LETTER OF INFORMATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00586R000300230002-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 15, 2013
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: December 26, 1962
• Content Type: MEMO

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MEMORANDUM FOR: Bureau Chiefs
FROM : Chief, FBIS
SUBJECT : Letter of Information
GENERAL
26 November 1962
1. The Cuban crisis overshadowed all other factors in its impact on PHIS
operations. Special services included:
a. Shortly after the President's speech on 22 October, Cuban broad-
casters began round-the-clock transmissions. The staff at Key West Post
was increased to six with the TDY assignment of of Edi- 50X1
tonal Branch, of RPB, and of West Coast 50X1
Bureau. A 24-hour watch on Cuban domestic broadcasters was set up. East
Coast Bureau placed a 24-hour watch on PRENSA LATINA and Cuban international
broadcasts. Moscow at the height of the crisis: increased its broadcasts to
Cuba tenfold and continues to maintain this level. BBC rendered valuable
and appreciated assistance by assuming coverage of all Moscow broadcasts to
Cuba, a total of 10 hours per day. 50X1
b. Two World Reaction Series supplements to the Daily Report were pub-
lished summing up foreign radio and press reaction to (1) PresidentKennedy's
22 October speech, and (2) Chairman Khrushchev's 28 October message agreeing
to dismantle the missile bases in Cuba. Advance copies of both reports were
reproduced within FBID for immediate distribution by special courier to the
Director of Central Intelligence, the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence,
The Deputy Director (Intelligence), the Assistant Director for Current Intel-
ligence, the White House Situation Room, the National Security Council, the
Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the Director of the U. S.
Information Agency. The Department of State requested extra copies of the
Reaction Report on the President's speech to send to all U. S. diplomatic
posts in the Western Hemisphere.[ 50X1
c. A team of messengers was used to deliver copies of Khrushchev's 28
October letter, take-by-take as it arrived from London, to the Director's
in-town office at East Building on that Sunday. Emergency arrangements were
made the same day for a teletype FBIS printer in East Building, but service
was not instituted. 50X1
d. With the onset of the Cuban crisis the daily summary of "Significant
Foreign Radio Reportage" ("pink sheet") was expanded each afternoon to pro-
vide Wire consumers with a terse roundup on fast-breaking developments. This
was supplemented every midnight during the week, as well as daytime Saturdays
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information
and Sundays, by roundups updating the "pink sheet." As a result of the con-
centrated effort to keep the intelligence community continuously informed,
the FBIS Wire on 23 October carried more than 57,000 words, highest daily
total in FBIS history. The total for the following day exceeded 54,000.
During the period 23 - 28 October the Wire transmitted an average of 45,000
words per day as against 24,425 daily for the six-month period preceding.
e. The United States delegation at the United Nations was provided
with extra copies of the two Reaction Reports; in addition, the State De-
partment's direct telegraph lines to New York were used to transmit selected
items on developments relating to the Cuban crisis to the U. N. delegation.
f. The Radio Propaganda Branch prepared an average of four analytic
reviews a day for dissemination on the Wire as the crisis developed, tracing
the behavior of Soviet, Chinese Communist, satellite, and Havana media in
the fast-breaking situation. Five such reviews were disseminated on 25
October and six the following day, while the crisis was at its height.
Analytic coverage was maintained over the weekend when Khrushcheves two
letters to the President were released, and continued through the following
week as difficulties were raised by Castro's efforts to obstruct the U. N.
inspection. These analyses supplemented for OCI and the Department of State
the twice-daily roundups prepared by FBIS Wire editors, and were used exten-
sively by USIA as a basis for press releases and guidance to USIS field posts.
g. Edited compendiums of the daily analytic reviews, expanded and amal-
gamated, were issued under Radio Propaganda Report cover:
(1) CD. 214 of 30 October, "Chronicle of Soviet Propaganda on the
Cuban Crisis, 23 - 30 October"
(2) CD. 215 of 2 November, "Peking Propaganda on the Cuban Crisis
through 1 November, with a Review of Satellite Comment"
(3) CD. 216 of 6 November, "Behavior of Havana Media During the
Cuban Crisis," issued as Report No. 1 in the new Radio Prop-
aganda Report series on Cuban media.
