| Summary: | Notice applies to anyone holding the specified chemicals, including commercial operators and firms producing, using, or processing these items, public corporations and associations handling chemicals, and individuals holding stock for resale or processing, even if not operating a formal business. Specific industries mentioned as being affected include chemical factories, explosives factories, merchants, warehouse keepers, forwarders, commission agents, and farmers. Order came into effect July 1, 1915 and first mandatory report was due by August 10, 1915, with monthly reporting required thereafter. All reports and applications for permits were to be submitted to the Kriegschemikalien Aktiengesellschaft (War Chemicals Corporation) in Berlin. Usage restrictions were strict: using confiscated materials for purposes other than those specified in the "Uebersichtstafel" (overview table) table or selling them to unauthorized parties required a special permit from the Kriegsrohstoffabteilung (War Raw Materials Department). Violations of the decree were subject to severe punishment under several existing wartime laws, including the law regarding the state of siege from June 4, 1851, and the Prussian law regarding the state of war from November 5, 1912. Penalties ranged from imprisonment for up to a year to fines of up to 3,000 Marks, depending on the severity of the offense.
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