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

318. Minutes of the 13th Meeting of the Intelligence Advisory Board⁰

Washington, May 15, 1947, 2:30 p.m.

PARTICIPANTS

• Rear Admiral R. H. Hillenkoetter, Director of Central Intelligence, in the Chair
• Members Present
• Mr. William A. Eddy, Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Research and Intelligence
• Maj. General George C. McDonald, Assistant Chief of Air Staff–2
• Brig. General Walter E. Todd, Deputy Director of Intelligence, W.D.G.S.
• Capt. Abel C. Sabalot, Acting Chief of Intelligence, O.N.I.
• Also Present
• Mr. Donald Edgar, Central Intelligence Group
• Mr. Park Armstrong, Department of State
• Colonel Riley F. Ennis, U.S.A.
• Capt. R. K. Davis, U.S.N.
• Colonel E. J. Treacy, U.S.A.
• Lieut. Colonel Frank B. Chappell, U.S.A.
• Major W. C. Baird, U.S.A.
• Secretariat
• Mr. J.S. Earman, Secretary, N.I.A.

1. Letter of Appreciation to Lieut. General Hoyt S. Vandenberg

The Director of Central Intelligence brought to the attention of the Board a proposed letter of IAB appreciation to General Vandenberg submitted by the Chief of Naval Intelligence. The letter was signed by Mr. Eddy and General McDonald and given to Captain Davis to secure the signature of Admiral Inglis. The letter will then be returned to the Secretary, N.I.A., who will secure the signature of General Chamberlin upon his return to Washington, after which it will be forwarded to General Vandenberg.

2. Coordination of Intelligence Production (I.A.B. #1)¹

The Director stated if there were no comments on paragraphs 2 a (1) and (2) of the proposed N.I.A. Directive on the “Coordination of Intelligence Production,” he wished to recommend that paragraph 2 a (3) be amended to read as follows: “When completed as provided for above, this outline and initial allocations of production and maintainence responsibilities shall be issued in the name of the N.I.A. by the Director of Central Intelligence as an implementation of this Directive. It is expected …” (The remainder of the paragraph to read as presently written.)

Colonel Ennis noted that General Chamberlin was extremely concerned about the exact wording of this paragraph since he felt that its contents were the backbone of the allocation of personnel, the organization of various agencies for production, and, therefore, that the outline of basic intelligence and initial allocations of production and maintenance responsibilities should be approved on the highest level and that he, General Chamberlin, was particularly anxious to have the phraseology “submitted for N.I.A. approval” included in the paragraph.

After considerable discussion where it was noted by Captain Sabalot that the outline of all basic intelligence and tentative allocations of production and maintenance responsibilities should be submitted for N.I.A. approval rather than issued in the name of the N.I.A. by the Director of Central Intelligence,

The Intelligence Advisory Board:

Agreed to amend paragraph 2 a (3) to read as follows: “When completed this outline and tentative allocations of production and maintenance responsibilities shall be submitted for N.I.A. approval and issued as an implementation of this Directive. It is expected …” (The remainder of the paragraph to read as presently written.)

The Director stated he wished to recommend that the last sentence of paragraph 2 a (4) be amended to read as follows: “The National Intelligence Surveys will be distributed in such form as shall be determined by the Director of Central Intelligence and the agencies concerned.”

After some discussion, where it was noted by Major Baird that a proposed outline of National Intelligence Surveys² was now being circulated to the agencies for approval,

The Intelligence Advisory Board:

Agreed to amend the last sentence of paragraph 2 a (4) as recommended by the Director, with the exception that the word “distributed” be changed to “disseminated.”

The Director then recommended the word “sometimes” be placed between the words “them” and “without” in paragraph 2 b (1). After some discussion,

The Intelligence Advisory Board:

Agreed to insert the word “usually” between the words “them” and “without” in paragraph 2 b (1).

The Director stated he wished to recommend that paragraph 2 b (3) be amended to read as follows: “Interagency dissemination of current intelligence shall be subject to the overall planning and coordination of the Director of Central Intelligence and shall be based on stated requirements of the agencies and upon their known missions and dominant interest.” After discussion where Mr. Eddy stated that the Department of State preferred that this paragraph be left unchanged, and Captain Davis stated that ONI has always held the view that dissemination of current intelligence had been going satisfactorily so far, and further, to centralize dissemination in this case when there are so few agencies involved was needless,

The Intelligence Advisory Board:

Agreed that paragraph 2 b (3) should stand as written.

