THE CIA AND AMERICAN INTERESTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000800160007-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 15, 1998
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: May 5, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

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CENTRAL INT ,LLIGENCE i.uENCY
.Mr_..MOUNG of North Dakota. Mr.
President, if I were to select the one
journalist who enjoys the best reputation
and the highest respect of the people
this country, he would be David Law-
-xcuce. I have noted over t tT e years that
In all his writings he has sought above,
everything else to 'maintain the highest
standard of accuracy. This, together
with the good judgment he has always
exercised, has made him one our leading
editors and columnists.
Mr. President, on May 3, 1966, the
Washington Star carried a column by
Mr. Lawrence relative to the CIA., ihlch
is so typical of his good reporting. This
is a colunm I believe will be of particular
interest to all Members of Congress. I
ask unanimous consent that it be printed
in the RECORD, at this point. Y
There being no objection, the article
was ordered to be printed In the RECORD,
as follows:
THE CIA AND AMERICAN INTERESTS
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(1Yq"bavfil`Vawreace)
ticularly In the crucial Bail le of 'Midway, in
which the Japanese fleet wa:; defeated.
The cold,war is not unlike a?hot war in Its
risks to thd' safety of tivi Ant rlcan people.
Information about the existence of missile
bases in Cuba may have been acquired too
slowly. but what was learned did have the
effect of enabling the United States to pro.
tect itself in time.
The recently published articles were the
result of an honest and conscientious report-
ing effort, though errors did creep in, espe-
cially in the infercilde conveyed that certain
committees of Congress are controlled by the
CIA. The purpose of the articles, it was
asserted, was to fix:. responsibility and also
to tighten control of the CIA by Congress.
Btlt'Yor many years two committees in the
House'' of Representatives and two in the
Senate have been taken into the confidence
of the CIA and have known about its methods
of operation. The members could ask any
questions they wished. If these committees,
composed of loyal Americans, had felt that
the CIA was doing something wrong, they
could have long ago transmitted to the
President their objections or could have de-
manded open inquiries and Investigations.
One of the fundamental rules of intelli-
genco work is to let as few people as possible
know what is going on, so as to guard against
Newspaper articles were published recently
purporting to reveal details of the system
of espionage employed by the U.S. Central
Intelligence Agency. However, well in-
tended, if the purpose was to start a crusade
in Congress to restrict Intelligence opera-
tions, this cannot but in the long run damage
the interests of the American people.
The Central Intelligence Agency is not au-
thorized to carry on any espionage within
this country or to handle Internal security
problems, as all of these are responsibilities
of the FBI. The CIA confine, its operations
to foreign countries, where, of course, it is
subject to local laws as well as the counter-
measures of agents of other governments
which are hostile to the United States.
Espionage is in many ways dishonorable,
but can be justified. To take a simple but
far-reaching illustration, the secret acquisi-
,
,
e
tion of messages and the breaking of a Japa of the military forces and the boss of the
nose code by agents of the United States in' intelligence system
He is the final jud
e a
.
g
s
the years just prior to World War II enabled to whether a step that has been taken was
our Armed Forces to know In advance details or was not desirable. Corrective measures
of ship movements. This later played a vital' can always be applied.
role in naval engagements in the Pacific, par- Undoubtedly, the Communists will have a'
field day when they'l'e'ad' some of the pub-
lished articles about the internal Workings of
the CIA. It is a tragic mistake to furnish
them with this information.
The press of the United States has in World
Wars I and II maintained a voluntary con=
sorship. The same system ought to prevail
during a cold war, especially wheil it comes
to deciding whether to disclose in print the
secret methods used by the American Govern-
ment in trying to deal with enemy Intrigue
inside foreign countrt$B. ' For, whether car-
ried on in Latin America, Europe, Africa, or.
Asia, the plotting Is against - the United
States.
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leaks and the danger of Infiltration or unwit-
ting disclosure of secrets by persons who are
not alert to the tricks used by agents of
other countries. There would be risks, for
instance, in opening up Intelligence opera-
tions to the staffs of our Embassies abroad
or to a lot of officials in the State Depart-
ment. Some might not withhold from for-
eign diplomats at social gatherings bits of in-
formation considered irrelevant but which
might have significant value to the other
side. The Secretary of State is, of course,
kept informed.
Mistakes naturally are made in espionage
and other intelligence activities. So also are
errors of judgmefit'ddiinhdtted by generals in
the heat of battle, -inefficiencies of the CIA
can be discovered and remedied by respon-
sible officials. The President of the United
States is
after all
the Commander in Chi
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