Office of the Historian

228. Memorandum From the Secretary of State’s Acting Special Assistant for Research and Intelligence (Armstrong) to Acting Secretary of State Lovett0

Washington, October 16, 1947.

While suggesting concurrence in proposal 1b in the attached memorandum1 for the Executive Secretary, National Security Council, I think it advisable to call your attention to the fact that in earlier discussions on procedures as between the Intelligence Advisory Board and the National Intelligence Authority, Mr. Eddy joined with other IAB members in favoring the procedure set forth in “paragraph 11” of the memorandum [Page 594] of the Director of Central Intelligence, which Admiral Souers now proposes to delete.2 I believe, however, that Admiral Souers’ objection to such a channel as called for in “paragraph 11” has considerable merit and that that procedure would not be entirely consistent with the National Security Act and the responsibilities it establishes for the Director of Central Intelligence. Moreover, I believe that the Department would lose no advantage by acceding to Admiral Souers’ views.

W. Park Armstrong, Jr.
  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Records of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research: Lot 62 D 42, IAC. Confidential.↩
  2. Attached is a vote slip form (October 20; see the Supplement) on which NSC members were to indicate approval or disapproval of Hillenkoetter’s September 19 memorandum to the NSC (see footnote 1, Document 226) recommending establishment of an Intelligence Advisory Committee to succeed the Intelligence Advisory Board.↩
  3. The NSC Executive Secretary recommended approval subject to deletion of paragraph 11 of the appendix. Paragraph 11 required the Director of Central Intelligence to submit to the NSC any recommendation that two or more members of the Intelligence Advisory Committee believed should be submitted.↩