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Executive Order 11048—Administration of Wake Island and Midway Island

September 04, 1962

By virtue of the authority vested in me by section 48 of the Hawaii Omnibus Act (approved July 12, 1960; 74 Stat. 424; P.L. 86-624) and section 301 of title 3 of the United States Code, and as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Part I--Wake Island

SECTION 101. The Secretary of the Interior shall be responsible for the civil administration of Wake Island and all executive and legislative authority necessary for that administration, and all judicial authority respecting Wake Island other than the authority contained in the act of June 15, 1950 (64 Stat. 217), as amended (48 U.S.C. 644a), shall be vested in the Secretary of the Interior.

SEC. 102. The executive, legislative, and judicial authority provided for in section 101 of this order (1) may be exercised through such agency or agencies of the Department of the Interior, or through such officers or employees under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior, as the Secretary may direct or authorize, (2) may be exercised through such agency or agencies, other than or not in the Department of the Interior, or through such officers or employees of the United States not under the administrative supervision of the Secretary, for such time and under such conditions as may be agreed upon between the Secretary and such agency, agencies, officers or employees of the United States, and (3) shall be exercised in such manner as the Secretary, or any person or persons acting under the authority of the Secretary, may direct or authorize.

SEC. 103. Executive Order No. 6935 of December 29, 1934, to the extent that it pertains to Wake Island, is hereby superseded.

Part II--Midway Island

SECTION 201. The Secretary of the Navy shall be responsible for the civil administration of Midway Island and all executive and legislative authority necessary for that administration, and all judicial authority respecting Midway Island other than the authority contained in the act of June 15, 1950 (64 Stat. 217), as amended (48 U.S.C. 644a), shall be vested in the Secretary of the Navy.

SEC. 202. The executive, legislative, and judicial authority provided for in section 201 of this order shall be exercised through such agency or agencies of the Navy Department, or through such officers or employees under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Navy, as the Secretary may direct or authorize, and shall be exercised in such manner as the Secretary, or any person or persons acting under the authority of the Secretary, may direct or authorize.

SEC. 203. Such public lands on the Midway Islands, Hawaiian group, between the parallels of 28°5' and 28°25' North latitude, and between the meridians of 177°10' and 177°30' West longitude, as were placed under the jurisdiction and control of the Navy Department by the provisions of Executive Order No. 199-A of January 20, 1903, are hereby continued under the jurisdiction and control of that Department. Executive Order No. 199-A is hereby superseded.

Part Ill--Miscellaneous Provisions

SECTION 301. The provisions of each of the foregoing Parts of this order shall continue in force until the Congress shall provide for the civil administration of the affected Island or until such earlier time as the President may specify.

SEC. 302. As used herein, the terms "Wake Island" and "Midway Island" include the reefs appurtenant to, and the territorial waters of, Wake Island and Midway Island, respectively.

SEC. 303. To the extent that any prior Executive order or proclamation is inconsistent with the provisions of this order, this order shall control.

SEC. 304. This order shall not be deemed to affect Executive Order No. 9709 of March 29, 1946, or Executive Order No. 9797 of November 6, 1946.

SEC. 305. Nothing in this order shall be deemed to reduce, limit, or otherwise modify the authority or responsibility of the Attorney General to represent the legal interests of the United States in civil or criminal cases arising under the provisions of the act of June 15, 1950.

JOHN F. KENNEDY

John F. Kennedy, Executive Order 11048—Administration of Wake Island and Midway Island Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/235991

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