Ii. Radio Propaganda Report CD. 217 of 13 November, "Behavior of the
Soviet Central Press During the Cuban Crisis," reviewed the contents of
Moscow newspapers during the week 23 - 29 October in order to fill out the
documentary record presented in the initial "Chronicle of Soviet Propaganda"
based largely on Radio Moscow and TASS.
i. Radio Propaganda Report RS. 54 of 9 November, "Some Aspects of Prop-
aganda Bearing on the Soviet Leadership Situation," examined renewed anti-
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information
Stalin propaganda during the period just before and during the
though ostensibly unrelated to the Cuba missile-base strategy,
light on the leadership situation during that critical period.
2. Further Cuban Crisis Developments:
crisis which,
shed some
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lit% s. The video tape recorder at the Key West Post was placed into opera-
i:ional use recording Havana telecasts on 30 October. The first video tapes
have been forwarded to Graphics Register, OCR, for evaluation and exploitation.
During the military buildup at Key West, the Navy installed several strong
shortwave transmitters close to the Post operations site. The only serious
electronic interference experienced was in the video recording mechanism.
Complete coppe hielding of the recorder room successfully overcame
this problem. 50X1
b. Engineer was detailed from Headquarters to the Eas50X1
Coast Bureau to expedite work on the mobile monitoring unit. nvi
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c. Division Emergency and War Plans were reviewed. Initial Emergency
Force personnel in Headquarters were thoroughly briefed by the Division Chief
and an advance party of four individuals was selected to proceed to the de-
signated wartime relocation center had the Government gone into Defense
Condition II.
d. Numerous miscellaneous requests by Agency components and other
Government activities for details of broadcast information were handled by
FBIS throughout the Cuban crisis. There was a marked increase in requests
for information on USSR and Communist China broadcast efforts.
e. On 20 October,
Panama Post went on a
Havana transmitters at
was maintarriment
bilities.
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48 hours before the President's speech on Cuba, the
24-hour operation to maintain a continuing watch on
the request of the Caribbean Command. This coverage
to the Bureau's normal coverage responsi-
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r. The Foreign Documents Division generously loaned FBID three highly
skilled Spanish linguists, t50X1
work at the East Coast Buieau to cover tne taitNSA LATINA file. The three
FDD employees furnished the Bureau a total of three and one-half man dars
and their very valuable assistance was greatly appreciated. 50X1
g. FYIls from the field on world reaction as well as Soviet domestic,
regional and international service treatment of the Cuban crisis provided a
valuable adjunct to the extensive textual coverage on the Wire. The London
Bureau also prepared a wither of roundups of Moscow domestic broadcasts to
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information
assist RFD in filling consumer requests for information on Soviet propaganda
reactions.
h. The Chief, Internal Affairs Section, RFB attended a meeting of the
Board of National Estimates held to discuss an ONE Staff Memorandum on impli-
cations of the Cuban crisis for the Soviet leadership situation and Sino-
Soviet bloc relations.
3. RPB Reports and Services Unrelated to the Caen Crisis:
a. Radio Propaganda Report CD. 213 analred the Soviet slogans issued
for the October Revolution anniversary. (Confidential)
b. A propaganda-analysis item on the Wire called attention to Communist
China's abandonment of Mao's 10-year plan for agricultural mechanization,
as revealed in a People's Daily editorial of 9 November.
c. Analysis support cables for the Agency representative on the C. S.
disarmament delegation in Geneva continued, supplementing the textual ma-
terials supplied by the field.
