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

61. Minutes of Meeting⁰

Washington, December 26, 1945.

PARTICIPANTS

• State Department: Dean Acheson, Acting Secretary of State
• War Department: Robert P. Patterson, Secretary of War, Howard Petersen, Col. Charles W. McCarthy
• Navy Department: John Sullivan, Acting Secretary of the Navy, Lt. Col. Mathias F. Correa

RECORDER

• John Hickerson

[Here follows material unrelated to intelligence.]

Central Intelligence Agency

Mr. Patterson brought up the question of the proposed Central Intelligence Agency. He said that he did not wish to discuss this matter in any detail because of the absence of Mr. Forrestal who has a keen personal interest in the whole subject. He did wish to point out, however, that it is urgently necessary to reach an early decision on the whole subject. The President’s directive to the three Secretaries was “getting stale.”¹ Mr. Patterson said that some progress has been made in the subcommittee² but there remained for decision really only one major question; that is, should there be a separate agency under the direction of the three Departments or should the intelligence agency be geared into the State Department. Mr. Patterson went on to say he favors a separate agency but he added that his own attitude on the subject would be influenced somewhat by the nature of the State Department’s intelligence organization. Mr. Patterson said that one of the principal reasons why he favors a separate central intelligence agency, outside all three Departments, is that he feels strongly that the collection of intelligence must be divorced from policy making. He added that a decentralization of intelligence activities in the State Department would make it more difficult for him to agree to having the Central Intelligence Agency meshed into the State Department. There was a general discussion of this point including the thesis that the State Department is itself primarily an intelligence agency. There was general agreement that it would be desirable that the whole question of the Central Intelligence Agency be settled, if possible, upon Secretary Byrnes’ return from Moscow and prior to his departure for the United Nations meeting in London.

[Here follows material unrelated to intelligence.]

0. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Diplomatic Branch Reference File, Minutes of Meetings of the Committee of Three 1944–1947. Top Secret.
1. Document 44.
2. The working group appointed by the three Secretaries at their November 14 meeting, see Document 45. For minutes of the November 19 meeting of the working group, see Document 47.