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Executive Order 8171 Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order 8171—Transfer of Jurisdiction Over Certain Lands From the Secretary of Agriculture to the Secretary of War

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt
•
Thursday, June 15, 1939
•
2 min read (347 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 Franklin D. Roosevelt on 1939-06-15, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Transfer of Jurisdiction Over Certain Lands From the Secretary of Agriculture to the Secretary of War." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

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

▪ Formal executive instruction issued by the President establishing official administrative policy on Transfer of Jurisdiction Over Certain Lands From the Secretary of Agriculture to the Secretary of War.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants 🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners 🏛️ Public Health & Medical Institutions
Total Words
347
2,115 characters
Estimated Read Time
2 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
31.5
Post-Grad reading level
Constitutional Polarity
+0.02
Framers' Alignment index
📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations 

Exec. Order No. 8171, Franklin D. Roosevelt (Jun 15, 1939). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-8171-transfer-jurisdiction-over-certain-lands-from-the-secretary.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →
Whereas certain lands have been acquired or are in process of acquisition under the authority of the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935, approved April 8, 1935 (49 Stat. 115), and Title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, approved July 22, 1937 (50 Stat. 522, 525), in connection with the Plattsburg, LO-NY 6, and Pine Camp, LO-NY 7, Land-Utilization and Land- Conservation Projects of the Department of Agriculture in New York; and Whereas by Executive Order No. 7908 of June 9, 1938, all the right, title and interest of the United States in those lands acquired or in process of acquisition under the authority of the aforesaid Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935, was transferred to the Secretary of Agriculture for use, administration, and disposition in accordance with the provisions of Title III of the aforesaid Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, and the related provisions of Title IV thereof; and immediately upon acquisition of legal title to those lands now in process of acquisition under the authority of said act, said order, under the terms thereof, will become applicable to all the additional right, title, and interest thereby acquired by the United States; and Whereas it appears that the use of such lands as military reservations would be in the public interest: Now, Therefore , by virtue of and pursuant to the authority vested in me by section 32 of Title III of the said Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, and upon recommendation of the Secretary of Agriculture, it is ordered that the lands acquired or in process of acquisition by the United States within the areas delineated on the diagrams attached hereto and made a part hereof, together with the improvements thereon, be, and they are hereby, transferred from the Secretary of Agriculture to the Secretary of War for use as military reservations: Provided, however , that the Secretary of Agriculture shall retain such jurisdiction over the lands now in process of acquisition by the United States as may be necessary to enable him to complete their acquisition. FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT The White House, June 15, 1939.