376. Memorandum for the President of Discussion at the 36th Meeting of the National Security Council0
[Here follows discussion of agenda items 1–4, internal security, U.S. position with respect to Korea, U.S. objectives with respect to Greece and Turkey to counter Soviet threats to U.S. security, and airfield construction.]
5. The Central Intelligence Agency and National Organization for Intelligence (Memos for NSC from Executive Secretary, same subject, dated January 24, March 2, and March 8, 1949)1
Mr. Souers reported that there was such a volume of comments on the Survey Group Report that he felt a meeting should be held shortly devoted solely to this subject. He suggested that the Council might care to appoint a committee of three, including representatives of the National Military Establishment and the Department of State to point up the issues for Council action.
Secretary Acheson said he had found the basic report difficult to read and, in addition, had comments by his staff almost twice as long as [Page 960] the report. He wondered if the Council could have the analysis of the issues before a meeting.
Mr. Souers said there would be great suspicion of such an analysis, but he felt that the papers included a lot of administrative matters which the Council need not concern itself with. He felt the Council might approve certain concepts and even set up a mechanism to watch over the execution of these concepts. One such issue was the question of a civilian director.
Mr. Acheson inquired if the NSC Staff could not prepare the analysis.
Mr. Souers replied that the Staff would tie back to the representative intelligence chiefs once again, whereas what was needed was a fresh appraisal by two or three good neutral men backed up by the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense, in order to avoid departmental partisan feeling.
Secretary Forrestal commented that the Department of Justice would probably add some acid remarks.
Mr. Lay said that the Hoover Commission Reports had made recommendations in intelligence matters, and, in effect, these were also before the Council for consideration in connection with the present study.
Mr. Souers remarked that there had been some informal indication that State might undertake such an analysis of the issues.
Secretary Acheson agreed that the Department of State, with the assistance of the Executive Secretary, could prepare an analysis purporting to be its judgment of the main concepts. This could then be used more or less as an agenda for a debate on the issues.
Mr. Lay added that there was also a need for a statement of recommended Council actions.
Secretary Acheson suggested that the Council consider two meetings on the subject: the first to discuss the problems, and the second to sharpen the issues to decisions.
He added that his Hoover Commission experience had shown that it was profitable to spend three-fourths of the time on an examination of the problem, after which the solution would arise in the remaining quarter.
[Page 961]The National Security Council:2
Agreed that the Department of State should prepare, for Council consideration at an early meeting, a statement of the issues involved in the reference papers on this subject.3
Note: The above action subsequently transmitted to the Secretary of State for implementation.
[Here follows discussion of agenda items 6 and 7, review of the world situation and NSC status of projects.]
- Source: Truman Library, Papers of Harry S. Truman, President’s Secretary’s Files, Subject File. Top Secret. Prepared on March 23.↩
- The January 24 and March 8 memoranda were not found. Regarding the March 2 memorandum, see the source note, Document 371.↩
- The paragraph and note that follow constitute NSC Action No. 198. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 273, Records of the National Security Council, Record of Actions, Box 55)↩
- See Document 378. For NSC consideration, see Document 380.↩