White House Press Release, Executive Order Number 9835

111 #1063 HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE March 22, 1947. CONFIDENTIAL: The following executive order and the attached report of the President's Temporary Commission on Employee Loyalty, MUST BE. HELD IN CONFIDENCE until released. NOTE: Release is automatic at 6:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time today, Saturday, March 22, 1947. The same hour of release applies to all news- papers, radio commentators and news broadcasters. PLEASE GUARD AGAINST PREMATURE PUBLICATION OR RADIO ANNOUNCEMENT. CHARLES G. ROSS Secretary to the President EXECUTIVE ORDER NARA #9835 PRESCRIBING PROCEDURES FOR THE ADMINISTRA- TION OF AN EMPLOYEES LOYALTY PROGRAM IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF THE GOVERNMENT WHEREAS each employee of the Government of the United States is endowed with a measure of trusteeship over the demo- cratic processes which are the heart and sinew of the United States; and WHEREAS it is of vital importance that persons employed in the Federal service be of complete and unswerving loyalty to the United States; and WHEREAS, although the loyalty of by far the overwhelming majority of all Government employees is beyond question, the presence within the Government service of any disloyal or subversive person constitutes a threat to our democratic processes; and WHEREAS maximum protection must be afforded the United States against infiltration of disloyal persons into the ranks of its employees, and equal protection from unfounded accusations of dis- loyalty must be afforded the loyal employees of the Government: NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the United States, including the Civil Service Act of 1883 (22 Stat.403), as amended, and section 9A of the act approved August 2, 1939 (18 U.S.C. 61i), and as Presi- dent and Chief Executive of the United States, it is hereby, in the interest of the internal management of the Government, ordered as follows: PART I INVESTIGATION OF APPLICANTS 1. There shall be a loyalty investigation of every person entering the civilian employment of any department or agency of the executive branch of the Federal Government. a. Investigations of persons entering the competitive service shall be conducted by the Civil Service Commission, except in such cases as are covered by a special agreement between the Commission and any given department or agency. b. Investigations of persons other than those entering the competitive service shall be conducted by the employing department or agency. Departments and agencies without investigative organizations shall utilize the investigative facilities of the Civil Service Commission. (OVER)