4. Hong Kong and Taiwan Tests:
have completed the reception survey in Hong Kong and Taiwan and have returned to
their regular duty stations. The recordings of Chinese regional stations made in
Hong Kong by the team are now being processed at the West Coast Bureau. Evaluation
of the survey results is underway.
6. Editorial Target Format: A new format was established for the weekly edi-
torial-target list formerly prepared on a consolidated basis by the Liaison and Re-
quirements Staff for distribution to all bureaus and over 200 other consumers. In
order to call individual bureaus' attention to specific targets in their coverage
areas, henceforth targets will be sent to selected bureaus only. ari expanded list
of contributors to the new target system was also provided for. The National
Security Council and White House will henceforth contribute to these targets.
It is felt that the new system will speed the flow of worthwhile guidance to
those bureaus which need it; cut down on unnecessary material heaetofore in-
eluded for bureaus Which could not provide certain items; and act as a vehicle
for providing ad hoc guidance from Headquarters editors and Analysts on standard-
ization of terms, spelling of names, and other information deemed not sufficiently
timely or universal for an admin message or inclusion in the monthly letter of 1:-
formation.
7. Information Media Contacts: Reports of contact with a public informaaion
media should henceforth be addressed to the Liaison and Requirements Staff for
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Headquarters' processing. Bureaus whicI do not have a suanly of fra standard form
should request them by letter to L & R.
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information
8. High sel Filing Times: Bureaus filed 8 "YY"and 26 "00" items to
Washington urTI-K; October 1962. Average transit time to Washington -- message
sign-off to time of receipt -- follows: ECB, 1 "00", 5 minutes; Key West, 2
"YY", 48 minutes; London, 8 "00", 11 minutes; WCB, 3 "00", 4 minutes; Okinawa
2 "YY" (common-user), 49 minutes; 3 "YY" (allocated circuit) 7 minutes; 1 "00"
common-user) 86 minutes; 9 "00" (allocated circuit), 25 minutes. 50X1
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9. Semiannual. Review: The Liaison and Requirements Staff completed its
semiannual review of continuing requirements levied on FBIS by members of the in-
telligence community. After surveying all the special services collated in the
January list and the subsequent monthly listing of requirements, 17 standing re-
quirements were cancelled. A new consolidated listing will be sent to all field
bureaus in January. The listing of lateral services performed by individual
bureaus will he lilted and distributed in consolidated form in February.
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10. Operating Time Schedules: Copies of the latest version of the FBIS
bureaus' operating time schedules were distributed in October. Bureaus were asked
to keep FOS advised of any changes which should be made when this chart is revised.
No more copies are available of the present chart. 50X1
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information
EDITORIAL COMMENT
GENERAL
Headquarters still receives a number of names which, though enclosed in
brackets with accompanying question marks, appear to be phonetic. All editors
are urged to study page A 11 of the recently revised Editorial Handbook for
present requirements in this regard, as failure to indicate that a clearly heard
but undheckable name is phonetic may dsprive Headquarters or consumers of an im-
portant clue. For example, Lord (Home?) means that the name, though checkable,
was not heard clearly, while (Hume -- phonetic) means that the name was heard
clearly but could not be checked for spelling.
London Bureau
In briefs, specific time and place must be indicated when the date line is
missing or incomplete. The adverbs "here" and "tomorrow", for example, are mean-
ingless without a frame of reference. The chief difficulty is with Kenya-monitored
items.
German Bureau
Caution should be used in attributing parenthetical remarks appearing in
press scrutiny material. In a recent translation some parenthetical remarks were
attributed to the newspaper, though the nature of the document strongly indicated
that the observations were inherent in the original text. In cases where doubt
exists as to proper attribution of such remarks, editors should simply note for
Headquarters guidance that parentheses are given as printed.
Austrian Bureau
The value of items processed from Soviet and Satellite newspapers is enhanced
by the extensive use of Excerpts rather than Summary With Quotations. Although
summarizing may accurately condense a text and reflect the general tone, for
analysis purposes only excerpts may be quoted. Some summarized portions of press
items processed by the bureau are only a few lines shorter than they would be if
excerpted. The effect of this is to deny the analyst quotable passages without
materially reducing monitor translating time or teletype space.
