Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950–1955, The Intelligence Community, 1950–1955

246. Memorandum From the Chairman of the Planning Coordinating Group (Rockefeller) to the Chairman of the Operations Coordinating Board (Hoover)¹

Washington, December 14, 1955.

SUBJECT

• Report of the Planning Coordination Group

I. Background

1. The Planning Coordination Group was established within the framework of the OCB by letter of the President of March 10, 1955.² The Group’s functions and composition are described in the Budget Director’s memorandum to the President of March 3, which the President approved March 4, subject: “Coordination of Economic, Psychological, Political Warfare, and Foreign Information Activities.”³

2. Paragraph 3 a of the Budget Director’s memorandum states that the Planning Coordination Group should report directly to the Chairman of OCB, who would from time to time transmit progress reports of the Group to the President through the National Security Council. Accordingly, this report is submitted with the request that it be so transmitted.⁴

II. Report

3. The Planning Coordination Group was established to aid in developing planning in both overt and covert fields and to advise and assist the responsible operating agencies in the coordinated development of plans and programs to carry out those national security policies appropriate to its functions. After seven months’ experience, it is clear to the four members of the Group that the Planning Coordination Group mechanism will not be able to accomplish these objectives. The Group therefore recommends that the President abolish the Planning Coordination Group effective December 31, 1955.

4. The Planning Coordination Group was also given specific responsibilities for being advised of and channeling support to major covert programs (NSC 5412/1)⁵ and for being the coordinating agency for the statements of policy in NSC 5505/1 and NSC 5502/1.⁶

a. Respecting covert operations, the Group recommends that the President approve that paragraph 7 a of NSC 5412/1 be amended so as to read substantially as follows:

“Except as the President otherwise directs, the designated representatives of the Secretary of State and of the Secretary of Defense referred to in paragraph 4 a, above, and a designated representative of the President whenever one has been designated for this purpose, shall hereafter be advised in advance of major covert programs initiated by CIA under this policy or as otherwise directed, and shall be the normal channel for giving policy approval for such programs as well as for securing coordination of support therefor among the Departments of State and Defense and the CIA.” and that paragraphs 4 a and 7 b of NSC 5412/1 be amended as necessary to take account of the termination of the PCG and to conform to the substance of the language quoted above.⁷

b. Respecting the coordination of NSC 5505/1, the OCB has forwarded to the Special Assistant for National Security Affairs the Group’s recommendation that that policy statement (as well as the related policy statement in NSC 174⁸) should be reviewed by the NSC Planning Board in the light of and subsequent to the pending revision of NSC 5501.⁹ By December 31, 1955, the Group will have transmitted to the NSC a progress report on NSC 5505/1. The Group recommends that the President designate the OCB as the coordinating agency for the statements of policy in NSC 5505/1 and NSC 174 effective December 31, 1955.

c. Respecting the coordination of NSC 5502/1, the Group recommends that the President designate OCB as the coordinating agency effective December 31, 1955.

(With reference to the recommendations in this paragraph, the necessary action should be taken to revise NSC Action 1349, March 10, 1955,¹⁰ to reflect the President’s actions.¹¹)

Nelson A. Rockefeller

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 66 D 148, PCG, Part 2. Top Secret. Attached to Rockefeller’s memorandum was a December 14 letter from the Director of the Bureau of the Budget expressing concurrence in the abolition of the Planning Coordination Group. When Hoover sent Rockefeller’s memorandum to President Eisenhower under cover of a December 16 memorandum, he recommended that the proposal to abolish the PCG be approved. (Ibid.)
2. See footnotes 1 and 16, Document 210.
3. Document 210.
4. Document 248.
5. Document 212.
6. For NSC 5505/1, see Foreign Relations, 1955–1957, vol. XXIV, pp. 20–22. For NSC 5502/1, see ibid., pp. 12–19.
7. In NSC Action No. 1497, “Abolition of the Planning Coordination Group,” December 28, the National Security Council amended NSC 5412/1 to take account of the abolition of the PCG. (National Archives, RG 59, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council) For NSC 5412/2, see Document 250.
8. For NSC 174, “U.S. Policy Toward the Soviet Satellites in Eastern Europe,” December 11, 1953, see Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. VIII, pp. 110–127.
9. Ibid., 1955–1957, vol. XIX, pp. 24–38.
10. In NSC Action No. 1349, “Coordination of Economic, Psychological and Political Warfare and Foreign Information Activities,” the National Security Council approved amendments to NSC 5412 at its March 10 meeting. (National Archives, RG 59, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council) See footnote 16, Document 210.
11. On December 20, President Eisenhower approved the recommendations to abolish the Planning Coordination Group and to designate the Operations Coordinating Group as the coordinating agency for NSC 5505/1, NSC 5502/1, and NSC 174 effective December 31. The National Security Council was notified of the President’s action by a December 27 memorandum from Executive Secretary of the National Security Council Lay. (National Archives, RG 59, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 148, Box 127, Coordination of Economic, Psychological and Political Warfare and Foreign Information Activities)