DEAR BILL,

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP68-00069A000100110005-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 24, 2000
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: August 29, 1960
• Content Type: LETTER

:Approved For Release 2000/08/24 :CIA-RDP68-00069A000100110005-1
~`:
PROCIB-D-36
. Z9 August 1960
Mr. V~illiam McAfee _
Interdepartrneatal Coordinator for
Foreign Publicatioas
Department of $tat~r
Washington ZS, Tl. C.
Dear Blll.
The Committe~a on Procurement of Foreign Publications of the United
States Intelligence Board (PR4CIB) has far several months indicated increasing
concern over the failure of the Publications Procurement Program to secure
adequate putalication~r coverage from Latin America. The extreiuely volatila~
n~.ture of the situation in many countries of that area; tnc~ recent and forth--
coming elections in several of the countries. all of winch have a bearing ou
hemtspheric relations and .security; the stappc~d-up Soviet and Chinese Com-~
monist drives to penetrate sad subvext~ atsd to gain dAn~iaation of the p~zoples
and economise of many Latin American countries. ali ac~rrve to highlight the
itnportunce o! acquiring publications. In thin connection the difficultie,~ en-
countered by ?the three National I.ibraries+ and other strong Latin American
Collections in Chia country are of concern to use since we moat draw upaA the
total available resc-uzcas in m~aeting the information need~a of the Intelligence
Community.
8ec~au se it was desired to Dave a firsthand impression of the scope of
books and periodicals available throughout Latin America. a survey team visited
nine couapci~s iu the area in early I960. They found and brought back with them
several hundred publications of interest to the Intelligence Community and their
report ou the availability of pubUcatlous in Latin America has been made avs~.ilM
ablae to s1l PRgClB m?rrs. Ia their report. these officers stress the unique
State :Dgpt.'declassification & release instructions on file
Approved For Release 2000/08/24 :CIA-RDP68 :00069A0001.0011 Q005-1
 Approved`For Rase 2000/08/~?4 : CIA-RDP68-OOA000100110005-
situstioad Sa the Laatiac- Amoricaan booktrada~, as Iwokaellers in that area do sot
rm~dax tlt~ sea~wic~~r ca cu~rt~-mar~rs which ck~aractaacire~a 1lkcnericaa~ an~~~uxc-pa~n
`
for books
bookstores. tie Americsa booksellers toad to disregard ordera
.
stow service.. With very few euceptions, a~eith~r baok?
or give s~.tr+~~tety `
atsli+ers spot pubiistaera pxoducar lists of available publications froaaa which
aderiuat~e selectioxa cnn t>e xnade.~ Such lisle as are produced are spasmodic
Qad usually disc after a fares issues. Vary few Latin Araaarican countries produce
amatioaal bib-liographie~~ and wharra such do erxiat, thep are several years in
mracears. 'TM+a Qamorphoua state of book distribution in certain Latin Aamericaaa- '
countries bas bean confir:pa+~d by as entirely separate report,i3y 17r. At~rttiar Lear
Hanson,, Head at that Latin Aaa-erLcan +~oliectioA of th~+ University of Taxae. ,
lu view c>tf these factors, Pf~{?Cl8 has concluded that the only ravay i~
which the Publications k'rocurQrnez>u~ can ad~agpate pracureamiant be
accoaanplished. 13e amust be i>a a position to cover ttta amany important Corumuwist
s