Office of the Historian

175. Minutes of a Meeting of the Intelligence Advisory Committee1

IAC–M–150
Washington, May 4, 1954.

Director of Central Intelligence

Allen W. Dulles

Presiding2

Lt. Gen. Harold R. Bull (Ret.)

Presiding2

MEMBERS PRESENT

  • Mr. W. Park Armstrong, Special Assistant for Intelligence, Department of State
  • Brigadier General John M. Willems, acting for Assistant Chief of Staff, G–2, Department of the Army
  • Rear Admiral H. C. Daniel, acting for Director of Naval Intelligence, Department of the Navy
  • Major General John A. Samford, Director of Intelligence, Headquarters, United States Air Force
  • Brigadier General Edward H. Porter, Deputy Director for Intelligence, The Joint Staff
  • Dr. Charles H. Reichardt, Atomic Energy Commission Representative to the IAC
  • Mr. Meffert W. Kuhrtz, acting for Assistant to the Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation

ALSO PRESENT

  • Mr. Robert Amory, Jr., Central Intelligence Agency
  • Mr. Huntington D. Sheldon, Central Intelligence Agency
  • *Dr. H. Marshall Chadwell, Central Intelligence Agency
  • [name not declassified] Central Intelligence Agency
  • *[name not declassified] Central Intelligence Agency
  • *Mr. Ludwell L. Montague, Central Intelligence Agency
  • *[name not declassified] Central Intelligence Agency
  • *Mr. R. Jack Smith, Central Intelligence Agency
  • Mr. Harold P. Ford, Central Intelligence Agency
  • *[name not declassified] Central Intelligence Agency
  • [name not declassified] Central Intelligence Agency
  • Dr. Allan Evans, Department of State
  • Lt. Colonel Vasco J. Fenili, Department of the Army
  • Lt. Colonel James P. Barry, Department of the Army
  • Lt. Colonel H. N. Maples, Department of the Army
  • Captain N. E. Smith, USN, Department of the Navy
  • Mr. Lawrence Healey, Department of the Navy
  • Brigadier General Millard Lewis, United States Air Force
  • Colonel Donald H. Ainsworth, United States Air Force
  • Colonel John J. Morrow, United States Air Force
  • Colonel Robert Totten, United States Air Force
  • Mr. Donald F. Benjamin, United States Air Force
  • Mr. Samuel S. Rockwell, United States Air Force
  • Rear Admiral Edwin T. Layton, The Joint Staff
  • Colonel Samuel M. Lansing, The Joint Staff
  • Captain Ray E. Malpass, USN, The Joint Staff
Richard D. Drain
3
Secretary

Approval of Minutes (IAC–M–149, 28 April)4

1. Action: Approved.

Progress Report, Ad Hoc Committee (Watch) (IAC–D–6/1 (Revised) 26 April 1954)5

2. Action: Approved the ad hoc committee’s recommendations as follows:

a.
The Terms of Reference (attachment 1)6 were approved as amended, subject to final concurrence by the FBI member before issuance as DCID 1/2.7
b.
Implementation of the Terms of Reference and activation of the Indications Center (see attachment 2) should be effected on 1 July 1954 or earlier if practicable.
c.
The Ad Hoc IAC Committee (Watch) should continue in existence at least until activation of the Indications Center, should continue supervision of the preparation of the Indications Intelligence Plan (see attachment 3), should prepare for the convening of the proposed conference to systematize and coordinate collection of indications information and intelligence, and should continue its examination of relevant systems, procedures, and channels. The ad hoc committee, in its continuing examination of channels for transmission of warning, was asked to develop procedures to insure timely alerting of IAC members, IAC agencies, and other appropriate Government bodies.

3. Discussion: Mr. Dulles stressed the great importance of adequately performing the watch function, as exemplified by its recognition in [Page 492] NSC 162/28 as a major intelligence objective. He proposed to take up with the Council, on the basis of this paper as issued, how materials available to the NSC and Government agencies may be provided to the Watch Committee in connection with performing its mission and functions.

4. It was brought out by discussion of proposed changes to the draft terms of reference that it is desirable sharply to focus the watch function as one of providing maximum prior warning of the imminence of hostile action. At the same time, the watch machinery must have unrestricted access to a great variety of materials in order to perform that function. Experience has shown that without such access, and without recognition of the high priority to be accorded the watch process, that process tends to become static.

5. Various members commented on the subordinate relation of the Watch Committee to the IAC. It was recognized that the Watch Committee could present to the IAC any problem, substantive or procedural, affecting its operation and that the IAC’s review of the Watch Committee’s operation would tend to prevent the development of misunderstanding as to the Watch function or product.

6. It was understood that the proposed approach to field intelligence activities would include non-military as well as military activities.

[Omitted here is discussion of agenda item 7: Annex to NSC Action No. 1074.]

  1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Executive Registry, Job 85–S00362R, Box 2. Secret. The meeting was held in the DCI’s conference room.↩
  2. Part of meeting. [Footnote in the original.]↩
  3. Part of meeting. [Footnote in the original.]↩
  4. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩
  5. Not printed.↩
  6. Not found.↩
  7. Attachments 1–3 were not found.↩
  8. Document 179.↩
  9. See Document 163.↩