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

237. Memorandum From the Assistant General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency (Pforzheimer) to Director of Central Intelligence Hillenkoetter⁰

Washington, January 6, 1949.

SUBJECT

• Section 6(g) of proposed CIA legislation

1. Mr. Houston and I conferred today with Mr. Fisher Howe, of the State Department intelligence staff, and Mr. Robert Alexander, of the Visa Division. They have agreed to concur in our visa section 6(g),¹ and as a result of this conference we will suggest to you certain modifications. Mr. Alexander, however, made certain proposals which he considered preferable to ours, but this will not prevent him from concurring in our section. He did point out, however, that he was constantly being called into Executive session by Congressional committees to testify on all matters concerning visas, and that presumably the State Department would be called in this connection in our bill. He stated that if he were called and were asked for his opinion, he would testify that he did not agree with our approach, although he agreed as to the necessity for such legislation, and that he would be forced to testify as to his own opinion as to the best means to secure our end.

2. While I believe he is under a misapprehension as to the committee before which our legislation will come, and while I think it is doubtful that the Armed Services Committee would ever request his testimony, once the State Department has concurred in our legislation, I believe Mr. Lovett should make it crystal clear that the only testimony Mr. Alexander can give would be in direct support of the language in which the Department has concurred and not his personal opinion. Furthermore, if State Department testimony is considered desirable, it appears to me that it should be given preferably by Mr. Lovett himself or otherwise by Mr. Armstrong. I envisage the possibility, in the light of Mr. Alexander’s past legislative performances, that he may attempt to throw some sand in the gears, and this should not be allowed to happen through any private lobbying operations of his own.

Walter L. Pforzheimer

0. Source: Central Intelligence Agency Records, Job 90–00610R, Box 1, Folder 17. Confidential.
1. Regarding discussions between Department of State and CIA officials on the visa section of the proposed CIA legislation conferring limited authority on the Director of Central Intelligence, see the December 29 memorandum from Howe to Armstrong (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Decimal File 1945–49, 101.5/4–3149); Pforzheimer’s memoranda to Hillenkoetter, December 30 (Central Intelligence Agency Records, Job 90–00610R, Box 1, Folder 17), December 31 (ibid.), and January 3 (ibid., Folder 10); and memoranda for the files by Pforzheimer, January 3 (ibid., Folder 17) and by Houston, January 4 (ibid.). All are in the Supplement.