White House Press Release, Executive Order Number 9621

IMMEDIATE RELEASE SEPTEMBER 20, 1945 EXECUTIVE ORDER TERMINATION OF THE OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES AND DISPOSITION OF ITS FUNCTIONS By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Con- stitution and Statutes, including Title I of the First War Powers Act, 1941, and as President of the United States and Commander in Chief of the Army and the Navy, it is hereby ordered as follows: 1. There are transferred to and consolidated in an Interim Research and Intelligence Service, which is here- by established in the Department of State, (a) the functions of the Research and Analysis Branch and of the Presentation Branch of the Office of Strategic Services (provided for by the Military Order of June 13, 1942), excluding such functions performed within the countries of Germany and Austria, and (b) those other functions of the Office of Strategic Services (hereinafter referred to as the Office) which relate to the functions of the said Branches transferred by this paragraph. The functions of the Director of Strategic Services and of RUMAD the States Joint Chiefs of NARA functions are United transferred to the Service Staff, by this relating paragraph, to the By transferred to the Secretary of State. The personnel, property, and records of the said Branches, except such thereof as is located in Germany and Austria; and so much of the other personnel, property, and records of the Office and of the funds of the Office as the Director of the Bureau of the Budget shall determine to relate primarily to the functions transferred by this paragraph, are transferred to the said Service. Military personnel now on duty in connection with the activities transferred by this paragraph may, subject to applicable law and to the extent mutually agreeable to the Secretary of State and to the Secretary of War or the Secretary of the Navy, as the case may be, continue on such duty in the Department of State. 2. The Interim Research and Intelligence Service shall be abolished as of the close of business December 31, 1945, and the Secretary of State shall provide for winding up its affairs. Pending such abolition, (a) the Secretary of State may transfer from the said Service to such agencies of the Department of State as he shall designate any function of the Service, (b) the Secretary may curtail the activities carried on by the Service, (c) the head of the Service, who shall be designated by the Secretary, shall be responsible to the Secretary or to such other officer of the Department of State as the Secretary shall direct, and (d) the Service shall, except as otherwise provided in this order, be administered a.s an organizational entity in the Department of State. (OVER)