Executive Order 9416—Authorizing the Secretary of the Navy to Take Possession of and Operate the Plants of York Safe & Lock Company, York County, Pennsylvania

Whereas York Safe & Lock Company has entered into contracts with the War Department and the Navy Department for the manufacture of war materials essential to the prosecution of the war and has been provided by the Government with extensive facilities for the performance of said contracts; and

Whereas it is deemed essential that the plants of York Safe & Lock Company, located in York County, Pennsylvania, be taken over for use and operation by the United States of America in order that they may be effectively operated in the manufacture of such war materials:

Now, Therefore, I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, pursuant to the powers vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, including Section 9 of the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, as amended, as President of the United States and Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of the Navy immediately to take possession of and operate the plants and facilities of York Safe & Lock Company located in York County, Pennsylvania, in order to produce effectively essential war material required by the United States and to do all things necessary and incidental to that end.

The Secretary of the Navy may exercise the authority herein conferred through and with the aid of such person or persons, corporations or instrumentalities as he may designate and may select and hire such employees and agents including a competent civilian adviser on industrial relations, as are necessary to carry out the operation of this order and in furtherance of the purposes of this order the Secretary of the Navy may exercise any existing contractual or other existing rights of said company incident to the operation of said plants and take such other steps as may be necessary or desirable.

Possession of the premises referred to under this order will be terminated by the President within 60 days after he determines that such plants will be operated privately in a manner consistent with the war effort.

FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT

The White House,
January 21, 1944.