862.542/9–346
Memorandum by The Acting
Secretary of State to President Truman
top secret
Washington, August 30, 1946.
I am presenting for your approval a statement of United States policy
on the interim exploitation of selected German and Austrian
specialists in the United States.
Since shortly after V–E Day the War
Department has operated a project known as “Paperclip,” under which selected German scientists
have been brought to this country under military custody for
short-term exploitation. There remains in our zones of Germany and
Austria a number of specialists whose knowledge and ability could be
used to further our technology. General McNarney has reported that
the services of many of these specialists may be lost to us unless
steps are taken quickly to assure exploitation under favorable
circumstances.
The statement provides for expanding “Paperclip” to include a
total of between 800 and 1000 specialists. Since cooperation of the
specialists is necessary to successful exploitation, provision is
made for bringing members of specialists’ families to this country,
and for relaxing the formerly strict custody arrangements. The War
Department would be responsible for custody and for excluding from
the program persons with Nazi or militaristic records.
It is contemplated that at a later date selected persons would be
granted regular status under the immigration laws.
This statement is based on recommendations of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, and has been approved by the State, War and Navy Departments.
I recommend your approval.89
top
secret
Interim Exploitation of German
and Austrian Specialists Under Project “Paperclip”
- 1.
- It is the policy of this Government (SWNCC 257/5)91 to exploit
selected German and Austrian specialists in science and
technology in the United States.
- 2.
- To insure that the time required for normal processing of
immigration papers does not delay evacuation of specialists
and families to the United States so as to render present
policy ineffective and thereby endanger the national
security, the War Department Paperclip Project
will be expanded as follows:
- a.
- Those specialists selected by the War and Navy
Departments, plus nominations by the Commerce
Department for exploitation under civilian auspices
will be consolidated, coordinated with the British,
and certified by a designated agency of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff (now JIOA) as the “U.S. Exploitation List of
German and Austrian Specialists in Science and
Technology”. The War Department will instruct the
Commanding General, U.S. Forces in the European
Theater to arrange the execution of contracts by
specialists and their evacuation to the United
States in the following manner:
- (1)
- The specialists so brought to the United
States, exclusive of families, will not exceed
1000 in number at any time.
- (2)
- The War Department will be responsible for
moving families of specialists already in the
United States, additional specialists, and their
families, as rapidly as transportation from the
Theater and housing in the United States can be
made available. Normally families will not be
evacuated with specialists concerned, but in the
order of the length of time the specialist has
been under exploitation and observation in the
U.S.
- (3)
- The contracts to be arranged with
specialists by the Commanding General, USFET, will be so
drafted as to ensure suitable salary and working
conditions for the specialists without obligating
the War or Navy Departments beyond the legal
limitations of their respective
appropriations.
- (4)
- Contracts will provide return to Germany or
Austria for those specialists and members of their
families in cases of specialists not found
qualified for extensive exploitation or of
individuals not found acceptable by the United
States for permanent residence in this
country.
- (5)
- Persons proposed to be brought to the U.S.
hereunder shall be screened by the Commanding
General, USFET,
on the basis of available records. No person found
by the Commanding General, USFET, to have been a
member of the Nazi Party and more than a nominal
participant in its activities, or an active
supporter of Nazism or militarism shall be brought
to the U.S. hereunder. However, neither position
nor honors awarded a specialist under the Nazi
Regime solely on account of his scientific or
technical ability will in themselves be considered
sufficient to disqualify a specialist for
evacuation to the U.S. hereunder. Where there is
doubt as to qualification of a specialist under
the preceding sentence, the Commanding General,
USFET, may
transport the specialist to the U.S., where
further interrogation and screening shall be
conducted immediately in order to determine such
qualification.
- (6)
- All specialists and families brought to the
United States will be under temporary, limited
military custody until such time as visas
[Page 691]
are granted
or repatriation is accomplished. The degree of
surveillance over any specialist will depend upon
the length of time he has been under observation
and exploitation in the United States, and the
trustworthiness he has demonstrated under
interrogation, screening and subsequent
observation.
- (7)
- The War Department will formulate, in
coordination with the Navy Department, the
security and administrative procedure necessary to
protect the national interests during the
temporary limited military custody of these
specialists and their families, and yet to insure
the maximum exploitation of all these specialists
by military and civilian agencies.
- b.
- Specialists and their families brought to the
United States hereunder will remain under temporary,
limited military custody until visas are granted or
repatriation is accomplished.
- (1)
- Upon arrival of specialists or families in
the United States, the War Department will screen,
and cause to be prepared complete biographical and
professional data on all such persons, copies to
be supplied to the FBI, JIOA, and the technical service of the
War or Navy Departments, whichever is the
sponsoring agency.
- (2)
- Through interrogation, investigation and
surveillance by the Technical Services of the
Army, the Army Air Forces and the Navy, with the
assistance of the Commanding General, USFET, the War
Department will cause the best information
available concerning these specialists and their
families to be assembled for consideration by the
Justice and State Departments in connection with
implementation of SWNCC 257/5.
- (3)
- At the time request is made for the issuance
of a visa, or for the return to Germany or
Austria, of any specialist or his family, a copy
of all additional security interrogation,
investigation and surveillance papers will be
forwarded to the FBI through JIOA by the sponsoring agency of the War
or Navy Departments.
[On September 6, at Stuttgart, Germany, Secretary of State
Byrnes delivered an address, restating United States policy
on Germany; for text, see Department of State Bulletin, September 15, 1946, page
496.]
