The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.
1.:13 BOARD OF GOVERNORS DP' THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM WASHINGTON S-i...26 ADDR&aa Df?ICIAI. CDRR&aPDND&ND& TD TH& aDARD January 16, i942 Dear Sir: As you knovr, unJcr dace of December 19, 1941, the ?resident of the Ur.it.ed Sta":.f:'s .issued ar~ !::xec'.ltiYe Order esb.blishing the 0!fice of Cer.sorsltip. In addiJvi".~n t.o a Director cf C,:;nso~~st:ip and a Censors'!:ip Po!.ic~,. Boa.M the Order establist-s.;; a Cem:orzr.i:' Op.ers.ting Board consisting of re:...:resent3.·::.iv~s c.r such agencies of th·J Gov\;'!r~ent as the Director of Censorship shall 5pc:cify. Under date <)f !:.;;ceu.aber 23, 191_.:, a request w&s receiv0d from th~ ~ir~ctor of Can~0rshi? that t.hs board of Governors dt::.signat-". ;., r..;!,pr~.::;"'ntat.ivc en ti1e r)p£:rating Board and in respnnse to this r(:0..U.I.:lSt til~ lk~d d(~sigm.:.ted Gov~rnor Drt.lp\-:r to serve in that capacity. In his rumou:1cc:~ucnt of tho m;.;n.bers oi'. t.h·J Operating Board, the Director of Censo.1·ship stated.: "The Oper:.:.tinr, boar>.' ie t.te l."\eans oy :..-hi ~h the Office cf Cl3Usorship ut.ili~~s the :.:"IJM(.!iF..:azcd t:!Ctivit.ies of these agencies in the censorship oi' international co,:ur,;mict'!tions. For example, the TreasurJ Depa~~ent furnishes expert assistance in the censorship of arti~.;.ee passing through it.s Buren.u of Cust0lds. 11 Section 3(c) of the Tr~~ding ~:ith 'n;e fu~ Act prohibits com.tllunication by any means ':n:.:.h. an enenw or ·!-n a.l~r of an i-.!Deli\Y unltJss the cummunication is 11-.;ensed or e.x:::mpt:.ed. 'Jy tm F.Jeecutive Order dated October 12, l917, the authority to isi:ue lic(.mses and exemr>tions was conferred by the President upon the Secreta!"'.( of the '!'reasu1•y and the 1att.er ·.vas autho:-ized to design~:te other agencios tc c~rr-.r out t.he au.::.hority ~i th respect to licensing and e.:<t~m?tions vested in hi£. On iiecE>..m.'l:>er 24, 1941, the Secretn~r o.l the Trea:1UT'J signed a d9s1.~la~ion ves~.ing in the Office of Censorsl"..ip the I\Ut!1uri ty tc issuE· li~er.ses <~nd exet.:pti•:>ns in connection with comm.unicat.ions :;ith a.-1 ener.:y or "'n ally ::>£ an enenw and this designation was apf-roved by t~c Presi~ent on Jec~cer 26, 19Ll, thus ·.resting in the Oi!'ice of CE-nso:-ship al.l of the C·ut~;tanding operating authority Tiit.h resp<?.ct to cen.s:;·rship ;natt;:rs. !Jncler the authority ot the designation above r~f~rred to t~it. Dir·l:ctor of Ct:ns ...rship has issu0d a licer.se to th(; r\;d.era1 Kc..::.c:rvc .l3an~t.: of i~ew York to cor.J:hunica.te by radio and ca~le ~«ith cert~:.in forci 6'1·; contral bunks and a similar lic.::mse covering mail c~unicaticn is ir. proc~ss. 114 -2Copies of the President 1 s &'Cecuti ve Order creating the Office of Censorship and the designation signed b;r the SPcretary of the Treasury are enclosed v:ith this letter. Should any questions arise at your Brmk with re~~pect to censorship, we shall be pleased to have you i'orvl'ard thr:m to the Board of Governors for consideration, and, if necessa!"J, for submission by Governor Draper to the Office of Censorship. S. R. Carpenter, Assistant Secretary. Enclosures 2 LE'l"TER TO THLI. FRESIDbNT.S OF ALL FEDERAL F.ES.S:HV E BANKS :1:15 ESTABLISHING TH.l.;. Ol''FIC@ o~· CEI:~SOitSh'IP .Aim PRESCRIBING IT$ r'UNCTICNS AI'!D DUTIES By virtue of the aathority vested in me by the Cvnstitut,ion and the statutes of the United States, an1 }:tarticularl.r by section 303, Title III of the act of December 18, 1941, Public La~ 354, 77th Congress, 1st Session, and deeoing that the p~blic safety demands it, I her~by order as follo~ve: 1. There is hereby established the Office of Censorship, at the head of which shall be a Director of Censors~ip. The Director of Censorship shall caus6 to be cen3ored, in r~s absolutG discretion, COOlll'lU.Ilications by mail, cable, radio, or other means of transnussion passing cet-.;..-een t.he United States and !J.t!Y i'oreiJll country or which IIW.J be carried b3-· ~.r:y vessel or other means of +.ransporta.tion touching a":. any port., ?l~ce, or 'fe!"ritor,r of the United States and bou."ld to or from any !'oreif:l1 count:rj·, in -:.c:~ord~Jnce with such rules and regu_l;;~ t.i•.)IlS as thG Pre&io.ent s~tall from time to time prt3scribe. Th;;; ast.;::olisb.-n.ant of rules ::nd r~gul:.tions !11 ad·.tition to t!1e provisior.s c:· t.:-11& ord.::-r s:.irill .n0t. be r:-. condi+.ion ~o "th-3 exercise of the powers herein gr.!lnted or the censorerJ.p by this order ,iirected. 