181. National Intelligence Authority Directive No. 70

COORDINATION OF COLLECTION ACTIVITIES

1.
The following over-all policies and objectives are established by the National Intelligence Authority for the interdepartmental coordination of collection activities so that measures may be taken promptly to effect sound and efficient utilization of the various departmental overseas collecting and reporting services: [Page 479]
a.
There shall be an allocation within certain broad categories of agency responsibility for collection in the field, as follows:
  • Political—State Department
  • Cultural—State Department
  • Sociological—State Department
  • Military—War Department
  • Naval—Navy Department
  • Economic—Each agency in accordance with its respective needs
  • Scientific—Each agency in accordance with its respective needs
b.
Intelligence information and material regardless of the collector, shall, wherever possible, be transmitted immediately to the field representative of the agency most concerned. However, the collector may also send copies to his own agency.
c.
The senior U.S. representative in each foreign area where the United States maintains a foreign service post shall be responsible for the coordination of all collection activities in his area and the proper implementation of that coordination within the spirit of the principles enunciated herein.
d.
In order to avoid unproductive duplication and uncoordinated overlap all collection facilities will be utilized to their maximum within budgetary limitations for the production of that full flow of intelligence material which is the major need of all departments.
e.
There shall be free and unrestricted interdepartmental flow of intelligence information and intelligence to meet the recognized secondary need of each department for intelligence usually prepared or obtained by other departments. At present this Directive is interpreted to apply only to those departments represented by the permanent members of the Intelligence Advisory Board.
f.
Common sense shall be applied in the implementation of these established over-all policies and objectives to insure the full utilization of individual initiative and favorable contacts by collecting agents.
g.
No interpretation of these established over-all policies and objectives shall negate the basic principle that all departmental representatives abroad are individually responsible for the collection and for the appropriate transmission to Washington of all intelligence material of possible usefulness to their departments and to the effective accomplishment of the national intelligence mission.
  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, Records of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Leahy Papers, No. 132. Confidential.