DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WILLOUGHBY SITUATION ANDCERTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02131012
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: July 13, 2023
• Document Release Date: November 10, 2022
• Case Number: F-2022-01623
• Publication Date: December 15, 1950

Approved for Release: 2022/10/28 CO2131012
15 December 1950
MEWORAM1UMFOR4 MR. ALLEN W. Rata
Office of the DOI
SUBJECTs' Developments in the Iilloushby Situation
and Certain Recommendations
1. This memorandum is submitted in response to your request for
a write-up of the information given to as orelly by General Cabell on
Friday, 8 Deeenber, iamediatelyf011ewing his return from Japan where
he had gone on a trip of brief &illation with General Collins. I an
including in this memorandum certain additional information concerning
recent develepments, all of which point up in my view to the conclusion
that it would. be most desirable for a very high ranking representative
of General Smith, preferably yourself, to visit the Far Eastern Command
in the relatively near future. This representative should bear with
him the highest possible credentials in order to assent him of a good
reception in the Far Eastern Command and' guarantee that he will have
the opportunity of working out a *ere satisfactory solution of the
problems which aro presently besotting the operatives of both OSO and
OPC.
2. General Cabell reported that he and General Collins had
two conferences with General MacArthur, General Willoughby having been
present at the second conference but not the first. amoral MacArthur
stated to General Collins that he recognised the importance of the
mission of CIA and realised that in the discharge of its responsibility
it was necessary for the CIA to do things that did not particularly
appeal to him. He was prepared to be of assistance to the CIA, but he
wanted to be certain that his staff was kept sufficiently acquainted
with the activities of CIA in order to provide his with the necessary
degree of protection to his awn position, especially in his role as
Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces (SCAP). In a private conversa-
tion between General Cabell and General Willoughby (which took place on
the evening before the last meeting with General MacArthur) General
Cabell had volunteered a statement to the effect that General Smith's
arrival as Chief of the C/A was welcomed by all in Washington and that
relationships between CIA and the military establishment should improve
as a result of this development. Willoughby responded by saying he was
very glad to hear of this, especially from General Cabell, but made no
further comment at that time. On the occasion of the final meeting with
General MacArthur, General Willoughby made some favorable comments about
General Smith,
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4w)
General Smith, and General MacArthur urged General Collihs to bring
back with him and deliver to General amith a most cordial invitation
to visit the Far astern Callan& hi said that he wanted General Collins
to assure General Smith oi the warmth of the welcome which he would re--
cal:0a and to tell General Ezith chat he believed it should be possible
to iron out any difficulties which might exist. General Willoughby
insisted at this mooting that he had no thought or desire to curtail
CIA operations but that he was only interested in coordinating and be-
ing on notice of what CIA is doing.
General Cabell stated th:.,t, it was his own personal estimate of the
situation that Willoughby -would continue to insist upon CIA's furnishing
to him fairly detailed statements of its plans and activities, and he
said that we might as well be prepared to go along with this requirement.
He further stated that it would do no good whatever for VA to solicit
any directives or instructions from the Joint Chiefs of Staff or other
Defense 'Department officials to General MacArthur on the subject of the
CIA relationship. Even If such a directive or instruction were to be
sent from the Pentagon to FEZ, it would not accomplish any useful result.
The only way to get anything dons would be for General Smith or a repre-
sentative of very considerable statunato visit the theater in person.
()eneral Cabell stated that the Air Force escape and evasion drop opera-
tions, toward which we made a contribution of trained personnel and
about which I have been concerned lest General Willoughby take violent
exception, now appear to be out in the open and accepted by General
Willoughby. General Willoughby even went so far as to say that these
operations could be cited as an example of what might be done with and
after proper coordination. General Willoughby must have made this
remark with his tongue in his cheek in view of the fact that the Air
Force drove ahead with this operation without prior clearance or full
approval from General Willoughby. The point is that the Air Force was
absolutely insistent and completely adamant on the grounds that these
operations were essential for the protection of Air Force personhel
and were a requirement which the Operating Commander of the Far Lectern
Air Force refused to forego. He won his point.)
3. Attached herewith is an item from the 14 December issue of the
Washington Post, -which is a dispatch from Tokyo that was obviously based
upon an interview with General Willoughby. It is his reaction to the
Also column criticising him and blaming him for the intelligence failure
in North Korea. General Willoughby, in giving this interview, has di-
vulged secret information concerning his own agents as well as CIA agent(W)
operations. (b)(3)
He has revealed
disregard the co
her secret information and has shown a disposition to
idential character of information given to him. by,
CIA in accordance
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41,
CIA in accordance with his own demands. The item is worth reading and
thinking about as to what it nay portend for the future and what may be
expected to happen to other secret information which may be given to
General Willoughby by us if it should suit his mood or convenience to
disclose it.
4. Our most recent messages from the field indicate that the
situation is not improving very much and that our people work under
extreme difficulties.
Colonel Stilwell, who is the Chief of our (OPC) Far
astern operations, is currently in Japan and has been authorized to
discuss matters with Willoughby. I expect him to return shortly before
Chrismas and he may have additional information and recommendations to
report.
-� are seriously concerned
about the prospect of General Willoughby's interference with, or attempted
control of, the operations which we have planned
cannot possibly have any importantoresults if they are interfered with
by uncoordinated and probably conflicting operations by General Willoughby;
and, moreover, our people do not feel that they can conduct operations
effectively if General Willoughby should extend his strictures to cover
these operations, as well as those which he has heretofore taken in
charge. We do not yet know just how far General Willoughby considers
his writ to run, but there have been rather definite indications that
he will concern himself with intelligence /operations
End: 1
Newapaper clipping,
Nashington Post, 14 Dec. 1950
CC: t,DDCI
FRANK G. WISNIA
Assistant Director for
Policy Coordination
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
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