Proclamation No. 1408, November 16, 1917, Setting Forth Additional Regulations Prescribing Conduct toward Alien Enemies
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 have resolved, by joint [Page 181] resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives bearing date of April 6th, 1917, “That the state of war between the United States and the Imperial German Government which has been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared”;
Whereas it is provided by Section four thousand and sixty-seven of the Revised Statutes, as follows;
Whenever there is declared a war between the United States and any foreign nation or government, or any invasion or predatory incursion is perpetrated, attempted or threatened against the territory of the United States, by any foreign nation or government, and the President makes public proclamation of the event, all natives, citizens, denizens, or subjects of the hostile nation or government, being males of the age of fourteen years and upwards, who shall be within the United States, and not actually naturalized, shall be liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed, as alien enemies. The President is authorized, in any such event, by his proclamation thereof, or other public act, to direct the conduct to be observed, on the part of the United States, toward the aliens who become so liable; the manner and degree of the restraint to which they shall be subject, and in what cases, and upon what security their residence shall be permitted, and to provide for the removal of those who, not being permitted to reside within the United States, refuse or neglect to depart therefrom; and to establish any other regulations which are found necessary in the premises and for the public safety;
Whereas, by Section four thousand and sixty-eight, four thousand and sixty-nine, and four thousand and seventy, of the Revised Statutes, further provision is made relative to alien enemies;
And whereas, by a proclamation dated April 6th, 1917,1 I declared and established certain regulations prescribing the conduct of alien enemies;
Now, therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson , President of the United States of America, pursuant to the authority vested in me, hereby declare and establish the following regulations, additional and supplemental to those declared and established by said proclamation of April 6th, 1917, which additional and supplemental regulations I find necessary in the premises and for the public safety:
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- An alien enemy shall not approach or be found within one hundred yards of any canal; nor within one hundred yards of any wharf, pier or dock used directly by or by means of lighters by any vessel or vessels of over five hundred (500) tons gross engaged in foreign or domestic trade other than fishing; nor within one hundred yards of any warehouse, shed, elevator, railroad terminal or other terminal, storage or transfer facility adjacent to or operated in connection with any such wharf, pier or dock; and wherever the distance between any two of such wharves, piers or docks, measured along the shore line connecting them, is less than eight hundred and eighty yards, an alien enemy shall [Page 182] not approach or be found within one hundred yards of such shore line.
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- Whenever the Attorney General of the United States deems it to be necessary, for the public safety and the protection of transportation, to exclude alien enemies from the vicinity of any warehouse, elevator or railroad depot, yard or terminal which is not located within any prohibited area designated by this proclamation or the proclamation of April 6th, 1917, then an alien enemy shall not approach or be found within such distance of any such warehouse elevator, depot, yard or terminal as may be specified by the Attorney General by regulation duly made and declared by him; and the Attorney General is hereby authorized to fix, by regulations to be made and declared from time to time, the area surrounding any such warehouse, elevator, depot, yard or terminal from which he deems it necessary, for the public safety and the protection of transportation to exclude alien enemies.
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- An alien enemy shall not, except on public ferries, be found on any ocean, bay, river or other waters within three miles of the shore line of the United States or its territorial possessions; said shore line for1 the purpose of this proclamation being hereby defined as the line of sea coast and the shores of all waters of the United States and its territorial possessions connected with the high seas and navigable by ocean going vessels; nor on any of the Great Lakes, their connecting waters or harbors, within the boundaries of the United States.
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- No alien enemy shall ascend into the air in any airplane, balloon, airship, or flying machine.
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- An alien enemy shall not enter or be found within the District of Columbia.
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- An alien enemy shall not enter or be found within the Panama Canal Zone.
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- All alien enemies are hereby required to register at such times and places and in such manner as may be fixed by the Attorney General of the United States and the Attorney General is hereby authorized and directed to provide, as speedily as may be practicable, for registration of all alien enemies and for the issuance of registration cards to alien enemies and to make and declare such rules and regulations as he may deem necessary for effecting such registration; and all alien enemies and all other persons are hereby required to comply with such rules and regulations; and the Attorney General in carrying out such registration, is hereby authorized to utilize such agents, agencies, officers and departments of the United States and of the several states, territories, dependencies and municipalities thereof and of the District of Columbia as he may select for the purpose, and all such agents, agencies, officers and departments are hereby granted full authority for all acts done by them in the execution of this regulation when acting by the direction of the Attorney General. After the date fixed by the Attorney General for [Page 183] such registration, an alien enemy shall not be found within the limits of the United States, its territories or possessions, without having his registration card on his person.
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- An alien enemy shall not change his place of abode or occupation or otherwise travel or move from place to place without full compliance with any such regulations as the Attorney General of the United States may, from time to time, make and declare; and the Attorney General is hereby authorized to make and declare, from time to time, such regulations concerning the movements of alien enemies as he may deem necessary in the premises and for the public safety, and to provide in such regulations for monthly, weekly or other periodical report by alien enemies to federal, state or local authorities; and all alien enemies shall report at the times and places and to the authorities specified in such regulations.
This proclamation and the regulations herein contained shall extend and apply to all land and water, continental or insular, in any way within the jurisdiction of the United States.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
[seal] Done in the District of Columbia, this sixteenth day of November, 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.
By the President:
Frank L. Polk
Acting Secretary of State.