Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume V

782.022/2–2350

Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. David H. Henry of the Office of Eastern European Affairs

top secret

[Washington,] February 23, 1950.

Subject: Photographic Mapping of Turkey

Participants:	John D. Jernegan—GTI, Chairman
	Ambassador Wadsworth
	Colonel G. G. Northrup1
	Colonel H. Milwit1
	Captain T. T. Tucker1
	Mr. H. L. Coggin2
	Mr. C. Robert Moore—GTI
	Mr. David Henry—EE

The meeting was largely devoted to a review of past developments on this subject and to an attempt to determine exactly how matters stand at present. It appears that the British have gotten nowhere with their plans for mapping in Turkey and also that there have been no developments in this project of a mapping survey through ECA-commercial channels.

As to future course of action, it was decided that the Defense Establishment would take the initiative in trying to obtain ECA agreement to undertake a photo mapping survey of at least those parts of Turkey where maps are necessary for economic reasons. Mr. Jernegan said that the Department would support this proposal, mentioning that EUR had already given its approval for a commercial approach.

It was further suggested that, if the above project went through, other, purely strategic areas of Turkey might be mapped at the same time through a separate and secret contract between the Defense Establishment and the American private corporation which would undertake the mapping. Both Mr. Jernegan and I pointed out that EUR had not agreed to such an additional contract in which Defense would participate directly. Mr. Jernegan said that from what he knew of Mr. Thompson’s position on this subject, he believed that Mr. Thompson would have no objection. I promised to inquire into this phase of the matter and to inform Mr. Jernegan.³

1. Col. George C. Northrup, USAF: Col. Herbert Milwit, USA: and Capt. Thayer T. Tucker, USN, were members of the Photographic and Survey Section, Joint Staff, JCS.
1. Col. George C. Northrup, USAF: Col. Herbert Milwit, USA: and Capt. Thayer T. Tucker, USN, were members of the Photographic and Survey Section, Joint Staff, JCS.
1. Col. George C. Northrup, USAF: Col. Herbert Milwit, USA: and Capt. Thayer T. Tucker, USN, were members of the Photographic and Survey Section, Joint Staff, JCS.
2. Harry L. Coggin, Cartographer with the Joint Staff, JCS.
3. Mr. Henry informed Mr. Jernegan on February 23 that Llewellyn E. Thompson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, had given his approval for the proposal for mapping strategic areas of Turkey (notations by Messrs. Thompson and Henry on the source text). No documentation was found in Department of State files indicating that photographic mapping of Turkey was carried out in 1950.