Executive Order 10460 Constitutional Friction / Overreach (-0.19)

Executive Order 10460—Providing for the Performance by the Director of Defense Mobilization of Certain Functions Relating to Telecommunications

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Tuesday, June 16, 1953

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2 min read (383 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on 1953-06-16, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Providing for the Performance by the Director of Defense Mobilization of Certain Functions Relating to Telecommunications." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ The Director of Defense Mobilization shall assist and advise the President with respect to the following described telecommunications functions and such other telecommunications functions as the President may designate: (a) Coordinating the development of telecommunications policies and standards applying to the executive branch of the Government.

▪ The Interdepartmental Radio Advisory Committee shall report to and assist the Director of Defense Mobilization in the performance of his functions as he may request.

▪ Nothing in this order shall be deemed to impair any existing authority or Jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission.

▪ The Director of Defense Mobilization shall cooperate with the Federal Communications Commission on problems of mutual concern.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants

Total Words

383

2,624 characters

Estimated Read Time

2 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

-0.19

Framers' Alignment index

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Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 10460, Dwight D. Eisenhower (Jun 16, 1953). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-10460-providing-for-the-performance-the-director-defense-mobilization.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes, and as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows: SECTION 1. The Director of Defense Mobilization shall assist and advise the President with respect to the following described telecommunications functions and such other telecommunications functions as the President may designate: (a) Coordinating the development of telecommunications policies and standards applying to the executive branch of the Government. (b) Assuring high standards of telecommunications management within the executive branch of the Government. (c) Coordinating the development by the several agencies of the executive branch of telecommunications plans and programs designed to assure maximum security to the United States in time of national emergency with a minimum Interference to continuing nongovernmental requirements. (d) Assigning radio frequencies to Government agencies under the provisions of section 305 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (47 U.S.C. 305), and establishing policies and procedures governing such assignments and their continued use. (e) Developing United States Government frequency requirements. SEC. 2. The Director of Defense Mobilization shall, to the maximum extent feasible, perform his functions with the aid, or through the facilities, of appropriate departments and agencies of the Government; and he shall establish such interagency committees and working groups composed of representatives of Interested departments and agencies, and consult with such departments and agencies, as may be necessary for the most effective performance of his functions. SEC 3. The Interdepartmental Radio Advisory Committee shall report to and assist the Director of Defense Mobilization in the performance of his functions as he may request. SEC. 4. Nothing in this order shall be deemed to impair any existing authority or Jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission. The Director of Defense Mobilization shall cooperate with the Federal Communications Commission on problems of mutual concern. SEC 5. The records, property, personnel, and funds used, held, employed, available, or to be made available in connection with the functions vested in the Telecommunications Advisor to the President by Executive Order No. 10297 of October 9, 1951, entitled "Providing for a Telecommunications Advisor to the President", shall be transferred, consonant with law, to the Office of Defense Mobilization. SEC. 6. The said Executive Order No. 10297 is hereby revoked. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER THE WHITE HOUSE, June 16, 1953.