328. Letter From the Acting Secretary of State’s Special Assistant for Research and Intelligence (Armstrong) to the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Souers)0

Dear Admiral Souers: Following the conversation which Colonel Booth and I had with you on October 24th the Department notified the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the withdrawal of its representation on the Joint Intelligence Committee and the Joint Intelligence Staff. I enclose a copy of that memorandum for your information.1

I am also enclosing a copy of a letter to Admiral Hillenkoetter, asking him to establish relations with the Joint Intelligence Committee which will provide for continuing cooperation and joint activity between the Department and the Joint Chiefs on intelligence matters.

Sincerely yours,

W. Park Armstrong, Jr.

Enclosure

Letter From the Acting Secretary of State’s Special Assistant for Research and Intelligence (Armstrong) to Director of Central Intelligence Hillenkoetter

Dear Admiral Hillenkoetter: Under date of October 31, 1947 the Department of State notified the Joint Chiefs of Staff by memorandum2 of the withdrawal of its representation on the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) and the Joint Intelligence Staff (JIS), at the same time offering to maintain such liaison and coordinating activities as may be necessary until other channels are established (copy of memorandum enclosed). [Page 803] The Department indicated to the Joint Chiefs of Staff that it believes the proper channel for joint action in intelligence matters between itself and the Joint Chiefs is through the Director of Central Intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The Department therefore requests the Director of Central Intelligence and the CIA to establish liaison and coordinating relations with the JIC and JIS as soon as feasible to the end that no gap shall exist between the Department and the intelligence organization of the Joint Chiefs.

In considering the character and scope of the liaison and coordinating activities to be established, the following matters, among others, are of immediate concern: (a) policy with respect to the distribution of JIC and JIS papers to the CIA and, in turn, to the Department; (b) the forwarding of and responding to requests for intelligence contributions between the JIC and the JIS on the one hand, and the Department on the other, and (c) procedures whereby concurrence of the Department is obtained in respect to estimates or papers based in whole or in part upon contributions by the Department, or which are recognized to involve important conclusions in its fields of primary interest and, reciprocally, that concurrences may be obtained by the Department on intelligence matters within the cognizance of the Joint Chiefs.

A number of possible methods for handling the liaison and coordinating activities described above will undoubtedly suggest themselves to you. The following alternative procedures, however, are proposed for your consideration:

(1)
Joint action on intelligence matters might be accomplished in the IAC assisted by a sub-staff appointed by the IAC representatives, the service members of which correspond to the JIS, as was suggested in the JIC 364 series of papers.
(2)
Joint action might be accomplished by enlarging the assignment of the present departmental representatives to ORE (i.e., Mr. M. B. Booth for the Department of State, Colonel R. F. Ennis for the Department of the Army, etc.), so that these officers represent their departments with CIA for the purpose of dealing with problems requiring joint action and the obtaining of concurrences, rather than, as at present, being limited to such activities in respect to ORE papers only.
(3)
The proposed “Standing Committee” of the IAC could be designated as the agency to assist the IAC in processing all problems involving joint action.

Of the above alternatives, it seems to us that the third offers the more direct and satisfactory solution to the problem, although it might require redefinition of the functions and responsibilities of the proposed “Standing Committee.” It is suggested, however, that the foregoing proposals, together with any others which may seem desirable to you, be placed [Page 804] before ICAPS in order that an acceptable solution may be presented to the JIC and the IAC as soon as possible.

Sincerely yours,

W. Park Armstrong, Jr. 3
  1. Source: Truman Library, Papers of Harry S. Truman, Records of the National Security Council. Confidential.
  2. See the attachment to Document 326.
  3. See footnote 1 above.
  4. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.