| Whereas it is essential that there
be maintained in the armed services of the United States the highest standards
of democracy, with equality of treatment and opportunity for all those
who serve in our country's defense
Now, therefore, by virtue of the
authority vested in me as President of the Unted States, by the Constitution
and the statutes of the United States, and as Commander in Chief of armed
services, it is hereby ordered as follows:
1. It is hereby declared to be the
policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity
for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion,
or national origin. This policy shall be put into effect as rapidly as
possible, having due regard to the time required to effectuate any necessary
changes without impairing efficiency or morale.
2. There shall be created in the
National Military establishment an advisory committee to be known as the
President's Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed
Services, each shall be composed of seven members to be designated by the
President.
3. The Committee is authorized on
behalf of the President to examine into the rules, procedures and practices
of the armed services in order to determine in what respect such rules,
procedures and practices may be altered or improved with a view to carrying
out the policy of this order. The Committee shall confer and advise with
the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the
Navy, and the Secretary of the Air Force, and shall make such recommendations
to the President and to said Secretaries as in the judgment of the Committee
will effectuate the policy hereof.
4. All executive departments and
agencies of due Federal Government are authorized and directed to cooperate
with the Committee in its work, and to furnish the Committee such information
or the services of such persons as the Committee may require on the performance
of its duties.
5. When requested by the Committee
to do so, persons in the armed services or in any of the executive departments
and agencies of the Federal Government shall testify before the Committee,
and shall make available for the use of the Committee such documents and
other information as the Committee may require.
6. The Committee shall continue
to exist until the President shall terminate its existence by Executive
order.
|
