310. Memorandum From the Assistant Director for Policy Coordination, Central Intelligence Agency (Wisner) to Members of His Staff0
Washington, June 1, 1949.
SUBJECT
- Conversation with Mr. John McCloy
- 1.
- Last night I talked for about forty-five minutes with Mr. McCloy pursuant to the suggestion which had been made to Mr. McCloy on my behalf by Mr. Robert Murphy. I explained to Mr. McCloy the general significance and origin of OPC and then I took up with him certain aspects of our present and prospective operations in Germany. In the latter regard I mentioned in particular the conversations and exchange of communications which I had had with General Clay in regard to the radio broadcasting activity from Germany. In this connection I filled him in on the background and significance of the developments regarding the formation of the various refugee national committees and the New York Committee, pointing out that General Clay had said that he saw no problem [Page 736] in allowing duly authorized representatives of “really responsible and broadly representative” national committees of refugees to enter Germany and there to arrange for broadcasts. I also told him of our current rather modest activities in Germany today, emphasizing the point that up until the present time our people have had no authorization from us to engage in any activities aimed at targets within the U.S., British or French zones. In this connection I said that the British were a bit ahead of us and that we were considering bringing ourselves abreast of their activities, at least to the extent of authorizing our people to undertake on a selective basis—fully approved from here in advance—campaigns calculated to discredit the communist activities and leadership within our zone.
- 2.
- Mr. McCloy stated that he thought he understood the nature of our program and he seemed to be impressed by my statement that the original architects of the whole deal included Messrs. Lovett, Harriman, Forrestal, Kennan, Marshall, et al. He wanted to know whether and to what extent he would be kept informed of our activities in Germany and what precautions would be taken to make certain that our activities there would not interfere re conflict with his responsibilities for policy and administration. I told him that we would be prepared to keep him as fully advised as he might deem desirable—but that we felt he would probably arrive at the conclusion that he would not want to know the minutiae of our business. He replied that he wanted to be kept generally informed but he wanted to make certain of this. I said that we were looking forward to getting to Germany soon a top level representative who would be of such stature and caliber as to be able to represent our activities to him.
- Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG–342, Job 83–00036, Box 2, Folder 11. Secret. Addressed to “Messrs. Offie, Frank [and] Lindsay.” There is no typed or written signature on the memorandum but the level of the conversation and the context of the file in which the source text was found point to Wisner as the drafter.↩