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 -3- |