The Director stated that the words “production capabilities” had unwittingly crept into the wording of paragraph 2 c (2). He recommended that these words be omitted and the word “or” be added after the word “responsibility.”

The Intelligence Advisory Board:

Approved the deletion of the words “production capabilities” and the addition of the word “or” between the words “responsibility” and “recognition.”

The Director recommended that the word “intelligence” be added between the words “Any” and “agency” in paragraph 2 c (3).

The Intelligence Advisory Board:

Approved this recommendation without discussion.

The Director then stated A–2 had recommended that paragraph 2 c (4) be amended to read as follows: “For the purposes of paragraph (3) above, the following division of interests, subject to refinement through a continuous program of coordination by the Director of Central Intelligence, shall serve as a general delineation of dominant interests.

• Political, Cultural, Sociological Intelligence—State Department
• Military Intelligence—War Department
• Naval Intelligence—Navy Department
• Air Intelligence—Army Air Forces
• Economic and Scientific Intelligence—Each agency in accordance with its respective needs”

After some discussion, where it was pointed out by Captain Davis that ONI was willing to agree to the amendment of this paragraph as proposed by A–2, with the suggestion that consideration be given to placing this paragraph as a new general paragraph 4, and rewording of the first line to read as follows: “For the purposes of intelligence production the following division …”

The Intelligence Advisory Board:

Approved the changes as recommended by A–2, together with the additional change suggested by Captain Davis in paragraph 2 c 4.

General Todd then stated that paragraph 2 d (2) had previously read, when discussed by the Ad Hoc Committee: “The Director of Central Intelligence shall produce and disseminate national intelligence.” After some discussion

The Intelligence Advisory Board:

Agreed to amend paragraph 2 d (2) to read as indicated by General Todd.

The Director stated he wished to recommend that one of the following revisions of paragraph 2 d (3) be approved by the Intelligence Advisory Board:

a. “The Director of Central Intelligence shall with the advice of the IAB agencies plan and develop the production of national intelligence with due regard to the production capabilities and dominant interests of the Intelligence Advisory Board and other departmental intelligence agencies concerned.”

b. “The Director of Central Intelligence shall plan and develop the production of national intelligence in coordination with the IAB agencies in order that he may obtain from them, within the limits of their capabilities, the departmental intelligence which will assist him in the production of national intelligence.”

After some discussion, the Intelligence Advisory Board:

Agreed to adopt the revision of paragraph 2 d (3) as indicated in b above.

The Director stated he also wished to recommend that paragraph 2 d (4) be amended to read as follows: “The Director of Central Intelligence shall by agreement with the pertinent agency or agencies request and receive such special estimates, reports and periodic briefs or summaries to be prepared by the individual departments or agencies in their fields of dominant interest or in accordance with their production capabilities as may be necessary in the production of intelligence reports or estimates undertaken mutually or by the direction of the President or the National Intelligence Authority.”

After considerable discussion, where it was brought out that estimates, reports, and periodic briefs or summaries prepared by the individual departments or agencies in their fields of dominant interest or in accordance with their production capabilities were considered to be those prepared in the past, present and future,

The Intelligence Advisory Board:

Agreed to amend paragraph 2 d (4) to read as follows: “The Director of Central Intelligence shall by agreement with the pertinent agency or agencies request and receive such special estimates, reports, and periodic briefs or summaries prepared by the individual departments or agencies in their fields of dominant interest or in accordance with their production capabilities as may be necessary in the production of intelligence reports or estimates undertaken mutually.”

The Director suggested and

The Intelligence Advisory Board:

Agreed that the word “sufficient” in the second and fifth lines of general paragraph 3 be changed to “adequate.”

Captain Davis stated that ONI felt that before this Directive is issued by the National Intelligence Authority, it should go to the Joint Chiefs of Staff with a request that they consent to merge the JANIS program with NIS, and further that the Director of Central Intelligence request the Director of Intelligence, W.D.G.S., to consent to merge SID with NIS.

