Franklin D. Roosevelt

Proclamation 2549—Enumeration of Arms, Ammunition, and Implements of War

April 09, 1942

By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

Whereas section 12 (i) of the joint resolution of Congress approved November 4, 1939, entitled "Joint resolution to preserve the neutrality and the peace of the United States and to secure the safety of Its citizens and their interests", provides in part as follows (54 Stat. 11; 22 U.S.C. 452 (i)):

"The President is hereby authorized to proclaim upon recommendation of the Board from time to time a list of articles which shall be considered arms, ammunition, and implements of war for the purposes of this section * * *"

Now, Therefore, I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, acting under and by virtue of the authority conferred upon me by the said joint resolution of Congress, and pursuant to the recommendation of the National Munitions Control Board, declare and proclaim that the articles listed below shall, on and after April 15, 1942, be considered arms, ammunition, and implements of war for the purposes of section 12 (i) of the said joint resolution of Congress:

Category I

(1) Rifles and carbines using ammunition in excess of caliber .22, and barrels for those weapons;

(2) Machine guns, automatic or autoloading rifles, and machine pistols using ammunition in excess of caliber .22, and barrels for those weapons; machine-gun mounts;

(3) Guns, howitzers, and mortars of all calibers, their mountings and barrels;

(4) Ammunition in excess of caliber .22 for the arms enumerated under (1), (2), and (3) above, and cartridge cases or bullets for such ammunition; shells and projectiles, filled or unfilled, for the arms enumerated under (3) above:

(5) Grenades, bombs, torpedoes, mines and depth charges, filled or unfilled, and apparatus for their use or discharge;

(6) Tanks, military armored vehicles, and armored trains; armor plate and turrets for such vehicles.

Category II

Vessels of war of all kinds, including aircraft carriers and submarines, and armor plate and turrets for such vessels.

Category III

(1) Aircraft, unassembled, assembled, or dismantled, both heavier and lighter than air, which are designed, adapted, and intended for aerial combat by the use of machine guns or of artillery or for the carrying and dropping of bombs, or which are equipped with, or which by reason of design or construction are prepared for, any of the appliances referred to In paragraph (2) below;

(2) Aerial gun mounts and frames, bomb racks, torpedo carriers, and bombrelease or torpedo-release mechanisms; armor plate and turrets for military aircraft.

Category IV

(1) Revolvers and automatic pistols using ammunition in excess of caliber .22;

(2) Ammunition in excess of caliber .22 for the arms enumerated under (1) above, and cartridge cases or bullets for such ammunition.

Category V

(1) Aircraft, unassembled, assembled or dismantled, both heavier and lighter than air, other than those included in category III;

(2) Propellers or air-screws, fuselages, hulls, wings, tail units, and under-carriage units;

(3) Aircraft engines, unassembled, assembled, or dismantled.

Category VI

(1) Livens projectors, flame throwers, and fire-barrage projectors;

(2) a. Mustard gas (dichlorethyl sulphide);
b. Lewisite (chlorvinyldichlorarsine and dichlordivinylchlorarsine);
c. Methyldichlor arsine;
d. Diphenylchlorarsine;
e. Diphenylcyanarsine;
f. Diphenylaminechlorarsine;
g. Phenyldichlorarsine;
h. Ethyldichlorarslne;
1. Phenyl dibromarsine;
a. Ethyldibrom arsine;
k. Phosgene;
l. Monochlormethylchlorformate;
m. Trichlormethylchlorformate (diphosgene);
n. Dichlordimethyl ether;
o. Dibromdimethyl ether;
p. Cyanogen chloride;
q. Ethylbromacetate;
r. Ethyliodoacetate;
s. Brombenzylcyanide;
t. Bromacetone;
u. Brommethylethyl ketone.

Category VII

(1) Propellent powders;

(2) High explosives as follows:

a. Nitrocellulose having a nitrogen content of more than 12%;
b. Trinitrotoluene;
c. Trinitroxylene;
d. Tetryl (trinitrophenol methyl nitramine or "tetranitro methylaniline");
e. Picric acid;
f. Ammonium picrate;
g. Trinitroanisol;
h. Trinitronaphthalene;
i. Tetranitronaphthalene;
j. Hexanitrodiphenylamine;
k. Pentaerythritetetranitrate (penthrite or pentrite) ;
l. Trlmethylenetrinitramine (hexogen or T4);
m. Potassium nitrate powders (black saltpeter powder);
n. Sodium nitrate powders (black soda powder);
o. Amatol (mixture of ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluene);
p. Ammonal (mixture of ammonium nitrate, trinitrotoluene, and powdered aluminum, with or without other ingredients) ;
q. Schneiderite (mixture of ammonium nitrate and dinitronaphthalene, with or without other ingredients).

Effective April 15, 1942, this proclamation shall supersede Proclamation 2237, dated May 1, 1937, entitled "Enumeration of Arms, Ammunition, and Implements of War"

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington this 9th day of April in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and forty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and sixty-sixth.

Signature of Franklin D. Roosevelt
FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT

By the President:
SUMNER WELLES
Acting Secretary of State.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, Proclamation 2549—Enumeration of Arms, Ammunition, and Implements of War Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/357762

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