357. Letter From the Executive Secretary of the Intelligence Survey Group (Blum) to Mathias F. Correa0
Dear Mat: This is merely to tell you that twenty copies of the Survey Group Report were delivered to Mr. Souers this afternoon.1 I spoke with him yesterday to ask him whether he had decided how to handle the report. He said that he had not yet done so, as he wanted first to see what the report looked like.
I have not yet shown the report to the Secretary,2 but will do so shortly. I am sure that the question which still preoccupies him is that of “the man.”3 In this connection, Souers said yesterday that in his conversations with the President, he (Souers) was taking the position that no move should be made for a change until a suitable successor had been found.
The report seems to be in good shape and I will keep my ears close to the ground awaiting reactions.
Sincerely yours,
- Source: Central Intelligence Agency Records, Job 86-B00269R, Box 5. No classification marking. The source text is dated December 18, 1949, but from the context this is clearly a typographical error.↩
- Presumably these were advance copies. The report as finally issued is dated January 1, 1949, on the cover sheet and included a formal letter of transmittal to the NSC dated January 15, 1949. See the source note, Document 358.↩
- Secretary of Defense Forrestal.↩
- Director of Central Intelligence, Admiral Hillenkoetter.↩