Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
This executive order, signed by President Herbert Hoover on 1929-06-21, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Restricting for the Time Being the Transportation of Passengers from Certain Ports in the Orient to a United States Port." It is a direct, concise executive instruction delivering focused administrative or military commands to department leadership.
Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.
Key Directives & Operative Actions
▪This order shall take effect from and after this date.
Exec. Order No. 5143, Herbert Hoover (Jun 21, 1929). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-5143-restricting-for-the-time-being-the-transportation-passengers-from.
Official Document Text
Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)
Whereas there have arrived periodically at Pacific Coast ports since November 1928, a total of 17 trans-pacific passenger-carrying vessels with epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis infection existing on board among Oriental steerage passengers; And Whereas the continued arrival of vessels having epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis infection on board has overtaxed the combined available quarantine facilities of federal and local health authorities and that notwithstanding the quarantine defense, there exists danger of introducing this disease into the United States; Therefore in order to prevent the further introduction of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis from foreign ports into the United States, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 7 of the Act of Congress approved February 15, 1893, entitled "An Act granting additional quarantine powers and imposing additional duties upon the Marine Hospital Service", it is ordered that no persons may be introduced directly or indirectly by transshipment or otherwise into the United States or any of its possessions or dependencies from any port in China (including Hong Kong) or the Philippine Islands for such period of time as may be deemed necessary, except under such conditions as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury. This order shall take effect from and after this date. HERBERT HOOVER The White House, June 21, 1929.
