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What was the outcome of the court case STOEHR v. WALLACE et al.?

The case involved a dispute over the ownership of 14,900 shares of the Botany Worsted Mills, a New Jersey corporation.

The shares were seized by the Alien Property Custodian under the Trading with the Enemy Act during World War I, as they were believed to belong to a German corporation.

Stoehr, suing on his own behalf as a stockholder, sought to establish his claim to the shares and prevent their sale.

The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in favor of upholding the lower court's decision, affirming the government's authority to seize the shares under the Trading with the Enemy Act.

The Court found that the Trading with the Enemy Act was a strictly wartime measure, derived from Congress's power to declare war and make rules concerning captures on land.

The Act gave the President broad powers to seize the property of "enemy aliens" during times of war, even if the property was held by American citizens.

The Court rejected Stoehr's argument that the Act did not apply because he was an American citizen, ruling that the Act applied to any property belonging to an enemy, regardless of the owner's nationality.

The decision in Stoehr v.

Wallace set an important precedent, establishing the government's expansive wartime powers under the Trading with the Enemy Act.

The case highlighted the tension between individual property rights and the government's authority to seize assets during times of war and national emergency.

The ruling affirmed the government's ability to target the property of foreign-owned corporations, even if they were based in the United States.

The case demonstrated the challenges faced by American citizens who had their property seized due to their association with "enemy" entities during World War I.

The decision in Stoehr v.

Wallace would go on to influence the government's use of the Trading with the Enemy Act in subsequent wars and national crises.

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