133. Letter From Secretary of State Byrnes to the Director of Central Intelligence (Vandenberg)0
Dear General Vandenberg: The receipt is acknowledged of your letter of January 31 with reference to contemplated arrangements covering the replacement in Latin America of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with representatives of the Central Intelligence Group.
You may recall that as a result of our discussions last year it was agreed not only that the FBI representatives would remain until after the [Page 309] arrival of their CIG replacements, but also that because of varying circumstances at each capital, no period could be specified in advance as representing the time necessary between the arrival of the CIG representative and the departure of his FBI predecessor. It was left therefore that the American Ambassador concerned would be responsible for indicating, after the arrival of the CIG representative at his post, the overlap necessary at that post.
Provided this arrangement is maintained I see no objection to the projected trip of Mr. DeBardaleben of CIG and a colleague from FBI, and I am also prepared in accordance with your suggestion to authorize Mr. Jack D. Neal, Chief of the Division of Foreign Activity Correlation, to proceed to Latin America as the representative of the Department of State at approximately the same time.
In connection with the foregoing we are fully convinced of the importance of the work which you are about to undertake in Latin America, and we share your desire to have that work accomplished with the fullest and most complete collaboration between field representatives of CIG and the personnel of the Foreign Service.
Sincerely yours,
Assistant Secretary
- Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG–2227, Job 83–00739R, Box 2, Folder 3. Secret.↩
- Document 132.↩