LETTER TO (SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73-00402R000100020006-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 25, 2012
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: October 23, 1969
• Content Type: LETTER

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/25: CIA-RDP73-00402R000100020006-6
23 October 1969
For Your Information.
Today the Federal Records Officers met at National Archives.
There is a new attitude in the House side of Congress concerning
the records disposition procedure. No one knows how the Senate feels.
Chairman Ned.zi of the Joint Committee on Disposition of Executive
Papers, at the insistence of member Mr. Pettis, has introduced HR 1+300
to eliminate Congress from the records disposal review procedure. This
Bill changes the current law and procedure so that the Committee would'
be abolished and. the GSA Administrator then would approve requests
for disposal of Agency records. The Congressmen feel they know nothing
about the records involved and that they are "rubber-stamping" the lists
the National Archives reviews and submits to them with recommendations
for approval. GSA has no position yet nor has BOB. No one is sure
how many Congressmen will part with any control over the Executive.
Our Agency can live with this change. We have received about 120
special records disposal approvals from the Congressional Committee over
the past twenty years. We can get them from GSA Administrator just
as easily in the future. Most of our records disposal authorities are
based on the General Records Schedules used Government wide.
I feel personally concerned. over the proposal because I feel the
involvement of Congress has given considerable strength in our Records
Schedules and Records Program. The name of the GSA Administrator will
not be attractive or helpful. Further, his political position will
leave his actions open for criticism by subsequent Congresses of a
different political view. The value of Congressional Committee-approved
records disposal was proven when the Pearl Harbor investigation dug into
Navy records and found. the Admirals could not be accused of destroying
evidence because the disposals were made via authorized. schedules. A
similar situation occurred during an investigation of Defense Materials
Procurment records following a change of Administration.
A copy of the proposed Bill is attached. You may wish to send.
the extra copy on to the Legislative Counsel, because I understand this
Bill has not been given much publicity or distribution. Since my Master's
Thesis dealt with the preservation and disposition of Executive papers
and the related laws since 1889, I may have a few references if the
Counsel calls. For that work in 1962 I followed. the procedure through
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/25: CIA-RDP73-00402R000100020006-6
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/25: CIA-RDP73-00402R000100020006-6
GSA and visited with the aides of the Joint Committe on Disposition of
Executive Papers up on the hill. I agree that all of them know nothing
about'records value or the evaluation procedure and the Committe has
been "rubber-stamping" the Archives recommendations. But, the opportunity
and channel was always open for them to control Executive papers when
necessary. Congress has used it from time to time in Government and
Industry. In fact at present the IBM records are frozen and none may
be destroyed. until the current Government investigations are comr],eted.
CIA Records Administration Officer
Attachment: H.R. 1+300
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/25: CIA-RDP73-00402R000100020006-6