MEMORANDUM FOR ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR FROM L. K. WHITE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R000600120016-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 16, 2003
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: December 6, 1965
• Content Type: MF

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MEMORANDUM : Assistant to the Director
George:
Certain actions were requested by the Office
of the Director in recent weeks and, according to our records, have
not been fully answered. It is quite possible they have been overtaken
or have been satisfied, but to bring our records up to date, I should
appreciate a brief word from you on the status of a study to set forth
guidelines for employee authorship of articles for publication.
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L. K. White
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IIEMORAMUM pm TIM DEPUTY DPIECTOR
SUBJECT: Deatheo itency Pe room:lel
6 December 1965
3
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1. This memorandum 1E3 for information only.
24 The following information WOB compiled for possible press
inquiries:
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George F. Moroi
acpir.coupt
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Or'
4 October 5
MENORANDEN MR THE DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: Letters Sent to President Johnson
1. This memorpridinm, written at the request of the Executive
/rector-Comptroller, is for information only.
2. During Septether? Peter Jessup, assistant to NeOeorge Bundy,
sent this office 13 letters mailed to President Johnson containing
comments on CIA. Twelve of these were critical, and one expressed
etbarrasament for the Nation while admitting "the importance of intelli-
gence activities."
3. Attached are relevant quotations trots the letters. . Tab Aquotes
the text of the letter expressing eMbarrassment at the denials which have
been issued About intelligence activities. Tab B quotes excerpts from
letters calling for the President to "abolish" the Agency. Tab C quotes
excerpts from letters occasioned by in Singapore, the Domini.
an Bepublie, end Pekistan. Tab D quotes excerpts from letters occasioned
by newspaper columns and editorials critical of CIA.
4. In a memorandum dated 14 September covering
lettere, Nr. Jessup stated in part:
eh of six
"An ingrowing nutber of letters a:Unwed to the President
conoerningClAare routed to me for reply. It is diffieult to
get any positive ruling as to what Should or should not be
answered. The President himself is on record as wanting all
mall answered without delay. This, of course, is impossible azzl
bitter experience has dhow that replies in many Instances open
up ',permanent useless correspondence with all sorts of nuts and
near nuts. In the attached batch most of the writers are
sounding off...
'It is difficult to gauge whether an innocuous aoknowledgs.
merit doesn't offend the writer more than no reply at all. it is
impossible to lar bare the facts and straighten out erroneous
conceptions. I suggested the only possible reply to
(one) letter to be roughly as fellows: 'It is gratifying to
know that there are citizens who feel so strongly and will take
the trouble to concern themselves with problems that are besetting
all of us,' etc. ate.... However, you know what a Pandora's box
is opined by such a reply, and the rink is run of the individual
turning the reply over to the press.
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u knew, the State Department aystem of mailing in bulk
official releases on sUbjects? particularly Vietnam, infuriates
letter writers, especially intelligent ones. You can't win;- you
can only try to keep the score down."
5. Mr. Jeasup's consent that nothing is generally gained by answering
such letters is well taken. Certainly &cryptic telegram soot to the
President on 19 September by deserves STAT
no reply:
Your present use of maser transmitter to cloak past CIA
activity in Chicago is illegal an& inhumane. Moreover this
prostitutes the PSI."
Attachments
Tabs A0.1)
cc; /MCI
EsDir.Ccapt
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en rdinary eit zen of our country, a housewife sad mother,
I feel convened to write you of my growing feelings of embarrassmont
for this nation. If I pato believe Whet is reported in the press
we are lying publicly and 1 cringe.
"1 refer to incidents ouch as our denial or promised support for
the Say of Pigs invasion, the U.2 planes over Russia and the denial
of charges of =bribery in Singapore.
"Realizing the importance of intelligence activities for our
country, I feel strongly that having been 'caught at it,' we don't
need to issue denials, in a wards lie.
"'Sheet is the purpose or defending the honor of our country on
the fields of battle When, afterwards, there is no Moor to cherish?"
Most respectfully yours
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'Wit it time to abolish the CIA: It is doing untold harm to
the eeuntry, and very little good.
