Foreign Relations of the United States, 1945–1950, Emergence of the Intelligence Establishment

222. Memorandum From the Director of Central Intelligence (Hillenkoetter) to the National Security Council⁰

Washington, September 19, 1947.

SUBJECT

• Appointment of an Intelligence Advisory Committee

1. The President’s letter of 22 January 1946 established an Intelligence Advisory Board consisting of the heads, or their representatives, of the principal military and civilian intelligence agencies of the Government having functions related to the national security, as determined by the National Intelligence Authority, to advise the Director of Central Intelligence. The National Security Act of 1947 makes no specific provision for the continuance of the Intelligence Advisory Board nor for a successor. However, Section 303 (a) of the Act authorizes the Director of Central Intelligence (among others) to appoint such advisory committees as he may deem necessary in carrying out his functions and the functions of the Agency under his control (Central Intelligence Agency).

2. Recognizing the advantages to be derived from such an advisory group, it is the proposal of the Director of Central Intelligence to appoint an Intelligence Advisory Committee which will to all intents and purposes continue in existence the Intelligence Advisory Board established under the National Intelligence Authority by the President in his letter of 22 January 1946.

3. It is therefore requested that the National Security Council

a. authorize the participation by appropriate members of the several departments in the Director of Central Intelligence’s Intelligence Advisory Committee.

4. If the National Security Council approves this proposal, the Director of Central Intelligence will send Enclosure 1 as an invitation to the officers designated by them and to the Intelligence Director of the Atomic Energy Commission.

R.H. Hillenkoetter ¹

Rear Admiral, U.S.N.

Enclosure

APPOINTMENT OF AN INTELLIGENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

1. The President’s letter of 22 January 1946 establishing the National Intelligence Authority and the Central Intelligence Group also provided:

“(7) The Director of Central Intelligence shall be advised by an Intelligence Advisory Board consisting of the heads (or their representatives) of the principal military and civilian intelligence agencies of the Government having functions related to national security, as determined by the National Intelligence Authority.”

2. The National Intelligence Authority determined in its Directive No. 1 that:

“3. The composition of the Intelligence Advisory Board will be flexible and will depend, in each instance, upon the subject matter under consideration. The Special Assistant to the Secretary of State in charge of Research and Intelligence, the Assistant Chief of Staff, G–2, WDGS, the Chief of Naval Intelligence and the Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Intelligence (or their representatives) will be permanent members. You will invite the head (or his representative) of any other intelligence agency having functions related to the national security to sit as a member on all matters within the province of his agency.”

3. The experience of three Directors of Central Intelligence has established that there are advantages in having the several agency intelligence chiefs available to him in an advisory capacity. As no provision is made for the continuance of the Intelligence Advisory Board under the National Security Act of 1947, these advantages will be lost unless a similar advisory body is constituted.

4. Therefore under authority of Section 303 (a) of the National Security Act of 1947, there is hereby appointed an Intelligence Advisory Committee to be composed of the intelligence representatives of the State, Army, Navy, and Air Departments, and the Atomic Energy Commission:

“(a) This permanent membership will be expanded to include the heads (or their representatives) of other agencies having intelligence or related functions on such occasions as their participation may be desirable.”

5. The Intelligence Advisory Committee will be called upon by the Director of Central Intelligence to advise him in those matters related to the carrying out of his functions and the functions of the Central Intelligence Agency as set forth in the National Security Act of 1947.

6. The Director of Central Intelligence will supply from the personnel of the Central Intelligence Agency such secretarial assistance as the Committee may require.

7. The Intelligence Advisory Committee shall meet on the call of the Director of Central Intelligence. The Director of Central Intelligence or his representative shall serve as Chairman.

8. The Secretariat will circulate to the other members of the Intelligence Advisory Committee all communications addressed to the Director of Central Intelligence by a member of the Intelligence Advisory Committee. Such papers shall bear an Intelligence Advisory Committee series number and all subsequent papers related thereto shall carry a sub-number under the originally assigned series numbers. Communications of the Director of Central Intelligence to the Intelligence Advisory Committee shall be numbered in the same series.

9. The Intelligence Advisory Committee will hold itself available to advise the Director of Central Intelligence on such recommendations as the Director may plan to make to the National Security Council under authority of Section 102 (d) (2) of the National Security Act of 1947. In cases where there is disagreement between the Director of Central Intelligence and any member of the Intelligence Advisory Committee in matters of the substance of such recommendations, the Intelligence Advisory Committee member will prepare a formal statement of disagreement so that it may accompany the Director of Central Intelligence’s recommendations to the National Security Council.

10. In order to obtain the considered opinion of the several intelligence agencies represented in the Intelligence Advisory Committee, the Director of Central Intelligence will not as a matter of policy permit discussion by the Intelligence Advisory Committee of matters which members have not had opportunity to study, including all related papers, and, where appropriate, have obtained the opinion of other members of their departments.

11. Any recommendation two or more IAC members believe should be submitted to the National Security Council will be submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence in such form as to set forth his recommendation and the comments of the Intelligence Advisory Committee members.

12. The participation of any intelligence chief in the Intelligence Advisory Committee shall not be construed as precluding such intelligence chief from having access to the National Security Council through his regularly established departmental channels.

0. 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.
1. Printed from a copy that indicates Hillenkoetter signed the original.