Office of the Historian

289. Memorandum From the Director of the Policy Planning Staff (Kennan) to the Under Secretary of State (Lovett) and Secretary of State Marshall0

Washington, June 16, 1948.

Attached is the draft of NSC 10/11 on the subject of covert activities. It has been drawn up to meet the requirements contained in the 4-point statement approved by the NSC on June 4, 1948.2

Since this paper was prepared on the basis of a top-level NSC decision, it has not been circulated in the Department for clearance.

I do not think that this arrangement will meet the more important needs of this Government for the conduct of political warfare, as urged by John Foster Dulles, Anne O’Hare McCormick and many other people. It draws too sharp a distinction between operations and planning. It is too remote from the conduct of foreign policy. And we will not be likely to find a suitable person to head it.

Nevertheless, I think we had better accept the paper. My reasons are these:

(a)
It is probably the best arrangement we can get at this time.
(b)
It is important that some funds be obtained from Congress this year for minor activities of this nature.
(c)
We will at least know where we stand in these matters.

You will note that as the paper is now drafted, it would be up to the Secretary of State to nominate the person to be appointed Chief of the Office of Special Projects under the Director of Central Intelligence.

George F. Kennan 3
  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Policy Planning Staff Files 1947–53: Lot 64 D 563, Box 719, Pol & Psych Warfare. Top Secret.↩
  2. See the enclosure to Document 288.↩
  3. Document 284.↩
  4. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