DEAR MR. HOUSTON:

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP59-00882R000300240048-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 27, 2001
• Sequence Number: 48
• Publication Date: September 22, 1955
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Relea.s`e:WhWizit.kil-SlalDP59-00882R000300240048-8
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL
WASHINGTON 25
OGC HAS REVIEWED.
*DOC Waiver Letter In ERV File*
Lawrence R. Houston, Esq.
General Counsel
Central Intelligence Agency
2430 B Street, Y. W.
Washington 25, D. C.
Dear Ir. Houston:
stp 2 2 1955
This is to confirm a request orally made to your agency
in informal discussions between Mr. Theodore L. Thsu1 Deputy
Assistant General Counsel in my office, and
of your
agency. Our request is for the advice and assistance of your
agency' in helping this Department to answer a letter dated July 29,
1955, from The Honorable William?. Tompkins, Assistant Attorney
General, Department of Justice, to The Secretary of Commerce. In
that letter this Department has been asked to determine whether
three documents, originally prepared by the Bureau of Foreign and
Domestic Commerce of this Department, and which were seised early
In 1945 from the now defunct Amerasia Magasine in New York City,
"are presently classified and, if so, whether they can be
declassified at this time and released to Senator Eastland's
Internal Security Subcommittee by this Department without impairing
the national defense of the United States."
The three documents referred to by the Department of
Justice are described by it as:
(1) "The document is I Summery of Economic Information on Japan
as reported by Americans returning to the United States on the
S. S. Grip:holm, August 25, 1942. The report is by Victoria C.
Hnngerfort, Assisted by C. N. Henning, Far Eastern Unit, Bureau of
Foreign and Domestio Commerce, dated December 14, 1942.
(2) "The subject of this document iss "Railway Transportation
in Occupied China," Volume I - Parts I and IT Section A of Part III,
it was prepared in the Far Eastern Unit 1943, Bureau of Fbreign and
Domestic Commerce. It is a 'Confidential' document and bears the
date '1943'.
(3) *This is a 'Confidential' Report captioned: 'Preliminary
Economic Survey of Korea.' This was prepared for the Division of
CO 'NiDEMTM
25X1A
- ? Approved For ReleaseM)N
Lawrence R. Houston Esq. - 2
'1;
IIIIR.P59-60882R000300240048-8
Economic Studies, Department of State by Charles Henning, Far
Pastern Unit, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, August 2,
1943.*
The Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce is no longer
in existence and the successor apneas of this Department are not
in a position to review and make a Judgment about the present
classification and possible declassification of those documents in
terms of potential impairment of the national defense im the light
of all relevant considerations, many of which we believe may be
now known only to your agency. It is for this reason that we are
asking your agency's advice and guidance to help us determine
whether any or all of the three documents in question may be
declassified by this Department for release to the Senate Internal
Security Subcommittee by the justice Department.
25X1A
At our suggestion has obtained from the Justice
Department a copy of its letter of July 29 and the attached list of
documents and, we understand, review of the documents in question
has been made by representatives of your agency. We are also
25X1A informed by that your agency may now be in a position to
consider our request on a formal basis and we would, therefore,
greatly appreciate any advice and guidance that you can give us in
this matter at your earliest convenience.
CONi-
Sincerely yours,
Ray
Philip A. Ray
General Counsel
MAL