more for war expenses was passed, only a single vote being cast against it in the House of Representatives. Bills for the increase of the army and navy were enacted, one of them providing for "selective conscription" in place of the discredited volunteer system. This last supremely important measure, through scandalous "playing politics" in Congress, was not enacted until May 19th, and then the humiliating announcement was made by the War Department that, owing to the "depletion of supplies," none of the 500,000 conscripts would actually be called to the colors before about the first of September! GERMAN SHIPS SEIZED Meantime administrative acts were strenuous. A few hours after the enactment of the war resolution United States officers took possession of the vast and valuable array of German merchant vessels which had been interned for safety at various American ports. There were ninetyone of these vessels, including the largest steamship in the world and several others of the largest and swiftest class. Their total tonnage was in the neighborhood of 400,000, and their value was probably much more than $100,000,000. A catalogue of this gigantic argosy, the largest by far ever seized in the history of the world, is as follows: At the port of New York, including Brooklyn and Hoboken: Many of these vessels had been maliciously damaged by their crews, by the breaking of parts of the engines, etc., before surrender; but none so seriously but that they could soon be repaired and put into service. AUSTRIAN SHIPS ALSO TAKEN A few days later, upon severance of diplomatic relations with Germany's ally, Austria-Hungary, the government similarly took possession of fourteen ships of that nationality, as follows: The pier and water-front property at Hoboken, which had been occupied by the great German steamship lines as their terminal, was taken by the United States Government as a center for shipment of supplies to the allies. RADIO STATIONS SEIZED The government also, immediately upon the declaration of war, took possession of all wireless telegraphic stations, public and private, and caused all that it did not need for its own purposes to be dismantled. This was, of course, to prevent the misuse of such apparatus by German spies, and also to prevent anybody from evading the censorship and transmitting information which the government did not wish sent out. In New York City alone more than two hundred amateur plants were thus seized and dismantled. · MANY SPIES ARRESTED The day after the declaration of war no fewer than sixty-five German spies, or suspects, were arrested by the military authorities in various places throughout the country, while thousands more were placed under the observation of the Secret Service. This was the first time since the War of 1812 that such measures had been taken against aliens. The President also issued a proclamation, which was followed by state and municipal orders everywhere, prescribing the conditions on which unnaturalized Germans might continue to live in the United States and enjoy their freedom. They were required to surrender at once all arms and ammunition, and not to live or go within a certain distance of any arsenal, munitions factory, or other establishment named in the proclamation. Subject to these conditions, they were permitted to go about their business as usual. |