Special Message to the Congress Transmitting Reorganization Plan of 1958.

To the Congress of the United States:

I transmit herewith Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1958, prepared in accordance with the Reorganization Act of 1949, as amended. The reorganization plan provides new arrangements for the conduct of federal defense mobilization and civil defense functions.

In formulating Reorganization Plan No. 1, I have had the benefit of several studies made by the executive branch as wall as those conducted by the Congress. The reorganization plan will overcome the major difficulties revealed by those studies and mentioned in my 1959 Budget Message where I made the following statement:

"The structure of federal organization for the planning, coordination, and conduct of our nonmilitary defense programs has been reviewed, and I have concluded that the existing statutes assigning responsibilities for the central coordination and direction of these programs are out of date. The rapid technical advances of military science have led to a serious overlap among agencies carrying on these leadership and planning functions. Because the situation will continue to change and because these functions transcend the responsibility of any single department or agency, I have concluded that they should be vested in no one short of the President. I will make recommendations to the Congress on this subject."

The principal effects of the reorganization plan are:

First, it transfers to the President the functions vested by law in the federal Civil Defense Administration and those so vested in the Office of Defense Mobilization. The result is to establish a single pattern with respect to the vesting of defense mobilization and civil defense functions. At the present time disparity exists in that civil defense functions are vested in the President only to a limited degree while a major part of the functions administered by the Office of Defense Mobilization are vested by law in the President and delegated by him to that Office. Under the plan, the broad program responsibilities for coordinating and conducting the inter-related defense mobilization and civil defense functions will be vested in the President for appropriate delegation as the rapidly changing character of the nonmilitary preparedness program warrants.

Second, the reorganization plan consolidates the Office of Defense Mobilization and the federal Civil Defense Administration to form a new Office of Defense and Civilian Mobilization in the Executive Office of the President. I have concluded that, in many instances, the interests and activities of the Office of Defense Mobilization and the federal Civil Defense Administration overlap to such a degree that it is not possible to work out a satisfactory division of those activities and interests between the two agencies. I have also concluded that a single civilian mobilization agency of appropriate stature and authority is needed and that such an agency will ensue from the consolidation and from the granting of suitable authority to that agency for directing and coordinating the preparedness activities of the federal departments and agencies and for providing unified guidance and assistance to the State and local governments.

Third, the reorganization plan transfers the membership of the Director of the Office of Defense Mobilization on the National Security Council to the Director of the Office of Defense and Civilian Mobilization and also transfers the Civil Defense Advisory Council to the Office of Defense and Civilian Mobilization.

Initially, the Office of Defense and Civilian Mobilization will perform the civil defense and defense mobilization functions now performed by the Office of Defense Mobilization and the federal Civil Defense Administration. One of its first tasks will be to advise me with respect to the actions to be taken to clarify and expand the roles of the federal departments and agencies in carrying out nonmilitary defense preparedness functions. After such actions are taken, the direction and coordination of the civil defense and defense mobilization activities assigned to the departments and agencies will comprise a principal remaining responsibility of the Office of Defense and Civilian Mobilization.

After investigation, I have found and hereby declare that each reorganization included in Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1958 is necessary to accomplish one or more of the purposes set forth in section 2 (a) of the Reorganization Act of 1949, as amended.

I have also found and hereby declare that it is necessary to include in the accompanying reorganization plan, by reason of reorganizations made thereby, provisions for the appointment and compensation of new officers specified in sections 2 and 3 of the plan. The rates of compensation fixed for these officers are, respectively, those which I have found to prevail in respect of comparable officers in the executive branch of the Government.

The taking effect of the reorganizations included in Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1958 will immediately reduce the number of federal agencies by one and, by providing sounder organizational arrangements for the administration of the affected functions, should promote the increased economy and effectiveness of the federal expenditures concerned. It is, however, impracticable to itemize at this time the reduction of expenditures which it is probable will be brought about by such taking effect.

I urge that the Congress allow the reorganization plan to become effective.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER