Office of the Historian

306. Memorandum From the Assistant Director for Policy Coordination (Wisner) to Director of Central Intelligence Hillenkoetter0

Washington, October 29, 1948.

SUBJECT

  • OPC Projects

REFERENCES

(a)
National Security Directive 10/2
(b)
Memorandum of 28 October 1948 from the Director to ADPC re: Fiscal Year 1949 Budget1
1.
During your absence, OPC has been holding a series of meetings of an Advisory Council which consists of high-level, security-cleared representatives of Army, Navy, Air Force, JCS and State. These representatives were nominated by the respective Secretaries to assist in formulating and coordinating policies for OPC in accordance with the charter outlined in reference (a). Although this preliminary planning has not yet been completed, the overall program is beginning to take shape along the following general lines of clandestine activity:
  • Functional Group I—Psychological Warfare
    • Program A—Press (periodical and non-periodical)
    • Program B—Radio
    • Program C—Miscellaneous (direct mail, poison pen, rumors, etc.)
  • Functional Group II—Political Warfare
    • Program A—Support of Resistance (Underground)
    • Program B—Support of DP’s and Refugees
    • Program C—Support of anti-Communists in Free Countries
    • Program D—Encouragement of Defection
  • Functional Group III—Economic Warfare
    • Program A—Commodity operations (clandestine preclusive buying, market manipulation and black market operation)
    • Program B—Fiscal operations (currency speculation, counterfeiting, etc.)
  • Functional Group IV—Preventive Direct Action
    • Program A—Support of Guerrillas
    • Program B—Sabotage, Countersabotage and Demolition
    • Program C—Evacuation
    • Program D—Stay-behind
  • Functional Group V—Miscellaneous
    • Program A—Front Organization
    • Program B—War Plans
    • Program C—Administration
    • Program D—Miscellaneous
2.
Until the overall plans and policies were formulated, it was obviously impossible to present an accurate or realistic outline for budgetary allocations as set forth in reference (b). However, the senior staff officers of OPC are currently working on such specific plans which I shall be in a position to review with you in the very near future.
3.
In the meantime, we have had no alternative but to accept certain sub-projects which have been literally thrust upon us, such as the old Umpire Project2 which was inherited from SPG, and Dr. Hilger, Czech Refugee Group. You may be sure that we have done everything possible to hold such emergency assignments to a minimum. In those instances where we had no alternative, we have limited our commitments and have set up ear-marked funds to control expenditures.
Frank G. Wisner 3
  1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG–2155, Job 83–00739R, Box 3, Folder 20. Secret. Also reproduced in CIA Cold War Records: The CIA under Harry Truman, pp. 241–242.↩
  2. Not found.↩
  3. A plan for broadcasting to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe from the U.S. Zone of Germany.↩
  4. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