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Foreign Relations of the United States 1945-1950 Emergence of the Intelligence Establishment Department of State Washington, DC

The National Security Act of 1947

                           

225. Minutes of the First Meeting of the National Security Council

Washington, September 26, 1947.

//Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 273, Records of the National Security Council, NSC Minutes, 1st Meeting. Secret. The meeting was held at the White House.

PARTICIPANTS

Members Present
The President of the United States, presiding
James Forrestal, Secretary of Defense

Robert A. Lovett, Acting Secretary of State
Kenneth C. Royall, Secretary of the Army
John L. Sullivan, Secretary of the Navy
W. Stuart Symington, Secretary of the Air Force
Arthur M. Hill, Chairman, National Security Resources Board

Others Present
Sidney W. Souers, Executive Secretary, National Security Council
Rear Admiral Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter, Director of Central Intelligence

DECISIONS/1/

/1/Decisions 1-5 below correspond to NSC Action Nos. 1-5. (Ibid., Record of Actions, Box 55)

1. Policies and Procedures Governing the Activities of the National Security Council

The National Security Council:

Approved the following policies and procedures governing the activities of the Council:

a. The permanent membership of the Council shall be restricted to those officials whose membership is mandatory under the Act.

b. The Director of Central Intelligence is authorized to attend all meetings of the Council as an observer and adviser. Attendance by other officials shall be by approval of the presiding officer, requested through the Executive Secretary.

c. There will be no set schedule of meetings. Meetings will be arranged by the Executive Secretary after approval by the presiding officer.

d. The affairs of the Council will be conducted with the utmost secrecy.

2. National Security Council Staff (Memorandum for NSC, same subject, transmitted as Tab A to Agenda for 1st Meeting)/2/

/2/None of the tabs is printed.

The National Security Council:

a. Approved the functions, plans and arrangements for the National Security Council Staff outlined in the reference memorandum.

b. Adopted a resolution authorizing its Executive Secretary to control, supervise, and administer funds which have been or hereafter may be made available to the National Security Council, with full powers with respect thereto, subject to policies established by the Council. (Copy of resolution on record in the office of the Executive Secretary.)

3. Proposed Initial Directive to the Central Intelligence Agency (Memorandum for NSC from Director of Central Intelligence, subject: "National Security Act of 1947", dated 19 September 1947, transmitted as Tab B to Agenda for 1st Meeting.)/3/

/3/Document 222.

The National Security Council:

a. Approved the recommendations by the Director of Central Intelligence in the reference memorandum.

b. Authorized the Director of Central Intelligence to submit to the Bureau of the Budget a budget estimate for the fiscal year 1949 (amount on record in the office of the Executive Secretary).

4. Review of the World Situation as it Relates to the Security of the United States (CIA 1)/4/

/4/Dated September 26. (Central Intelligence Agency Records) Reproduced in CIA Cold War Records: The CIA under Harry Truman, pp. 139-148.

The Council noted and discussed the report by the Director of Central Intelligence on the above subject.

5. Initial Study Assignment to the National Security Council Staff (Memorandum for NSC, same subject, transmitted as Tab C to Agenda for 1st Meeting)

The Council approved the recommendation of the Executive Secretary in the reference memorandum.

Sidney W. Souers/5/
Executive Secretary

/5/Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.

226. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Souers) to the National Security Council

Washington, October 10, 1947.

//Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Records of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research: Lot 62 D 42, IAC. Confidential. Addressed to the Secretaries of State, Defense, Army, Navy, and Air Force, and the Chairman of the National Security Resources Board.

SUBJECT
Appointment of an Intelligence Advisory Committee

The enclosed memorandum by the Director of Central Intelligence (Enclosure A)/1/ is submitted herewith for consideration by the designated members of the National Security Council.

/1/Not printed; see the Supplement. Enclosure A is Hillenkoetter's September 19 memorandum to the NSC on the Intelligence Advisory Committee (Document 222) with a few changes in wording.

