Office of the Historian

File No. 763.72112/2361

The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State

No. 3191
London, March 7, 1916 .
[Received March 20.]

Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith, for the information of the Department, a copy, in duplicate, of a proclamation prohibiting [Page 359] trading with certain persons, or bodies of persons, of enemy nationality or of enemy associations, entitled the “Statutory List”, dated February 29, 1916, which has been received by the Embassy from the Foreign Office.

I have [etc.]

Walter Hines Page
[Enclosure—Extract]

Proclamation Prohibiting Trading with Certain Persons, or Bodies of Persons, of Enemy Nationality or Enemy Associations

GEORGE R. I.

Whereas by the Trading with the Enemy (Extension of Powers) Act, 1915, it is enacted that We may by Our Royal Proclamation prohibit all persons or bodies of persons, incorporated or unincorporated, resident, carrying on business, or being in the United Kingdom from trading with any persons or bodies of persons even though not resident or carrying on business in enemy territory or in territory in the occupation of the enemy (other than persons or bodies of persons, incorporated or unincorporated, residing or carrying on business solely within Our Dominions) wherever by reason of the enemy nationality or enemy association of such persons or bodies of persons, incorporated or unincorporated, it appears to Us expedient so to do.

And whereas it appears to Us expedient to prohibit all persons or bodies of persons, incorporated or unincorporated, resident, carrying on business, or being in the United Kingdom from trading with any of the persons or bodies of persons mentioned in the list hereunder written, by reason of the enemy nationality or enemy association of such last-mentioned persons or bodies of persons:

Now, therefore, We have thought fit, by and with the advice of Our Privy Council, to issue this Our Royal Proclamation declaring and it is hereby declared as follows:

1.
All persons or bodies or [of] persons, incorporated or unincorporated, resident, carrying on business, or being in the United Kingdom are hereby prohibited from trading with any of the persons or bodies of persons mentioned in the list hereunder written, which list, with such variations therein or additions thereto as may be made by any Order made by the Lords of the Council on the recommendation of a Secretary of State under the power in that behalf given by Section I., sub-section (2) of the Trading with the Enemy (Extension of Powers) Act, 1915, shall be called and is hereinafter referred to as the “Statutory List.”
2.
For the purposes of this Proclamation a person shall be deemed to have traded with a person or body of persons mentioned in the Statutory List if he enters into any transaction or does any act with, to, on behalf of, or for the benefit of, any such person or body of persons which if entered into or done with, to, on behalf of, or for the benefit of, an enemy would be trading with the enemy, and accordingly Our Proclamation relating to Trading with the Enemy, of the ninth day of September, nineteen hundred and fourteen, as amended by any subsequent Proclamation, shall apply with respect to the persons or bodies of persons mentioned in the Statutory List as if for references in such Proclamations to enemies there were substituted references to the persons and bodies of persons mentioned in the Statutory List, and for references to the dates of the said Proclamations, and the outbreak of war there were substituted references to the date of this Proclamation or in respect of any person or body of persons hereafter added to the Statutory List the date of the Order adding him or them to the Statutory List.
3.
The provisions of the Trading with the Enemy Acts, 1914 to 1916, and of the Customs (War Powers) Acts, 1915 and 1916, and all other enactments relating to Trading with the Enemy, shall, subject to such exceptions and adaptations as are prescribed by Order in Council of even date herewith or as may be prescribed by any Order in Council hereafter to be issued, apply in respect of the persons and bodies of persons mentioned in the Statutory List, as if for references in such enactments to trading with the enemy there were substituted references to trading with the persons and bodies of persons mentioned in the Statutory List, and for references to enemies there were substituted references to the persons and bodies of persons mentioned in the Statutory List, and for references to offences under the Trading with the [Page 360] Enemy Acts, 1914 to 1916, or any of those Acts, there were substituted references to offences under the Trading with the Enemy (Extension of Powers) Act, 1915.
4.
Nothing in this Proclamation shall be taken to prohibit:
(a)
Any person or body of persons, incorporated or unincorporated, resident, carrying on business, or being in the United Kingdom who is engaged in any neutral country in the business of insurance from carrying on such business with or through the agency of any of the persons or bodies of persons mentioned in the Statutory List;
(b)
Any person or body of persons, incorporated or unincorporated, resident, carrying on business, or being in the United Kingdom who is engaged in working any Railway or other service of Public Utility in any neutral country under any Charter, Grant, or Concession made by the Government of, or by any Provincial or Municipal Authority in, any such country from trading with any of the persons or bodies of persons mentioned in the Statutory List, so far only as is necessary to enable the person or body of persons engaged in working such Railway or other service of Public Utility to comply with or fulfil the obligations or conditions of the Charter, Grant, or Concession under which the working of the Railway or other service of Public Utility is carried on; or
(c)
Any person or body of persons, incorporated or unincorporated, resident, carrying on business, or being in the United Kingdom from entering into any transaction or doing any act which shall be permitted by Our Licence or by any Licence given on Our behalf by a Secretary of State or by any person authorized in that behalf by a Secretary of State whether such Licence be specially granted to an individual or be announced as applying to classes of persons.
5.
This Proclamation shall be called “The Trading with the Enemy (Neutral Countries) Proclamation, 1916.”

[Here follows the Statutory List.]

Given at Our Court at Buckingham Palace, this Twenty-ninth day of February, in the Year of our Lord One thousand nine hundred and sixteen, and in the Sixth Year of Our Reign.

GOD SAVE THE KING.