actual wfnr
then began with great strides IN.
riediatsly the bFetldAhttA EN- for svSt-as
unteers was issued. ana he announc0&
the endorsement Of the dram pInn tee \
increasing the land forcAa. ThNn IN
alien enemy proeIAmAxieu Wna
with 10 detAxte1 ousli noa ~ 4 "a n 4
u couduct wish g s61nS m u
the unite4 mtAtne nunt III r. q