Jr oin information on 'Vietnam, Cuba and Santo Domingo, from the
Sew York Times, the Mall Street Journal and mOveral other publications
hes proved better it the event than that furnished to the last three
Presidento by the CIA, the State Department and Theses Mann. And the
cost is under 4150 a year.
"Furthers none at IV sources has ever dagras.d the United States,
as the CIA has done repeated4.
'A thing that angers me particularly is the irr*nsibje and immoral
activity IS the C.I.A. This monstrous bureaucracy seems to repudiate all
the noble principles upon Whieh the U.S. vas founded. If you would use
your influence to get this infamous and ineffective agency anon/hods,
Americans for generations to come would praise your name."
"May 2 take this opportunity -of suggesting that
abolithed?... President Kennedy's Bay of Figs Ciao*
example of C.I.A. blundering and misinformation."
C.I.A. be
an outstanding
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go
"Temterdsy vben I he that a CIA Officialbeen caught trying
te buy Information frost a Blegmpor* intelliasnol officer/ I thGuallt
'Wall, there epos more ef our oversees imege.'... Why didn't me.
Neoloekey cheek with Mr. Rusk beftWe Issuing a lie for ill the vorld
to hear and laugh? Why did my 18 year old son say this morning, 'great
country we've got *ea"
"Isn't it long ordu. that something be done
activities of the Central Intelligens* Agen0Y1 The
organization 'out of existence' is surely urgent.
It seem* to me that they have diequalified themeelves by the
methods they have used in various countries Singapore, Vietnam, and
finally Santo Domingo...."
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"1 was shocked to read la the newspaper that our State Department
and CIA officialS have attempted to bribe or rnai eff' two or the leading
anti-communist generals of tbe Dominican Repalla in an apparent attempt
to give the control of the 'country to the Communist rebels."
"1 have been horrified to read of the betrayal of PlUitan by your
administration. I understand from reliable sources that tbe
actually enaouraged India to attack Pakistan."
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"The neighbors ( ral columns) and you
knowrwhat Mr. 'resident1 They agreed unanimously that these eouple of
aim more euectnetly put into words their selSsan* feelings than it
thew had written to express them vidually. (Enclosed column by
admit Starnes on Singapore which began: "the vast, bumbling bureau..
crony *fib* Central Intelligence Agency lately has been revealed as the
profligate disbursing agent of millions of unaccountable U.S. dollars.")
Atter reed
think that our high
CESIMAN SCUMS =MOM co
has had to admit thet_an agent
*bribe of 43.3 tiirti soma five Years
Yew of Singapore...This is diegrametal
we ever know just Vim% the Mhos been
I as ahoehed to
low." (Enclosed
Deportment
Agenay offered
to Prins Mil:deter Les Mon
questions: Will
yeare?")
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"I hare been nuch concerned, *out the activltims of the CIA and an
enclosing an editorial free our daily paper that expeesees that I have
been thinking prebably better than I amid." (Enalosed editorial which
begant "Although It happened under the directorship of Allen Wiles
bank in the Steinhauer administration, the Central Intelligence ligency
owe more has been the AMMO of American embarrassmeat and humiliation.
There can be no doubt that the CIA is a vital mvernment operation. There
is every reason to believe that, on the working 'level,' the CIA is the
acitalt 4:if any intelligence organization in the world, with brave, dedicated
and iiitalligiut operatives. But with the U2 insident, the Bey of Pigs and
the now resurrected Singapore episode, the confidence of the American
people lathe atainistrative level of the CIA Si badly shaken.")
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"The cloak and 4agger activities of th?exA at times appear to be
a fourth branch of government, but not answerable to the other three.
It is both frightening and fanteetie.
"More disturbing than the fiasco* of the CIA, however, is this
government's lack of a positive foreign policy save that of anti.
Communiam.? (Enclosed BAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE column Which stated:
"The Central Intelligence Agency is apparently involved in that news
stories described as an episode edbarressing to the American EMassy
in Saigon, with at least three CIA officers reportedly declared persona
non grata by the Vietnam government.'
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