Foreign Relations of the United States, 1945–1950, Emergence of the Intelligence Establishment

117. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Acheson to the Members of the National Intelligence Authority⁰

Washington, August 5, 1946.

SUBJECT

• Replacement of FBI Personnel in Latin America by Personnel of the new Central Intelligence Group

Federal Bureau of Investigation agents who since 1940 have been performing security intelligence functions in Latin America are scheduled to be replaced by personnel of the now Central Intelligence Group under General Vandenberg. A schedule (copy Attached)¹ has been drawn up by the CIG for discussion with Mr. Hoover, calling for progressive assumption of intelligence functions between February 15 and May 15, 1947. In the meantime, however, orders have been transmitted by the FBI directing that the respective offices be closed and FBI personnel be withdrawn.

There is grave danger in this situation that the excellent FBI organization in Latin America may disintegrate before it can be taken over by new personnel of the CIG. This would be a major blow to the effectiveness of our security intelligence work in the Latin American field, from which it might take us many years to recover.

Since the withdrawal movement started, messages of concern, apprehension or alarm have been received from every American Ambassador in Latin America, testifying to the excellent work accomplished since the establishment of the Legal Attaché service of the FBI in Latin America, and recommending with the utmost urgency that the change-over be gradual and orderly. The Ambassadors have in particular recommended that no FBI personnel be withdrawn until successors have arrived and have had sufficient time and opportunity to familiarize themselves with the work.

The Department of State shares in every respect the views expressed by our Ambassadors in the field. When a similar step was contemplated last year, Secretary Byrnes sent a letter (Top Secret, November 30, 1945—copy enclosed)² to the then Director of the Bureau of the Budget, in which he stated:

“The situation is so serious…that I recommend as strongly as I can the immediate provision of sufficient funds to enable the Federal Bureau of Investigation to maintain its security intelligence service in the other American republics until a definitive decision shall have been taken on the over-all integrated intelligence plan and that plan put in effective operation.” (Underscoring supplied.)³

The integrated plan referred to by Secretary Byrnes has now been adopted, but it has not yet been put “in effective operation”. In order to safeguard the existing organization and to provide for an orderly transition, it is urgently recommended that a Presidential directive be sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, covering the following points.

1) In effecting the transfer of responsibility for security intelligence operations in Latin America from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to the Central Intelligence Group, it is essential that the turnover be orderly and that the existing FBI intelligence organization, together with its facilities, equipment and records, not be impaired.

2) No FBI personnel now serving in Latin America should be withdrawn until after replacement CIG personnel have arrived. There should then be a period of time, deemed by the American Ambassador concerned to be sufficient, for the new personnel to familiarize themselves with the nature, scope and details of the work, prior to the departure of FBI personnel.

3) In some cases, present FBI personnel may desire to transfer to the CIG. This should be facilitated, and the opportunity should be afforded for all such personnel considered by CIG to be qualified to transfer to the CIG rolls.

I consider the foregoing to be of the utmost urgency and importance in connection with national security.

0. Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG–2227, Job 83–00739R, Box 2, Folder 3. Top Secret. Drafted by E.O. Briggs. Covered by an August 5 note signed with Acheson’s typed initials, addressed to Secretaries Forrestal and Patterson and Admiral Leahy, asking that the memorandum be discussed at the NIA meeting on August 7. The covering note also contains a footnote stating that a copy of the memorandum was given to the CIG Assistant Director for Special Operations by Assistant Secretary Braden on August 6.
1. Not found Attached to the source text but probably the same as the schedule Attached to the letter from Vandenberg to Braden, July 29. (Ibid.) See the Supplement.
2. Not found.
3. Printed here as italics.