STATISTICS AND ILLUSTRATIVE CITATIONS I THE OVERMAN ACT, MAY 20, 1918 For the national security and defence, for the successful prosecution of the war, for the support and maintenance of the Army and Navy, for the better utilization of resources and industries, and for the more effective exercise and more efficient administration by the President of his powers as Commander in Chief of the land and naval forces the President is hereby authorized to make such redistribution of functions among executive agencies as he may deem necessary, including any functions, duties, and powers hitherto by law conferred upon any executive department, commission, bureau, agency, office, or officer, in such manner as in his judgment shall seem best fitted to carry out the purposes of this Act, and to this end is authorized to make such regulations and to issue such orders. as he may deem necessary, which regulations and orders shall be in writing and shall be filed with the head of the department affected and constitute a public record: Provided, That this Act shall remain in force during the continuance of the present war and for six months after the termination of the war by the proclamation of the treaty of peace, or at such earlier time as the President may designate: Provided further, That the termination of this Act shall not affect any act done or any right or obligation accruing or accrued pursuant to this Act and during the time that this Act is in force: Provided further, That the authority by this Act granted shall be exercised only in matters relating to the conduct of the present war. Sec. 2. That in carrying out the purposes of this Act the President is authorized to utilize, coördinate, or consolidate any executive or administrative commissions, bureaus, agencies, offices, or officers now existing by law, to transfer any duties or powers from one existing department, commission, bureau, agency, office, or officer to another, to transfer the personnel thereof or any part of it either by detail or assignment, together with the whole or any part of the records. and public property belonging thereto. Sec. 3. That the President is further authorized to establish an executive agency which may exercise such jurisdiction and control over the production of aeroplanes, aeroplane engines, and aircraft equipment as in his judgment may be advantageous; and, further, to transfer to such agency, for its use, all or any moneys heretofore appropriated for the production of aeroplanes, aeroplane engines, and aircraft equipment. Sec. 4. That for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Act, any moneys heretofore and hereafter appropriated for the use of any executive department, commission, bureau, agency, office, or officer shall be expended only for the purposes for which it was appropriated under the direction of such other agency as may be directed by the President hereunder to perform and execute said function. Sec. 5. That should the President, in redistributing the functions among the executive agencies as provided in this Act, conclude that any bureau should be abolished and it or their duties and functions conferred upon some other department or bureau or eliminated entirely, he shall report his conclusions to Congress with such recommendations as he may deem proper. Sec. 6. That all laws or parts of laws conflicting with the provisions of this Act are to the extent of such conflict suspended while this Act is in force. Upon the termination of this Act all executive or administrative agencies, departments, commissions, bureaus, offices, or officers shall exercise the same functions, duties, and powers as heretofore or as hereafter by law may be provided, any authorization of the President under this Act to the contrary notwithstanding. II THE EXISTING ORGANIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES 1 THE PRESIDENT INDEPENDENT EXECUTIVE ESTABLISHMENTS Smithsonian Institution (Education and Welfare): National Museum National Gallery of Art International Exchange Service Bureau of American Ethnology National Zoological Park International Catalogue of Scientific Literature Columbia Institution for the Deaf (Education and Welfare) National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (Education and Welfare) Superintendent of the State, War, and Navy Buildings (Interior) Civil Service Commission Interstate Commerce Commission Geographic Board (omitted) Commission of Fine Arts (Interior) Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Commission (Interior) Bureau of Efficiency Federal Reserve Board Federal Trade Commission National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (Defense) Shipping Board: Emergency Fleet Corporation Tariff Commission Federal Board for Vocational Education (Education and Welfare) Alien Property Custodian (Justice) Railroad Administration War Finance Corporation Railroad Labor Board Federal Power Commission (Interior) Veterans' Bureau (Education and Welfare). Coal Commission General Accounting Office (Treasury) World War Foreign Debt Commission (1) DEPARTMENT OF STATE Secretary of State Diplomatic Service Consular Service United States Sections, International Commissions Undersecretary of State: Office of Economic Adviser Division of Latin American Affairs Division of Mexican Affairs Division of Current Information Division of Publications Office of Special Agent Assistant Secretary: Division of Western European Affairs Second Assistant Secretary: Division of Passport Control Visé Office Diplomatic Bureau Bureau of Indexes and Archives Third Assistant Secretary: Office of Ceremonials Division of Far Eastern Affairs Bureau of Accounts War Trade Board Section Director of the Consular Service: Consular Bureau Office of Consular Personnel Commercial Office Division of Political and Economic Information. Office of Chief Clerk Solicitor (II) DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Secretary of the Treasury Undersecretary, in charge of fiscal bureaus: Commissioner of the Public Debt- Register of the Treasury Division of Public Debt Accounts and Audit Commissioner of Accounts and Deposits Division of Bookkeeping and Warrants Treasurer of the United States Comptroller of the Currency Bureau of the Budget (independent) Bureau of the Mint Federal Farm Loan Bureau Secret Service Division Assistant Secretary, in charge of foreign loans and miscella neous: United States Section, Inter-American High Commission (Commerce) Bureau of Engraving and Printing General Supply Committee (independent) Departmental executive offices Assistant Secretary, in charge of public health, public buildings, and Coast Guard (omitted): Public Health Service (Education and Welfare) Coast Guard (Revenue Cutter Service to Defense; Life Assistant Secretary, in charge of the collection of the revenues: Prohibition Commissioner Division of Customs Customs Service General Staff (III) DEPARTMENT OF WAR (DEFENSE) Secretary of War Assistant Secretary Executive Offices War boards and commissions |