Executive Order 10265—Transfer of the Administration of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands from the Secretary of the Navy to the Secretary of the Interior

WHEREAS the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (hereinafter referred to as the trust territory) was placed under the trusteeship system established by the Charter of the United Nations by means of a trusteeship agreement approved by the Security Council of the United Nations on April 2, 1947, and by the United States Government on July 18, 1947, after due constitutional process; and

WHEREAS the United States, under the terms of the trusteeship agreement, was designated as the administering authority of the trust territory, and has assumed obligations for the government thereof; and

WHEREAS Executive Order No. 9875 of July 18, 1947, delegated authority and responsibility for the civil administration of the trust territory to the Secretary of the Navy on an interim basis; and

WHEREAS a committee of the Secretaries of State, War, the Navy, and the Interior recommended on June 18, 1947, that administrative responsibility for the trust territory be transferred to a civilian agency of the Government at the earliest practicable date; and

WHEREAS plans for the orderly transfer of administrative responsibility for the trust territory from the Secretary of the Navy to the Secretary of the Interior are embodied in a memorandum of understanding between the Department of the Navy and the Department of the Interior, approved by me on September 23, 1949, and it is the view of the two departments, as expressed in that memorandum, that such transfer should take effect on July 1, 1951; and

WHEREAS the transfer of administration of the trust territory from the Secretary of the Navy to the Secretary of the Interior, effective July 1, 1951, appears to be in the public interest:

NOW THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows:

1. The administration of the trust territory is hereby transferred from the Secretary of the Navy to the Secretary of the Interior, such transfer to become effective on July 1, 1951.

2. The Department of the Navy and the Department of the Interior shall proceed with the plans for the transfer of administration of the trust territory as embodied in the above-mentioned memorandum of understanding between the two departments.

3. When the transfer of administration made by this order becomes effective, the Secretary of the Interior shall take such action as may be necessary and appropriate, and in harmony with applicable law, for the administration of civil government in the trust territory and shall, subject to such policies as the President may from time to time prescribe and, when appropriate, in collaboration with other departments or agencies of the Government, carry out the obligations assumed by the United States as the administering authority of the trust territory under the terms of the trusteeship agreement approved by the United States on July 18, 1947, and under the Charter of the United Nations: Provided, however, That the authority to specify parts or all of the trust territory as closed for security reasons and to determine the extent to which Articles 87 and 88 of the Charter of the United Nations shall be applicable to such closed areas, in accordance with Article 13 of the trusteeship agreement, shall be exercised by the President: And provided further, That the Secretary of the Interior shall keep the Secretary of State currently informed of activities in the trust territory affecting the foreign policy of the United States and shall consult the Secretary of State on questions of policy concerning the trust territory which relate to the foreign policy of the United States, and that all relations between departments or agencies of the Government and appropriate organs of the United Nations with respect to the trust territory shall be conducted through the Secretary of State.

4. The executive departments and agencies of the Government are authorized and directed to cooperate with the Departments of the Navy and Interior in the effectuation of the provisions of this order.

5. The said Executive Order No. 9875 of July 18, 1947, is revoked, effective July 1, 1951.

HARRY S. TRUMAN

THE WHITE HOUSE,

June 29, 1951