The Executive Secretary recommends that Enclosure A be approved subject to the deletion of paragraph 11/2/ of the Appendix/3/ thereto. This paragraph would require the Director of Central Intelligence to submit to the National Security Council any recommendation which two or more Intelligence Advisory Committee (IAC) members believe should be submitted. This is considered an inappropriate channel for reaching the National Security Council by such IAC members. The proper channel for IAC members, which is recognized by the wording of paragraph 12 of the Appendix, is through the heads of their respective departments or agencies who, with the exception of the Atomic Energy Commission, are members of the National Security Council. The Atomic Energy Commission, if it agrees with the recommendation of its Intelligence Director, can of course submit such recommendation to the National Security Council for consideration. Unless the proper channel is used (and paragraph 11 is deleted) there is danger that the National Security Council will receive recommendations by IAC members with which their respective departmental heads do not concur.

/2/Paragraph 11 was taken from paragraph 3 of NIA Directive No. 11, Document 325.

/3/The appendix is the same as the enclosure to Document 222.

For convenience in indicating action on Enclosure A, a return memorandum form, to be completed by each addressee, is attached hereto as Enclosure B./4/

/4/Not printed.

Sidney W. Souers

227. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Hillenkoetter to the Intelligence Advisory Board

Washington, October 10, 1947.

//Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Records of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research: Lot 62 D 42, IAC. Confidential. Addressed to Armstrong, Chamberlin, Inglis, McDonald, and Gingrich.

SUBJECT
The Successor to the Intelligence Advisory Board

1. The Director of Central Intelligence has received inquiries from two members of the former Intelligence Advisory Board requesting clarification of his memorandum of 18 September 1947/1/ as it pertains to the Intelligence Advisory Committee. With the thought that there may be uncertainty in the minds of other members of the former Intelligence Advisory Board, the following clarification is being given general distribution.

/1/Document 221.

2. The National Intelligence Authority and the Central Intelligence Group ceased to exist, under the provisions of Section 102 (f) of the National Security Act of 1947, when the Director of Central Intelligence first appointed under Section 102 (a) of that Act took office on 20 September 1947. It is the opinion of this Agency that as of 20 September 1947 the provisions of the President's letter of 22 January 1946 lapsed and were superseded by those of the National Security Act of 1947. No specific mention of an Intelligence Advisory Board or Committee is included in the National Security Act of 1947.

3. The Director of Central Intelligence desires to continue to have available to him for advice and guidance a body similar to the former Intelligence Advisory Board. The members of the former Board having concurred in that desire, the Director is undertaking to establish a similar body. Positive action must be taken to accomplish this for the reasons set forth in paragraph 2 above.

4. An advisory board, having functions similar to those exercised under paragraph 7 of the President's letter, can be established under Section 303 (a) of the National Security Act of 1947. This Section authorizes the Director of Central Intelligence to appoint such advisory committees as he may deem necessary to carry out the functions of the agency.

5. Accordingly, the Director of Central Intelligence has submitted a memorandum/2/ to the National Security Council informing it of his desire to create an Intelligence Advisory Committee under the authority granted him by Section 303 (a) of the National Security Act of 1947, to be composed of intelligence representatives of the several departments and requesting the departmental heads who are members of the National Security Council to designate their representatives and authorize their participation.

/2/See footnote 1, Document 226.

6. The action of the National Security Council in continuing in full force and effect all directives of the National Intelligence Authority was for the sole purpose of providing for the continued functioning of the Central Intelligence Agency as successor to the Central Intelligence Group.

7. Papers are being prepared for submission to the Intelligence Advisory Committee for its first meeting, setting forth in further detail the proposals contained in paragraphs 6 and 11 of the memorandum of the Director of Central Intelligence, dated 18 September 1947 on the subject "Interdepartmental Coordinating and Planning."

R.H. Hillenkoetter
Rear Admiral, USN

228. Memorandum From the Secretary of State's Acting Special Assistant for Research and Intelligence (Armstrong) to Acting Secretary of State Lovett

Washington, October 16, 1947.

//Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Records of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research: Lot 62 D 42, IAC. Confidential.

While suggesting concurrence in proposal 1b in the attached memorandum/1/ for the Executive Secretary, National Security Council, I think it advisable to call your attention to the fact that in earlier discussions on procedures as between the Intelligence Advisory Board and the National Intelligence Authority, Mr. Eddy joined with other IAB members in favoring the procedure set forth in "paragraph 11" of the memorandum of the Director of Central Intelligence, which Admiral Souers now proposes to delete./2/ I believe, however, that Admiral Souers' objection to such a channel as called for in "paragraph 11" has considerable merit and that that procedure would not be entirely consistent with the National Security Act and the responsibilities it establishes for the Director of Central Intelligence. Moreover, I believe that the Department would lose no advantage by acceding to Admiral Souers' views.

