Executive Order 9142—Transferring Certain Functions, Property, and Personnel From the Department of Justice to the Alien Property Custodian

By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, under the Constitution and laws of the United States, and in particular by Title I of the First War Powers Act, 1941, approved December 18, 1941 (Public Law No. 354, 77th Congress), it is hereby ordered as follows: 1. All authority, rights, privileges, powers, duties, and functions transferred or delegated to the Department of Justice, to be administered under the supervision of the Attorney General, by Executive Order No. 6694 of May 1, 1934, or vested in, transferred or delegated to, the Attorney General or the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Claims Division of the Department of Justice, by Executive Order No. 8136 of May 15, 1939, are hereby transferred to the Alien Property Custodian provided for by Executive Order No. 9095, dated March 11, 1942. 2. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 5 hereof, all property of the Alien Property Division of the Department of Justice, including records, files, supplies, furniture, and equipment, and all funds, securities, choses in action, real estate, patents, trade marks, copyrights, and all other property of whatsoever kind, held or administered by the Attorney General under and pursuant to the Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended, are hereby transferred to the Alien Property Custodian, to be administered and disposed of under his supervision and direction. 3. All administrative or general or other expenses of the Office of the Alien Property Custodian in the administration of the Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended, including the administration of Executive Order No. 9095, may be paid out of any funds or other property transferred to the Alien Property Custodian hereunder, whether or not such expenses relate to the property transferred hereunder, or were incurred before or after March 11, 1942. 4. The personnel of the Alien Property Division of the Department of Justice is hereby transferred to the Office of the Alien Property Custodian without loss of such civil service status or eligibility therefor as they may have. 5. All litigation in which the Alien Property Custodian or the Office of the Alien Property Custodian is interested shall be conducted under the supervision of the Attorney General. The Department of Justice and the Attorney General shall from time to time render such advice on legal matters to the Alien Property Custodian and the Office of the Alien Property Custodian as the Attorney General and the Alien Property Custodian may from time to time agree upon. For the purpose of defraying such expenses as may be incurred by the Department of Justice or the Attorney General in the rendering of advice as aforesaid or in the conduct of litigation in which the Alien Property Custodian or the Office of Alien Property Custodian or interested, including expenses for salaries of personnel and all other charges, the Alien Property Custodian may from time to time make available out of the funds or other property in his possession or control such funds as the Attorney General and the Alien Property Custodian may from time to time agree to be necessary therefor. Nothing in this order shall be construed to require the Department of Justice to surrender possession of any files and records relating to any litigation heretofore or hereafter conducted by it. 6. This order shall not be construed as modifying or limiting in any way the authority heretofore granted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 7. This order shall remain in force during the continuance of the present war and for six months after the termination thereof. 8. All prior Executive orders insofar as they are in conflict herewith are hereby superseded. FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT The White House, April 21, 1942.