Executive Order 1988 Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order 1988—To Require Ocean-Going Vessels to be Fitted With Wireless Apparatus

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Thursday, July 9, 1914

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1 min read (264 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 Woodrow Wilson on 1914-07-09, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "To Require Ocean-Going Vessels to be Fitted With Wireless Apparatus." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: This action represents an orderly exercise of Article II administrative discretion, managing the internal machinery and personnel of the executive branch without abridging the ancient liberties of the people.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ By virtue of the authority vested in me, I hereby establish the following order for the Canal Zone: Section 1.

▪ This order shall take effect from and after this date.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Foreign Nations & International Entities

Total Words

264

1,473 characters

Estimated Read Time

1 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

19.3

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

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Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 1988, Woodrow Wilson (Jul 9, 1914). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-1988-require-ocean-going-vessels-be-fitted-with-wireless-apparatus.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

By virtue of the authority vested in me, I hereby establish the following order for the Canal Zone: Section 1. From and after the first day of July, 1915, it shall be unlawful for any ocean-going steamer of the United States, or of any foreign country, carrying fifty or more persons including passengers and crew, to leave or attempt to leave any port of the Canal Zone unless such steamer shall be equipped with an efficient apparatus for radio communication in good working order in charge of a person skilled in the use of such apparatus, which apparatus shall be capable of transmitting and receiving messages for a distance of at least one hundred miles, night or day: provided, that the provisions of this order shall not apply to steamers plying only between the Canal Zone and ports less than two hundred miles therefrom. Sec. 2. The master or other person being in charge of such vessel which leaves or attempts to leave any port of the Canal Zone in violation of any of the provisions of this order shall, upon conviction, be fined in a sum not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), and any such fine shall be a lien upon such vessel, and the vessel may be liable therefor in the District Court of the Canal Zone, and the leaving or attempting to leave by any vessel from each and every port of the Canal Zone shall constitute a separate offense. Sec. 3. This order shall take effect from and after this date. WOODROW WILSON THE WHITE HOUSE, July 9, 1914.