Office of the Historian

406. Draft Memorandum From the Secretary of State’s Special Assistant for Research and Intelligence (Armstrong) to the Under Secretary of State (Webb)0

Washington, December 23, 1949.

SUBJECT

  • Production of National Intelligence

The enclosed staff study1 presents an analysis of the nature of national intelligence and the major problems connected with its production. It represents a considered statement of the major unresolved questions which prompted your memorandum of December 13 to Mr. Souers,2 suggesting that CIA make a further progress report on the matters discussed in paragraphs 5 and 6 of NSC 50. In view of that memorandum and of Mr. Lay’s memorandum of December 14 to the National Security Council,3 which reported that the DCI is being asked to submit a further report, I have felt it inappropriate to recommend further positive action at this time.

My recommendations, therefore, as presented at p4 of the attachment, request your approval of the study as an expression of the Department’s views on the issues discussed. I am quite sure that the DCI’s further progress report will not show that there has been any real resolution of those issues and I am prepared, if you approve this study, to present a similar thesis at the appropriate time for possible NSC action.

  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Records of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research: Lot 58 D 776, National Intelligence Staff Study. Secret.↩
  2. The staff study referred to is the enclosure to the transmittal note from Evans to Trueheart, December 16. (Ibid.) See the Supplement. No evidence has been found to indicate whether this memorandum and its intended enclosure were sent to Webb at the time. In any case, the study was put in final form in January 1950, although that final version was not sent to Webb until May; see Document 420.↩
  3. See the enclosure to Document 404.↩
  4. Document 404.↩
  5. Omission in the source text.↩