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

383. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Johnson to the Secretaries of the Army (Royall), the Navy (Sullivan) and the Air Force (Symington)⁰

Washington, April 27, 1949.

1. Reference is made to the Report¹ on the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Organization for Intelligence submitted to the National Security Council by the Survey Group known as the “Dulles” Committee. Chapter V of this Report deals with “crisis” intelligence estimates and the coordination relationship of various intelligence agencies of the government. In one particular “crisis” situation there was a delay of twelve days before the President and top policymakers were provided with an authoritative intelligence estimate.²

2. It is believed that this delay was due in part to the fact that an “Eyes Only” message did not come immediately to the attention of appropriate intelligence agencies, and in part due to the lack of established procedures for dealing with such matters. However, proper coordination did ultimately result in the production of an estimate of the situation.

3. I have been informed that the members of the Intelligence Advisory Committee have agreed that critical information coming to the attention of any one of them will be referred immediately to the Director, Central Intelligence Agency, in order that evaluation by the Committee may be undertaken at once. I, therefore, desire that provision be made for the immediate distribution of critical information to your respective Intelligence Agencies for appropriate action.

4. Copies of this communication are being forwarded to the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Executive Secretary, National Security Council, and the Director, Central Intelligence Agency.

Louis Johnson ³

0. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Decimal File 1945–49, 101.61/4–2749. Top Secret. The source text is the copy sent to the Secretary of State. It was covered by a brief note from the Assistant Director of the Executive Secretariat, forwarding it to the Counselor and asking him to read and transmit it to the Special Assistant for Research and Intelligence.
1. Document 358.
2. The episode referred to, which is discussed briefly in the Dulles Report, concerns General Clay’s message of March 4, 1948, and the intelligence estimates given the President on March 16.
3. Printed from a copy that indicates Johnson signed the original.