Proclamation No. April 19, 1918, Extending Regulations Prescribing Conduct toward Alien Enemies to Include Women
By the President of the United States of America
A PROCLAMATION
Whereas, by Act of Congress, approved the sixteenth day of April, one thousand nine hundred and eighteen, entitled “An Act to amend section four thousand and sixty-seven of the Revised Statutes by extending its scope to include women”, the said section four thousand and sixty-seven of the Revised Statutes is amended to read as follows:
Whenever there is a declared 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 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 sections 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;
[Page 193]And whereas a state of war has heretofore been declared and proclaimed to exist between the United States and the Imperial German Government and between the United States and the Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Government;
Now, therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, acting under and by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution of the United States and the said sections of the Revised Statutes, do hereby further proclaim and direct that-the conduct to be observed on the part of the United States towards all natives, citizens, denizens, or subjects of Germany or Austria-Hungary of the age of fourteen years and upwards, who shall be within the United States and not actually naturalized, shall be as follows:
All such natives, citizens, denizens or subjects of Germany or Austria-Hungary are enjoined to preserve the peace towards the United States and to refrain from crime against the public safety, and from violating the laws of the United States and of the States and Territories thereof, and to refrain from actual hostility or giving information, aid or comfort to the enemies of the United States, and to comply strictly with the regulations which are hereby or which have been or may be from time to time promulgated by the President; and so long as they shall conduct themselves in accordance with law, they shall be undisturbed in the peaceful pursuit of their lives and occupations and be accorded the consideration due to all peaceful and law-abiding persons, except so far as restrictions may be necessary for their own protection and for the safety of the United States; and towards such of said persons as conduct themselves in accordance with law, all citizens of the United States are enjoined to preserve the peace and to treat them with all such friendliness as may be compatible with loyalty and allegiance to the United States.
And all of such natives, citizens, denizens or subjects of Germany or Austria-Hungary who fail to conduct themselves as so enjoined, in addition to all other penalties prescribed by law, shall be liable to restraint, or to give security, or to remove and depart from the United States in the manner prescribed by sections four thousand and sixty-nine and four thousand and seventy of the Revised Statutes, and as prescribed in the regulations duly promulgated by the President;
And pursuant to the authority vested in me, I hereby declare and proclaim, as necessary in the premises and for the public safety, that Regulations 1 to 12 inclusive in the Proclamation issued by me under date of April 6th, 1917,1 and Regulations 13 to 20 inclusive in [Page 194] the Proclamation issued by me under date of November 16th, 19171 shall be and they hereby are extended to and declared applicable to all natives, citizens, denizens or subjects of Germany, being females of the age of fourteen years and upwards, who shall be within the United States and not actually naturalized; provided, that this extension of Regulation 4 of the Proclamation issued by me under date of April 6th, 1917 shall not become effective until such time as may be fixed and declared by the Attorney General of the United States.
And pursuant to the authority vested in me, I hereby declare and proclaim, as necessary in the premises and for the public safety, that Regulations 1 to 3 inclusive in the Proclamation issued by me under date of December 11th, 19172 shall be and they are hereby extended to and declared applicable to all natives, citizens, denizens or subjects of Austria-Hungary, being females of the age of fourteen years and upwards, who shall be within the United States and not actually naturalized.
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 nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and eighteen, and of the independence of the United States the one hundred and forty-second.
By the President:
Frank L. Polk
Acting Secretary of State.