White House Press Release and Press Release, Executive Order 9875

291 #1242 IMMEDIATE RELEASE JULY 19,1947 STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT I have signed the joint resolution authorizing approval by this Government of the Trusteeship Agreement for the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and have instructed the Secretary of State to notify the appropriate organs of the United Nations that this Agreement, having been duly approved by the Security Council and by this Government, enters into force as of this date. It is the intention of this Government to carry out in full the obligations toward the people of the trust territory and toward the United Nations, as specified in the terms of the Trusteeship Agreement and Chapters XI, XII, and XIII of the Charter of the United Nations. Under Article 12 of the Trusteeship Agreement, the United KRUMAD States is obligated to enact such legislation as may be necessary to NARA place the provisions of this Agreement in effect in the trust 3 territory. This is a responsibility which falls primarily upon the Congress of the United States. In order to assist the Congress in this task, I have asked the Department of State to prepare, in con- sultation with other interested Departments, suggestions for organic legislation for the trust territory. It is expected that these suggestions will be ready for presentation to the Congress at its next session. With my letter of June 19, 1947, to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, I enclosed a letter addressed to me from the Secretary of State. This letter set forth recommendations which were agreed upon by the Secretaries of State, War, Navy, and Interior*with respect to the future administration of Guam, American Samoa, and the Trust Territory, and which I have approved. Accordingly, I have issued an Executive Order terminating military government in the trust territory and delegating responsibility for civil administration on an interim basis to the Navy Department, pending transfer to a civilian department or agency of the Government at the earliest practicable date.