/1/Attached is a vote slip form (October 20; see the Supplement) on which NSC members were to indicate approval or disapproval of Hillenkoetter's September 19 memorandum to the NSC (see footnote 1, Document 226) recommending establishment of an Intelligence Advisory Committee to succeed the Intelligence Advisory Board.

/2/The NSC Executive Secretary recommended approval subject to deletion of paragraph 11 of the appendix. Paragraph 11 required the Director of Central Intelligence to submit to the NSC any recommendation that two or more members of the Intelligence Advisory Committee believed should be submitted.

W. Park Armstrong, Jr.

229. Memorandum for Director of Central Intelligence Hillenkoetter

Washington, October 22, 1947.

//Source: Central Intelligence Agency Records, Job 90-00610R, Box 1, Folder 9. Confidential. No drafting information appears on the source text. From the context, however, it appears that it may have been written by Pforzheimer.

SUBJECT
Testimony Regarding Civilian Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

A memorandum was submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee from Mr. Allen W. Dulles, dated 25 April 1947./1/ Mr. Dulles stated that the Agency

"should be predominantly" civilian rather than military, and "under civilian leadership. . . . If previously a military man, he should not look forward to resuming a position in one of the armed services. The same should be true of his top staff. . . . They should, if military, divest themselves of their rank as soldiers, soldiers, or airmen, and, as it were, 'take the cloth' of the intelligence service."

/1/Not printed. (Central Intelligence Agency, Historical Files, HS/HC-400) See the Supplement.

This testimony is substantially the same as that given orally by Mr. Dulles before the House Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments.

Col. John P. Oliver, Legislative Officer for the Reserve Officers Association of The United States, together with Lt. Col. Richard Rivvell, appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee and urged that the Director should be civilian,

"because he should represent all aspects of the Government, not merely those concerned with the military, naval or air elements of our armed forces."

They further felt that, if the Director should be a member of the armed forces, he should be required to serve as a civilian. After conferences with General Vandenberg and Admiral Hillenkoetter, undertaken at the request of Senator Saltonstall, the opposition of the Reserve Officers Association was withdrawn.

In a memorandum submitted by Mr. Charles S. Cheston, formerly Assistant Director, OSS, a demand was made that there should be a civilian Director, on the grounds of the need for specially trained personnel in the fields of political, economic and technological intelligence and international relations, the need of continuity of leadership, and the necessity of freeing the Central Intelligence Agency from the rigidity of the military system.

Peter Vischer testified in closed session in favor of having a civilian Director. In addition, two members of the Committee have stated that he introduced into the record a copy of NIA Directive No. 5 (Classification; Top Secret), which led at least two members of the Committee to ask you how it was possible for Vischer to have obtained a copy of this document. You will also recollect that Vischer was the source of most of the adverse material appearing in the press, particularly the articles in the Times-Herald by Walter Trohan and John O'Donnell.

General Kroner was Deputy G-2 of the War Department and Chief of the Military Intelligence Service in the early days of the war. He did not take a position on whether the Director should be a civilian.

In July, it was discovered that an article adverse to Central Intelligence was being prepared for Harper's Magazine by Fletcher Pratt. This information was furnished me by a Colonel of the Marine Corps at Quantico, Virginia, who stated that Pratt had been invited to Washington by G-2 specifically to do this article, and that "the red carpet had been rolled out for him." Immediately following his meeting in Washington, Pratt went to Quantico and spent an evening or week-end with my informant. The Colonel tried to dissuade him from writing so biased an article, and took a pro-CIG view. However, Pratt indicated he needed the money which Harper's was paying for the article and that he was convinced of the accuracy of the accusations against CIG that he had heard in the War Department. He did not think it worth his while to hear the other side of the story. The Colonel told me it was his impression that the War Department was out to "get" CIG and that the comments expressed to Pratt had been extremely bitter.

Continue with Document 230