Executive Order 9205—Establishing the President's War Relief Control Board and Defining Its Functions and Duties

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the United States, as President of the United States of America and Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, because of emergencies affecting the national security and defense, and for the purpose of controlling in the public interest charities for foreign and domestic relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction, and welfare arising from war-created needs, it is hereby ordered as follows: 1. The President's Committee on War Relief Agencies, appointed by me on March 13, 1941, is hereby continued and established as the President's War Relief Control Board, hereinafter referred to as the Board. The Chairman of the Board shall be responsible to the President. 2. The Board is hereby authorized and empowered (a) To control, in the interest of the furtherance of the war purpose, all solicitations, sales of, or offers to sell merchandise or services, collections and receipts, and distribution or disposition of funds and contributions in kind for the direct or implied purpose of (1) charities for foreign and domestic relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction, and welfare arising from war-created needs in the United States or in foreign countries, (2) refugee relief, (3) the relief of the civilian population of the United States affected by enemy action, or (4) the relief and welfare of the armed forces of the United States or of their dependents; Provided, that the powers herein conferred shall apply only to activities concerned directly with war relief and welfare purposes and shall not extend to local charitable activities of a normal and usual character nor in any case to intrastate activities other than those immediately affecting the war effort; (b) (1) To provide for the registration or licensing of persons or agencies engaged in such activities and for the renewal or cancellation of such registration or licenses; (2) to regulate and coordinate the times and amounts of fund-raising appeals; (3) to define and promulgate ethical standards of solicitation and collection of funds and contributions in kind; (4) to require accounts of receipts and expenditures duly and reliably audited, and such other records and reports as the Board may deem to be in the public interest; (5) to eliminate or merge such agencies in the interests of efficiency and economy; and (6) to take such steps as may be necessary for the protection of essential local charities; and (c) To prescribe such rules and regulations not inconsistent with law as the Board may determine to be necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes of this Order. 3. The provisions of section 2 of this Order shall not apply to (a) the American National Red Cross or (b) established religious bodies which are not independently carrying out any of the activities specified in section 2 of this Order. 4. Under the authority given me by Section 13 of the Joint Resolution of Congress approved November 4, 1939 (54 Stat. 8, 11) and Title I of the First War Powers Act, 1941, approved December 18, 1941 (Public Law No. 354, 77th Congress), and pursuant to the suggestion of the Secretary of State, it is ordered that the administration of any and all of the provisions of Section 8 (b) of the said Joint Resolution relating to the solicitation and collection of funds and contributions for relief purposes, heretofore by me vested in the Secretary of State, be and it hereby is transferred to the said Board. All rules and regulations and forms which have been issued by the Secretary of State pursuant to the provisions of said Section 8 (b) and which are in effect shall continue in effect until modified, superseded, revoked, or repealed by the Board. 5. Any and all matters within the jurisdiction of said Board which may be affected with a question relating to the foreign policy of the Government of the United States in connection with the administration of the powers vested in the Board by this Order shall be determined only after conference with the Secretary of State, to the end that any action with respect to such matters shall be consistent with the foreign policy of the United States. 6. For the purpose of economy in administration, the Board is authorized to utilize the services of available and appropriate personnel of the Department of State and other Government departments and agencies and such other services, equipment, and facilities as may be made available by these departments and agencies. 7. For the purpose of effectively carrying out the provisions of this Order, the Board may require that all war relief and welfare policies, plans, programs, procedures, and methods of voluntary agencies be coordinated and integrated with those of the several Federal departments, establishments, and agencies and the American Red Cross; and all these organizations shall furnish from time to time such information as the Board may consider necessary for such purposes. 8. The Board shall from time to time submit to the President such reports and recommendations regarding war charities, relief, and welfare in foreign countries and in the United States and the relationship of public and private organizations, resources, and programs in these and related fields, as the public interest may require. 9. The members of the Board shall serve as such without compensation, but shall be entitled to necessary transportation, subsistence, and other expenses incident to the performance of their duties. 10. This Order shall remain in force during the continuance of the present war and for six months after the termination thereof, unless revoked by Presidential order. FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT The White House, July 25, 1942.