to the National Archives Building in Washington, D. C. where
they were stored for safekeeping in vacant storage space
not at the time used by the Government for any other
purpose.
 
         On July 5, 1945 a decree was entered in the
Surrogate's Court, Dutchess County, New York admitting 
Mr. Roosevelt's Last Will and Testament to probate and 
appointing James Roosevelt, Basil O'Connor and Henry T. 
Hackett as Executors thereof.
 
          After careful study of the status of Mr.
Roosevelt's papers and files, the Executors reached the 
conclusion that President Roosevelt, during his lifetime, 
intended to and did give, as a gift to the American people,all 
right,title and ownership in and to his papers to the United
States Government to be placed, maintained and preserved
intact in the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library at Hyde Park,
New York, a building constructed especially for that
purpose, and to be made available for all time for purposes
of historical study and research. However, since President
Roosevelt had not at the time of his death made physical
delivery of these papers to the United States Government,
the Executors realized that a question might be raised as
to whether or not President Roosevelt had complied in his
lifetime with all of the legal requirements for making a
valid gift of his papers to the United States Government.
In view of that fact and in view of the fact that there
were in being at that time fourteen minor grandchildren
interested in the Estate who were legally incapable of
taking any action in the matter, the Executors decided that
to protect fully the interests of everyone concerned they
would submit the
 
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