'rhe seep-; of t.i'.is order sh:.tU include all foreign countries except such as ~· hcr.:-r...ft:.:r he ex.pr~ssly excluded by regulation. 2. 'l'hsre ls hereb7 craat.;;d a Ce:.1aorsnip Policy Bo~rd, which shall c.)nsiet of' ~te Vioc-Prcsid;:;l:.t. of tho::: United State-s, the Secretary oi' the Tr.aasu..7, the S~cr·~tary of iNa.r, the Attorney General, the ?ostmaster Generc;..l, the Secr$t8rf of the NE.vy, the Director of ths Office of Government Repo~s, and the Director of the Office of Facts and Figur·es. '.i·he Postma.stor Gen'->ral sh~.ll act a$ Chairman of the Board. The Censorship Policy Boa~l shall ~dvise the Director of C(;:nsorship with respect tv policy :md the coordination and integration of the censorship herein c.irected. 3. The Director cf Censorship sh'ill .astl3.blish a Censorship Operating Board, which shall ccn$iSt ~t representetives of such departments :md agencies of the Government ae the !Jirector shall specif:r. &.ch representative sr..-'1.11 'be desi&n'?.te:i ~y the ht:.t.l:i o.f thE: dep~!4cmt or agency which ha represants. The C':'ns~rehip Opara.ting Board shall, under the St4perviftion of the nirector, pe:-form such duties with respect to operations ~s the LiTector sr~~l determine. 4· The Director cf c~nSO!'Ship is authorized t.. o take ~.11 such measures as mr>¥ be nece.seary or expedient. to adzi!..inister the powers 116 S-426--a -2- hereby conferred, and, in addition to the ut:!.lization of existing personnel of any department or agency available thf;)refor, to employ, or authorize the employment of, such additional personnel as he rna;7 deem requisite. 5. As used in this order the term "United States" shall be construed to include the Territories and possessions of the United States, including the PhilipJJine Id.ands. FRJ\.NKl...IN D. ROOSE..VELT THE hHITE HOUSE, Washington, D. C., Deca~ber 19, 1941, S-426-bff? Procedure for administering the duties imposed upon the Secretary of the Treasury by Articles XI and XIII of Executive Order No. 2729-A~ dated October 12 l 1 n under the Tra.din · t~-ith the ene. · Act of Oetober • 1917. TREASURY DEPAE.Tlv1ENT, December 24, 1941 To officers of the Treasury Department and others concerned: By virtue of the authority vested in the Secretary of the Treasur,y by Executive Order No. 2729-A, dated October 12, 1917, I hereby adopt the following administrative procedure deemed necessary and proper for the executive administration of Article XI, vested by said Executive Order in the Secretary of the Trcasur,y; such administrative procedure to remain in effect unless and until modified or supors0dod by direction of the Secretary of the Treasu:rJ. (1) I hereby d0signa.te the Office of Censorship to act as the age:ncy of the Secreta:r-.r of the Treasury to a.dr.d.nister the authority vested in the SecretarJ of the Treasury r0la.tlve to tho sending, t:1king, or transrutting, or <J.ttcmpting to send, take, or transmit, out of the United Sta.te3, and to issue licenses and exemptions under such regulations or conditions as tho said Of:'ice JTh'1.y from t:in1c to ti..':'..e prescribe, to send, take, or transmit out of the United Sta.tes, o.ny letter, or other writine, book, map, plan, or other paper, picture::;, or any telegram, cablegram, or vtircless message, or other form of com."ll.unication intended for or to be delivered, directly or indirectly, to an enemy or ally of enemy. All applications for such licenses shall be made to the Gffice of Censorship in the form prescribed by it. (2) I hereby designate the Bureau of Customs in the Department of the Tree.sury to administer a.nd to issue licenses (except licenses to send, take, or transmit out of the United Stc:.tes any letter, ·writing, or tanb~ble form of co~£lunication intended for or to be delivered, directly or indirectly, to an enemy or ally of enemy) in r(JSpect of the authority vested in the Secretar,y of the Trcasur,y under Articl\.; XI of sD.id Executive Order relative to sending, or taking out of, or bringing into, or nttempting to send, take out of, or bring into, the United States any letter or other writing or tangible form of communication except in the regul<l.r course of' the mail. (Signed) H. MORGENTHAU, JR. Secretary of the Treasury. Approved, December 26, 1941 The White House. (Signed) FHANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
@FedFRASER