Text Version


question of the ownership of President Roosevelt's papers to
the Surrogate's Court, Dutchess County, New York in
connection with their judicial accounting as Executors when
all parties would be before the court.
 
     On August 17, 1945 the Executors authorized the
Archivist of the United States, so far as the Estate was 
concerned, to permit Miss Grace G. Tully, confidential 
secretary of the late President Roosevelt, to have access 
to the papers stored at the Archives for the purpose of sorting,
classifying and arranging them in suitable order, pending
receipt of a judicial determination as to the ultimate
disposition to be made thereof. The Executors requested,
however, that until such time as a Court Order should be
received definitely determining the ownership of said
papers, no copies be made of any of the papers and no
papers be removed from the premises.
 
     Thereafter, under date of September 18, 1945, the
Executors received a request from the President of the United States
to  make available to Justice Robert H. Jackson, as United
States Chief Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality,
certain of the late President Roosevelt's papers relevant
to the prosecution. This request was promptly granted and
the papers were returned to the files after they had served
their purpose. At that time the  Executors decided, as a
matter of policy, that the papers of President Roosevelt in
their custody should upon request of the President of the
United States be made available to proper Government
officials for official use irrespective of the contents so
long as every precaution was taken against loss or damage to
the papers. That policy has been followed
 
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