223. Memorandum From the Director of Central Intelligence (Hillenkoetter) to the National Security Council 0
Washington, September 19, 1947.
SUBJECT
- National Security Act of 1947
- 1.
- The National Security Act of 1947 established a Central Intelligence
Agency under the National Security Council. Section 102 (d) of the Act
sets forth the basic functions of that agency to be performed under the
direction of the National Security Council. Effective when the Director
of Central Intelligence takes office, the National Intelligence
Authority is abolished and the personnel, property, records and funds of
the Central Intelligence Group are transferred to the Agency. On that
date, therefore, the Agency will be prepared to perform its statutory
functions, but will be without direction from the National Security
Council as specified by the Act. The following recommendations are
therefore submitted for consideration by the National Security Council
at its first meeting:1
- a.
- That all directives of the National Intelligence Authority to the Central Intelligence Group be continued in full force and effect. The Agency will function under this authorization until specifically repealed, altered or augmented by the National Security Council, or changed in accordance with the recommendation in paragraph b. below.
- b.
- That the National Security Council direct the Director of Central Intelligence to submit to the Council within sixty days, proposed authorizations supplanting the former directives of the National Intelligence Authority and specifying his functions and those of the Central Intelligence Agency in accordance with the provisions of the National Security Act of 1947.
- Source: Truman Library, Papers of Harry S. Truman, President’s Secretary’s Files, Intelligence File. Confidential.↩
- At its first meeting on September 26 the National Security Council approved both recommendations; see Document 225.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