Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950–1955, The Intelligence Community, 1950–1955

72. Terms of Reference for the Economic Intelligence Committee¹

IAC D–22/1 (Revised)

Washington, May 29, 1951.

1. The Director of Central Intelligence with the concurrence of the members of the IAC has established an Economic Intelligence Committee, on which shall sit designated representatives of those agencies charged with primary responsibility for foreign national security intelligence, i.e., the Departments of the Army, Navy, Air Force, State, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Central Intelligence Agency. Any other agency whose interest or competence may be relevant to the particular problem under examination may be invited also to sit with the Economic Intelligence Committee.

2. The representative from the Central Intelligence Agency shall serve as Chairman of the Economic Intelligence Committee, and he shall supply the secretariat.

3. The Economic Intelligence Committee shall:

a. Arrange concerted economic intelligence support, on selected major issues, for studies of interagency interest requested by the Intelligence Advisory Committee, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, etc.

b. Arrange for the mobilization of the data and analysis available, relevant to appropriate operating problems of any member agency requesting assistance, or of any other agency dealing with economic security problems, which may request assistance.

c. Examine continuing programs of fundamental economic research relating to the national security throughout the United States Government and recommend to the IAC for appropriate action allocation of responsibility for specific fields of inquiry where such allocation appears appropriate.

d. Review and report to the IAC from time to time, on the pertinence, extent, and quality of the data and analyses available, bearing on the issues analyzed.

e. Recommend to the IAC for appropriate action priorities and allocation of responsibilities for the collection and analysis to fill specific gaps in the economic intelligence needed for national security.

f. Maintain a continuing review of the foreign economic intelligence activities of the United States Government as they relate to the national security.

g. Make such special reviews of economic intelligence distribution and processing procedures as may appear useful, and make recommendations for improvement to the Intelligence Advisory Committee, which shall have responsibility for instituting such action as it may judge appropriate.

h. Prepare coordinated reports which present the best available foreign economic intelligence.

4. In carrying out its responsibilities, the Economic Intelligence Committee may set up such subcommittees and working parties as may be judged necessary.

5. When any member agency is unable to accept a recommendation of the Committee, the matter may be referred to the Intelligence Advisory Committee. All agencies directly concerned shall be asked to sit with the Intelligence Advisory Committee for the consideration of such questions.

1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Executive Registry, Job 85–500362R, Box 3, Folder 10. Secret. The document was forwarded, presumably to members of the Intelligence Advisory Committee (there is no list of addressees), under cover of a memorandum from James Q. Reber, Secretary, Intelligence Advisory Committee. (Ibid.)