Executive Order 10244 Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order 10244—Designating the Secretary of State and the Attorney General as the Officers to Perform Certain Functions with Respect to the Settlement of Intercustodial Conflicts Relating to Enemy Property

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Thursday, May 17, 1951

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2 min read (456 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Harry S Truman on 1951-05-17, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Designating the Secretary of State and the Attorney General as the Officers to Perform Certain Functions with Respect to the Settlement of Intercustodial Conflicts Relating to Enemy Property." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: Evaluated against the Fifth Amendment, this action touches upon property or economic rights. An early statesman would insist upon strict adherence to due process of law and the constitutional guarantee that private holdings shall not be encumbered or taken for public purposes without just compensation and lawful process.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ However, no action taken hereunder by either the Secretary of State or the Attorney General shall be considered to be invalid on the ground that under the provisions of this order such action was within the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State rather than the Attorney General, or vice versa, or that concurrence was not obtained, or that such action was not joint.

▪ Any money, property, or interest received as reimbursement by the United States by virtue of any agreement made pursuant to the said act of September 28, 1950, shall be administered and disposed of by the Attorney General as vested property pursuant to the said Trading With the Enemy Act, as amended.

▪ Any other money, property, or interest received by the Secretary of State or the Attorney General pursuant to any such agreement shall be administered and disposed of pursuant to the provisions of such agreement.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants 🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners

Total Words

456

2,725 characters

Estimated Read Time

2 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

22.3

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

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Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 10244, Harry S Truman (May 17, 1951). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-10244-designating-the-secretary-state-and-the-attorney-general-the.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, including the Trading with the Enemy Act of October 6, 1917 (50 U.S.C. 1 et seq.), as amended, and the act of September 28, 1950 (Public Law 857, 81st Congress), and as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows: 1. The Secretary of State and the Attorney General are hereby jointly designated as the officers authorized to conclude and give effect to agreements relating to the settlement of intercustodial conflicts involving enemy property made pursuant to the said act of September 28, 1950, and to exercise all powers incident thereto which are conferred by such act, including, without limitation, the powers to receive, transfer, release, or return property, interests therein, or proceeds thereof. 2. It is the policy of this order that the Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the Attorney General, shall perform all functions necessary or appropriate to give effect to any agreement made pursuant to the said act of September 28, 1950, with relation to the protection of American interests in property outside the United States, and that the Attorney General, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, shall perform all functions necessary or appropriate to give effect to any such agreement with relation to property subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and that all other functions relating to the effectuation of any such agreement shall be performed as may be agreed by the Secretary of State and the Attorney General. However, no action taken hereunder by either the Secretary of State or the Attorney General shall be considered to be invalid on the ground that under the provisions of this order such action was within the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State rather than the Attorney General, or vice versa, or that concurrence was not obtained, or that such action was not joint. 3. The Secretary of State and the Attorney General may each delegate to the other or to any other officer, person, or agency within his respective department such of his functions under this order as he may deem necessary. 4. Any money, property, or interest received as reimbursement by the United States by virtue of any agreement made pursuant to the said act of September 28, 1950, shall be administered and disposed of by the Attorney General as vested property pursuant to the said Trading With the Enemy Act, as amended. Any other money, property, or interest received by the Secretary of State or the Attorney General pursuant to any such agreement shall be administered and disposed of pursuant to the provisions of such agreement. HARRY S. TRUMAN THE WHITE HOUSE, May 17, 1951