The Director stated it was his understanding that the Joint Chiefs of Staff were preparing a paper recommending that JANIS be merged with NIS. However, in the event such a paper did not materialize, it was his desire that the proposed N.I.A. Directive on the “Coordination of Intelligence Production,” as amended at this meeting, be forwarded to the National Intelligence Authority recommending that the N.I.A. refer the proposed Directive to the Joint Chiefs of Staff for comment with reference to the merger of JANIS and NIS, and further that a letter would be prepared to the Director of Intelligence, W.D.G.S., recommending that SID also be merged with NIS.

The Director stated he did not agree altogether with paragraph 6 d of the report of the Ad Hoc Committee, particularly that part which stated “with the aid of as many sub-committees as necessary.” He went on to say that if G–2 and JIC transferred to the Central Intelligence Group the SID and JANIS programs, he believed that the present IAB Ad Hoc Committee, as an interagency planning board, plus working committees similar to that now operating on the defense project under ORE guidance, would be capable of efficient handling.

Captain Davis stated only one Ad Hoc Committee had been recommended, unless it was necessary to get down to the JISPB, the people who were familiar with the JANIS program. He further stated that no definite number of sub-committees were recommended except as might be necessary to initiate the production of NIS.

Colonel Ennis stated that he was in agreement with the Director and that the permanent IAB Committee, if appointed, could invite representatives from the agencies indicated in paragraph 6 d of the report of the Ad Hoc Committee.

After further discussion, the Intelligence Advisory Board:

Agreed that the presently established IAB Ad Hoc Committee would in fact be the committee recommended in paragraph 6 d of the above-mentioned Ad Hoc Committee report and further that representatives of the other agencies would be invited to sit as members as they were needed.

3. Action by the Intelligence Advisory Board on Matters Submitted to the National Intelligence Authority (C.I.G. 24 and C.I.G. 24/1)³

After some discussion The Intelligence Advisory Board:

Agreed to hold this paper over until the next meeting in order to give the members of the Board an opportunity to study the alternative proposal contained in C.I.G. 24/1.

4. Amendment of the Definition of Strategic and National Policy Intelligence (I.A.B. #2)⁴

The Director stated that he did not feel it was within his province to recommend to the National Intelligence Authority that that Authority amend the definition of strategic and national policy intelligence after such definition had in fact been approved by the N.I.A.

The Director noted that any member of the Intelligence Advisory Board had a perfect right to appeal direct to his N.I.A. member.

After considerable discussion, where it was noted by Captain Davis that ONI wished to gain the views of the other IAB members on the present definition of strategic and national policy intelligence,

The Intelligence Advisory Board:

Agreed, in the absence of Admiral Inglis, to postpone further discussion on this paper.

5. Exploitation of Enemy Document Repositories (C.I.G. 21 and C.I.G. 21/1)⁵

The Director stated that in view of the fact that the cost ($82,950) of carrying out the recommendations contained in the report of the Ad Hoc Committee appointed to explore the document situation was not included in the CIG budget, and further that the budget had not been approved, he wished to recommend that action be deferred on this paper pending approval of the CIG budget.

After some discussion, The Intelligence Advisory Board:

Agreed to defer action on C.I.G. 21/1 as recommended by the Director.

6. Report by Mr. Eddy

Mr. Eddy informed the IAB in detail of an agreement reached between him and the Director with reference to certain proposed action to be taken as a result of the House Appropriations Committee’s recommended cut in the State Department’s budget.⁶

0. Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/HC–281. Secret. The meeting was held in the North Interior Building. The text printed reflects changes in a correction sheet issued on May 26, which was attached to the minutes. See the Supplement.
1. Document 195.
2. Reference is to a program of basic (“static”) intelligence studies.
3. Documents 189 and 317.
4. Dated May 9. (Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/HC–280) See the Supplement.
5. Dated November 21, 1946 and April 10, 1947. (Both in Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/HC–276) See the Supplement.
6. Possibly a reference to the transfer from the Department of State to CIG of the Division of Map Intelligence and Cartography and the Joint Intelligence Studies Publishing Board. (Memorandum from Eddy to Peurifoy, June 23; National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Records of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration—Subject Files, 1944–1947: Lot 53 D 28) See the Supplement.