all the
resources of the country are hereby pledged by the
Congress of the United States."

And whereas, it is provided by Section 1 of the act approved August
29, 1916, entitled "An act making appropriations for the support of
the army for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1917, and for other
purposes," as follows:

"The President, in time of war, is empowered, through the
Secretary of War, to take possession and assume control of
any system or systems of transportation, or any part
thereof, and to utilize the same, to the exclusion as far
as may be necessary of all other traffic thereon, for the
transfer or transportation of troops, war material and
equipment, or for such other purposes connected with the
emergency as may be needful or desirable."

And whereas, it has now become necessary in the national defense to
take possession and assume control of certain systems of
transportation and to utilize the same, to the exclusion as far as
may be necessary of other than war traffic thereon for the
transportation of troops, war material and equipment therefor, and
for other needful and desirable purposes connected with the
prosecution of the war.

Now, therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States,
under and by virtue of the powers vested in me by the foregoing
resolutions and statute, and by virtue of all other powers thereto me
enabling, do hereby, through Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War, take
possession and assume control at 12 o'clock noon on the twenty-eighth
day of December, 1917, of each and every system of transportation and
the appurtenances thereof located wholly or in part within the
boundaries of the continental United States and consisting of
railroads, and owned or controlled systems of coastwise and inland
transportation, engaged in general transportation, whether operated
by steam or by electric power, including also terminals, terminal
companies and terminal associations, sleeping and parlor cars,
private cars and private car lines, elevators, warehouses, telegraph
and telephone lines and all other equipment and appurtenances
commonly used upon or operated as a part of such rail or combined
rail and water systems of transportation, to the end that such
systems of transportation be utilized for the transfer and
transportation of troops, war material and equipment to the exclusion
so far as may be necessary of all other traffic thereon, and that