124.11B/50½
Memorandum by the Secretary of State to President Roosevelt
Referring to your memorandum of July 23 in regard to the High Commissionership to the Philippines:
Having deemed it desirable to discuss this matter with the Secretary of the Interior, I find that Mr. Ickes and I are in agreement as follows:
If the post of High Commissioner is left vacant, various difficulties, some administrative and some political, are likely to arise.
However, under the circumstances, probably the most practical thing to do is to leave the post vacant for the time being. We would suggest that, to anyone who may make inquiry regarding the vacancy, including President Quezon himself, it be made clear that the matter of making an appointment is merely held in suspense and is not intended to effect a disappearance of the position.71
- By Executive Order No. 9245, September 16, 1942, President Roosevelt transferred to the Secretary of the Interior the functions of United States High Commissioner to the Philippines.↩