305. Memorandum From the Director of the Policy Planning Staff (Kennan) to the Under Secretary of State (Lovett)0
A cardinal consideration in the establishment of Wisner’s office under NSC 10/2 was that, while this Department should take no responsibility [Page 729] for his operations, we should nevertheless maintain a firm guiding hand.
If we are to do this, a small body of personnel—perhaps no more than five men—who have Foreign Service and Departmental experience must be designated to guide Wisner’s operation, both from within this Department and within Wisner’s own office.
I realize the necessity of this and Wisner is genuinely anxious to have this type of help. But we have both met with stubborn resistance from our own personnel people.
This resistance is caused in part by the fact that our personnel, necessarily uninformed of NSC 10/2, do not understand the overriding importance of the assignments which we request. Consequently, with no sense of proportion they resist the release of officers who are assigned to functions of relatively minor importance and their appointment to the job which Wisner and I wish them to take.
Because of the high security classification of NSC 10/2, it is impossible for me to reason with our personnel people on this score. I am therefore reluctantly persuaded that the only way to cut the gordian knot is to ask Peurifoy to instruct the personnel division chiefs along the lines of the attached memorandum1 prepared for your signature.