DEAR MR. LARKIN:

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP57-00384R001000070069-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 17, 2000
• Sequence Number: 69
• Publication Date: December 29, 1947
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Releaspj0 7-00384RQ01000070069-1
C
0
P
Y
Bur. Felix E. Larkin
Special Legal Consultant
Office of the Secretary of Defense
The Pentagon
Washington, D.C.
29 December 1947
Your letter of 24 November requests our comments on the draft
25X1A of the bill to amend Section 605 of the Communications Act of 1934. You
are correctly informed by of our interest in this meeasure,
and I have had prepared a memorandum setting forth the views of this
office at length. I enclose a copy of this paper for your information.
Under the statutes by which it was created, this Agency is
limited to the field of foreign intelligence pertaining to national
security. Our interest in amending the Communications Act is, therefore,
limited to a field less broad than that which is comprehended by the
present draft. We are not in a position to support a measure which
could be construed to authorize "wire-tapping" in the controversial sense
discussed in the letter from the Communications Commission Chairman.
Our purposes could be served'by an authority narrower than that pro-
posed,'limited in definite terms to foreign communications. Vie have
some doubt as to whether new legislation is actually required for this
purpose, but since, as the attached paper indicates, there is room for
considerable argument, we feel that an amendment to clarify the situation
would be proper and desirable. Such a proposed amendment is set forth
at the end of the attached paper.
We should be pleased to support legislation limited in this
manner which would clarify the authority of those agencies properly
engaged in intelligence activities and which would protect private
individuals or agencies called on to cooperate in these activities.
FOR THE DIRECTOR OF C 4TRAL INTELLIGENCE:
25X1A
Distribution :
Central Records (2)
Executive Registry
App dDE?uoR 1 s 0/08GO 1 ' "A384R001000070069-1
A_1-2-_- 0-renal