Office of the Historian

107. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of War Petersen to the Director of the Strategic Services Unit, Department of War (Quinn)0

Washington, April 3, 1946.

Effective immediately, you are directed to continue the liquidation of the Strategic Services Unit (SSU) as ordered in paragraph 3 of the Executive Order dated 20 September 1945, subject: “Termination of the Office of Strategic Services and Disposition of Its Functions.” The liquidation will be completed not later than 30 June 1947.

The liquidation of SSU will be coordinated with the development of the permanent peace-time intelligence program. You will carry out the liquidation in accordance with instructions of the Director of Central Intelligence or his designated representative. The Director or his representative will deal directly with you. He will have such staff as he requires working with SSU.

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During the period of liquidation you will administer and operate the SSU so as to service, within your capabilities, the intelligence agencies subject to coordination by the National Intelligence Authority in accordance with directives provided by the Director of Central Intelligence or his designated representative. In addition, you will make available, within your capabilities, to the Director of Central Intelligence, upon his request, any facilities and services of SSU which may be useful in the performance of an authorized function of the Central Intelligence Group.

Previous War Department instructions relating to this problem are amended accordingly.

Howard C. Petersen 1
  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, Records of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Leahy Papers, No. 130. Confidential. The version printed was distributed as Enclosure A to CIG Directive No. 6 of April 8. See the Supplement. Colonel William W. Quinn had just succeeded Magruder as Director of the SSU. (SSU General Orders No. 11, April 4; Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/HC–601, Job 83–00036, Box 4, Folder 9) See the Supplement.↩
  2. Printed from a copy that indicates Petersen signed the original.↩