7. Memorandum of Conversation1
Washington, May 5,
1950.
SUBJECT
- OPC–Department of State Liaison
PARTICIPANTS
- OPC–Mr. Wisner, P—Mr. Barrett, P—Mr. Sargeant, A—Mr. Humelsine, S/S—Sheppard, S/P—Mr. Joyce, and P—Mr. [name not declassified]
The following points of agreement were reached at the meeting in Mr. Humelsine’s office on May 5.
- 1.
- The focal point of responsibility in the Department of State for providing coordinated propaganda policy guidance to OPC is the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs.
- 2.
- There are two major segments to the problem of liaison so far as
public affairs programs are concerned:
- (a)
- Policy guidance and (b) coordination of operations.
- 3.
- To make certain that operations do in fact proceed in accordance
with top-level decisions on propaganda policy, the following
arrangements should be undertaken:
- (a)
- Designation by the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs of a deputy who would work with an OPC designee on (1) policy guidance [Page 12] matters and, (2) coordination of operations. Once specific arrangements for coordination of operations are approved, agreed-on working-level relations can be started between OPC and P area units.
- (b)
- Mr. Joyce will designate a person, to be associated with him, to work with OPC on propaganda projects. Mr. Barrett will arrange for this designee to work with his deputy for P–OPC liaison and with B/POL. The Joyce designee will have full access to P area policy guidance materials and meetings.
- (c)
- Mr. Joyce will look to P for the coordination of propaganda policy guidance and coordination of operations under the above arrangements.
- (d)
- Mr. Joyce, under these arrangements, will continue to have full access to the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and to the resources of the Public Affairs area. Proposals for modification of these arrangements or modification of major operational decisions will be the subject of prior discussion by P, Mr. Joyce and OPC.
- Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Directorate of Operations, Job 80–01795R, Box 2, Folder 7. Top Secret. Drafted by [name not declassified]. A handwritten notation on the memorandum reads “Mr. Wisner (Your designee?)”↩