47. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State (Webb) to the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (McWilliams)1
Admiral Souers has spoken to the Secretary regarding the discussions Admiral Souers and I have been having about the proposed Cabinet Committee on psychological warfare, to be headed by a full-time chairman and report to the NSC.2
Admiral Souers made the point to the Secretary that there were a number of programs going in this field which we were not aware of and which he did not think could be coordinated without some procedure such as he has suggested. He said his main objective was to get all these things out on the table so they could be looked at and put together as a program.
The Secretary desires Mr. Humelsine or Mr. Barrett, or the proper person, to prepare for him a short paper on the programs that are being discussed with Admiral Souers. He wants to know particularly what programs are going which are not subject to our coordination now. What is the subject matter of these programs, both overt and covert?
After the Secretary has studied this matter, he is inclined to agree to a meeting that would include himself, Admiral Souers, Fred Lawton, Bedell Smith and Bob Lovett to thrash the matter out.
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, P Files: Lot 52 D 432. Top Secret. Copies were sent to Barrett for action and to Humelsine.↩
- See Document 45.↩