Okinawa and West Coast Bureaus
1. NCNA page numbers given in lengthy items should be retained in copy filed
to Washington, as these divisions facilitate pinpointing of passages being com-
pared or corrected.
2. Originally unattributed parenthetical notes or ellipses in press agency
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copy should not arbitrarily be attributed to the agency. Instead, the notation
"brackets as received" or "ellipses as received" should be used.
Saigon Bureau
Through actual practice a completely adequate and satisfactory procedure has
been devised for the handling of Nhan Dan and Hoc Tap material by the bureau and
FDD through Headquarters liaison. This not only reduces duplication of effort
to a minimum but greatly expedites distribution of the material to the intelli-
gence community.
ENGEMOBRING AND FIELD OPERATIONS
1. Minimize Deferred Precedence: During MINIMIZE conditions, Bureaus are
encouraged to make use of the MM (deferred) precedence indicator on wire-filed
traffic that does not require immediate transmission or, in the case of adminis-
trative messages, does not require immediate action or answer by the recipient.
2. Cruising Monitors are commended for their prompt and efficient reporting
of the Moscow and Peking international winter program and 'requency changes. The
most significant changes in Moscow's winter schedule is the extensive increase
in Mandarin broadcasts for China and in English for South and Southeast
Radio Peking did not change its language output but did effect numerous seasonal
frequency alterations.
3. Program Schedule Format: As a result of the recent canvassing of bureaus
on program sChedule format, BIS is planning to standardize program schedule for-
mats in all three books of "Program Schedules of Foreign Broaacasting Stations."
Examples of the various formats to be used -- the format varying according to
schedule complexity -- can be found in Revision No. 37 to Volume 10, Part 3,
dated 5 November 1962. Suggestions from the field for improvement of these for-
mats will be welcome and should be addressed to Chief, Field Operations Staff.
ADMINISTRATION AND MISCELLANEOUS
1. Official Visits:
a. Deputy Chief, FBIS, visited the Key West and
Panama Posts and the West Coast Bureau 13 - 30 October.
b.
, Chief, Field Operations Staff, visited the Key
West Post 9 - 11 October.
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C.
Chief, Engineering Staff, visited the Key West
Post 14 - 16 November.
2. Suggestion Award: Chief, TIU, received a
Suggestion Award for the International Anniversary Desk Calendar which she pro-
posed and designed.
3. Unsigned Documents: Many documents come into Headquarters with no sig-
nature. It is most important that all vouchers, reports and forms carry the sig-
nature of the authorized person as well as the typed name.
4. Salary Table: The new Salary Table 01 was sent to all bureaus.
5. Unit Prices: Bureaus are no longer required to type unit prices on requi-
sitions processed through Headquarters. However, in order to maintain financial
control of purchases, bureaus should list prices used for their financial reports
on the carbon copy of the requisitions supplied to Headquarters.
Personnel:
1. New Employees Assignment
STAT
STAT
Analyst, Bloc Foreign Affairs Section STAT
RPB
Secretary
Editorial Branch
Monitor
West Coast Bureau
Editor, Far East Section
Editorial Branch
Editor, ME/PS/WE/IA Section
Editorial Branch
2.
Reassignments From
To
Senior Editor
Asst. Projects Editor
STAT
London Bureau
Editorial Branch
Chief
Deputy Chief
Hokkaido Bureau
London Bureau
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Reassignments
3. Resignation
From
Senior Editor
Editorial Branch
Editor
Editorial Branch
Senior Editor
Editorial Branch
From
Analyst
RPB
To
Senior Editor
African Bureau
STAT
Analyst, Bloc interna.,
Affairs Section, RF6
Analyst, Bloc Inter(J:.
Affairs Section, APB
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