Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
This executive order, signed by President Herbert Hoover on 1932-05-25, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Assuming Control, for Military Purposes, of the Municipal Aviation Field, Tucson, Arizona." 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
▪Of the Gila and Salt River meridian, Pima County, Ariz., containing 1,280 acres, more or less, now leased to the city of Tucson, Ariz., for a municipal aviation field, be, and is hereby, assumed by the Government of the United States for military purposes, and the Secretary of War is hereby designated as the officer to exercise this control on behalf of the Government of the United States.
Exec. Order No. 5850, Herbert Hoover (May 25, 1932). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-5850-assuming-control-for-military-purposes-the-municipal-aviation-field.
Official Document Text
Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)
Whereas pursuant to the authority of the act of Congress approved April 12, 1926 (44 Stat. 241), entitled "AN ACT To authorize the use by the city of Tucson, Arizona, of certain public lands for a municipal aviation field, and for other purposes," the Secretary of the Interior on August 2, 1926, executed a lease to the city of Tucson, Ariz., for secs. 26 and 27, T, 14 S., R. 14 E. of the Gila and Salt River meridian, containing 1,280 acres, more or less, of the public domain, for the establishment and maintenance of a municipal aviation field; and Whereas section 2 of said act provides that in case of emergency or in event it shall be deemed advisable, the Government of the United States may assume absolute control of the management and operation of said field for military purposes; and Whereas it is now deemed advisable that the Government of the United States assume such control for military purposes; Now, Therefore , it is hereby ordered that the absolute control of the management and operation of secs. 26 and 27, T. 14 S., R. 14 E. of the Gila and Salt River meridian, Pima County, Ariz., containing 1,280 acres, more or less, now leased to the city of Tucson, Ariz., for a municipal aviation field, be, and is hereby, assumed by the Government of the United States for military purposes, and the Secretary of War is hereby designated as the officer to exercise this control on behalf of the Government of the United States. HERBERT HOOVER The White House, May 25, 1932.
