The midland journal., 1917-10-26
TRADING WITH
ENEMY ACT
President Delegates Broad
Powers ito New War
Trade Board.
IMPORTS TO Be RESTRICTED

by the Trading With the Enemy Act
were put into operation under an execu-
tive order issued tonight delegating the
authority under the law to various gov
ernment departments and to newly
created War Trade Board.
This trade board is composed of the men,
bers of the Exports Administrative Board,
which 1t will replace. with the addition OF
a representative of the Treasury Depart
ment 1t will continue to license exports,
and will exercise similar control over
imports as soon as the President procfalms
under authority of the Trading With the
Enemy Act, the articles to be so restricted
Trading or commercial dealings of any
nature with any enemy company or agent
4 In this country or abroad is forbidden, ex-
cept under license of the War Trade Board,
which also is authorized to license enemy
or "ally of enemy" companies doing busi-
ness in the United States, except insurance
companies whose supervision is intrusted
to the Treasury Department.
Censorship Board Named.
Censorship of mails, cables, radio and
telegraph messages passing out of the
United States is placed in the hands OF
Censorship Board, consisting of repre-
sentatives of the War, Navy and Post
and of George Creeb chairman of the Com
mittee on Public Information.
To the Treasury is assigned the regu-
lation of transactions in foreign exchange
and expectation of gold or silver coin under
license and enforcement of the laws pro-
vision against transmission to the enemy
of information by any other means than
regular mails. The Treasury also Is au-
thorized to license insurance or reinsur-
of ally of
the enemy doing business within the United
: States.
Regulation of the use of enemy owned
or controlled patents for the war, and of
the granting or publication of patents con-
tanning information valua,.'e to the enemy,
is given to the Federal Trade Commission
Foreign Language Papers.
The Postmaster General is entrusted with
supervision over and licensing of foreign
language newspapers. In anticipation of
this authority Postmaster General Burleson
has been receiving applications for licenses
and will begin issuing them before Tues
day, October 16, the date the provision of
the law becomes effective. All such papers
except those granted licenses are required
under penalty to file with their local post
masters before publication true translation
of all matter peraining to United States
Government or the Governments of any
other nation at war. The same section of
the law makes it unlawful to circulate in
any manner matter made unavailable by the
Espionage act.
The Presidents order defies the powers
of the alien Property Custodian to act as
trustee for all enemy property within the
United States or to issue licenses exempt
ing enemy companies from his supervision.
An appointment for this position will be
made soon.
The Secretary of State is empowered to
license the transportation of enemies to or
from the United States through the existing
passport means. -Thes iSetretSry of Com
merce will retain, his present authority to
review the decisions OF customs collectors
refusing clearances to vesseIs carrying car
goes in violation of the Trading With the
Enemy Act.
Personnel OF War Trade Board.
The new War Trade Board is to con-
sist of Vance C. Mccormick, chairman rep
resenting the Secretary of State; DR.. Alonzo
e. Taylor rpresenting the Secretary of
Agriculture; Thomas d. Jones, represent
Ing the Secretary of Commerce; Beaver
White. representing the Food Administra-
tor; Frank C. Munson, representing the
Shipping Board; and a representative of
the Secretary of the Treasury, yet to be
named. All but the Treasury representa-
tive are now members of the Exports Ad-
ministrative Board, whose work hereafter
will be done by the Bureau of Exports of
the War Trade Board
The name of the present Export Council
is changed to War Trade Council with
the Secretary of the Treasury and Chair
man Hurley, of the Shipping Board, added
to its membership the Secretaries of State,
Agriculture and Commerce and the Food
Administrator. This body will act in an
advisory capacity to the President and the
War Trade Board.
Power In Presidents Order.
,,, .,,.
ny nl', Iiesisen' oruer sests III lne War wa
ractIv or indirectiy Win to or fror or
fer, or on account of, or on behalf of, or
for the benefit of, any other person, with
knowledge or reasonable cause to believe
that such other person is an enemy or ally
Of enemy, or is conducting or taking part
In such trade directly or indirectly for or
on account Of or on behalf of. or for the