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Executive Order 8568 Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order 8568—Establishing the St. Lawrence Advisory Committee and Providing for a Preliminary Investigation of International Rapids Section, St. Lawrence River

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt
•
Wednesday, October 16, 1940
•
2 min read (419 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 Franklin D. Roosevelt on 1940-10-16, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Establishing the St. Lawrence Advisory Committee and Providing for a Preliminary Investigation of International Rapids Section, St. Lawrence River." 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

▪ There is hereby established the St.
▪ It shall be the duty of the Committee to advise the President with respect to the matters hereinafter set forth, and to perform such other functions as the President may determine.
▪ The Federal Power Commission and Corps of Engineers, United States Army, shall have authority to appoint, without regard to the civil service laws, such officers, experts, and employees as they may deem necessary to carry out their functions under this order, and to prescribe their functions, duties, responsibilities and tenure.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Merchants, Importers & Commercial Enterprises 🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants
Total Words
419
2,663 characters
Estimated Read Time
2 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
14.1
Post-Grad reading level
Constitutional Polarity
+0.02
Framers' Alignment index
📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations 

Exec. Order No. 8568, Franklin D. Roosevelt (Oct 16, 1940). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-8568-establishing-the-st-lawrence-advisory-committee-and-providing-for.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →
By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Act entitled "An Act making appropriations for the Navy Department and the Naval Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1941, and for other purposes," approved June 11, 1940 (Pub. No. 588, 76th Cong.), and by the Military Appropriation Act, 1941, approved June 13, 1940 (Pub. No. 611, 76th Cong.), and as President of the United States, and in order to provide for emergencies affecting the national security and defense, it is hereby ordered as follows: 1. There is hereby established the St. Lawrence Advisory Committee, consisting of Leland Olds, Chairman of the Federal Power Commission, as chairman; A. A. Berle, Assistant Secretary of State; Brigadier General Thomas M. Robins of the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, Corps of Engineers, United States Army and Gerald V. Cruise, representative of the Trustees of the Power Authority of the State of New York. It shall be the duty of the Committee to advise the President with respect to the matters hereinafter set forth, and to perform such other functions as the President may determine. 2. The Federal Power Commission and the Corps of Engineers, United States Army, are authorized, empowered, and directed — (a) To make such preliminary investigations as the Advisory Committee may consider appropriate or necessary with respect to development of navigation and hydroelectric power in the International Rapids Section of the St. Lawrence River, including, among other things, (1) preliminary investigations of the potential dam site by means of core borings, test pits, soil analyses, etc., (2) preliminary surveys of the lands necessary for such development, and investigation of the titles to such lands, and (3) preparation of preliminary plans and specifications. (b) To make periodic reports, with recommendations to the President, of the results of the aforesaid investigations. (c) To consult and cooperate with appropriate agencies of the Canadian Government. 3. In the performance of their functions and duties under this order the Federal Power Commission and the Corps of Engineers, United States Army, may avail themselves of the services, records, reports, and information of the Executive departments and other agencies of the Government. 4. The Federal Power Commission and Corps of Engineers, United States Army, shall have authority to appoint, without regard to the civil service laws, such officers, experts, and employees as they may deem necessary to carry out their functions under this order, and to prescribe their functions, duties, responsibilities and tenure. FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT The White House, October 16, 1940.