LETTER OF INFORMATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00586R000300260001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 21, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: December 21, 1967
• Content Type: MEMO

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? 21 December 1967
MEMORANDUM FOR: Staff Personnel
SUBJECT: Letter of Information
GENERAL
-1. Cyprus Emtroencv: .The Mediterranean Bureau's facility at
.Karavas was reopened 5 December with the easing of tensions between
Greece and Turkey over Cyprus. FB/S 'dependents, who had been
evacuated to Beirut, returned to the Kyrenia area on 9 December.
Chief, Wire Services Staff, was assigned to
Beirut 26 November.- 9 December to assist on problems connected with
the evacuation.
Mediterranean Bureau Chief reported that on
20 Ncivember, in the face of the growing tbreat of Turkish invasion,
the American Ambassador to-Cyprus placed the bureau On a standby
evacuation alert,. All evacuables were advised to keep bags packed
and remain in the immediate Kyrenia area. Arrangements made previously
with the Regional Radio Officer for relocation of bureau operations to
the State Department Relay Station at Yerolakkos, near Nicosia and away
from the vulnerable northern coast, were then implemented. Four two-
receiver monitoring positions were set up dt Yerolakkos, a long-wire
antenna for mediumwave reception was run out on existing rhombic antenna
supports, a Relay Station teleprinter was put in standby, and essential
supplies were stockpiled.
reported: At 7:30 p.m. on 22 November, 'when many
FBIS people were just sitting down to dinner, the order came from the
Embassy to move all evacnables to the Nicosia Hilton Hotel immediately.
The exodus of families by private automobile began at once." Classified
materials were Moved by U.S. Marine guards to Embassy vaulted areas.
Editor one Turkish monitor, one Greek monitor, and one
teletypist remained on duty at Karavas as other personnel departed. Two
local teletypists were assigned to Yerolakkos on TDY. At 11:15 p.m. .
Yerolakkos was operational and monitors on duty, and the Karavas operation
was closed. Difficulties were surmounted in getting Turkish personnel
through the Kyretia Greek checkpoint.
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 21 December 1967
On Thanksgiving Day, with the Turkish invasion still post-
poned, a crew of MIS engineering personnel returned to Karavas to
transfer more equipment in a bureau bus to the Yeroiakkos site, Which
enabled 48 hours of radio coverage daily at the emergency operatiOn.
Local guards, meanwhile, made checks of the bureau premises at Karavas.
. .
At 0200 local time 24 November war appeared so close that the
decision was made by the Ambassador to airlift dependents of employees
at U.S. installations to Beirut by chartefed aircraft: A bureau adminis-
trative assistant was sent to Beirut to assist in FBIS evacuee problems.
Plans were also formulated for a further fallback of 'the monitoring
:operation but were not implemented when the crisis eased on .30 November.
The bureau began to move its operations back to Karavas 4 December.
(SECRET)
' 2. Mideast Coverage: In connection with the 13 December abortive
countercoup in Greece, the? FBIS Wire Service provided thorough--a total
of 38 items on 13 December alone--and fast coverage of the event, carrying
material monitored by the Mediterranean Bureau directly from Athens and
the regional Greek radios and running consistently ahead of Western press
services on major developments. An Fit on an Athens radio pronouncement
on the countercoup, broadcast by'Athens In Greek at 1300 GMT, cleared the
Wire at 1315.. The official Athens' announcement that the King was leading
the Countercoup cleared.17 minutes after broadcast, and the bulletin on
tine "crushing" of the attempt cleared 16 minutes after broadcast. On the
latter development, the Wire was one hour and 15 minutes ahead of the first
press agency bulletin. A State Operations Center 50X1
situation report quoted FBIS extensively on stateMents and appeals of the
"junta-controlled radio." ' (SECRET)
.? The Wire also provided sustained Coverage of the Greek-Turkish
confrontation over Cyprus, carrying an average of more than 20 items daily
from 21 November through 2 December. (FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY)
3. London Press Monitoring: Between 7 and 21 November the London
Press Monitoring Unit began processing of material from Pravda Izvestiya,
,and Red Star. Four press monitors entered on duty in November, making
a total of five actually employed, 'and clearances were received on an
additional nine 'press monitors, and three typist-teletypists. By the end
of November teletype equipment and circuitry were ready to be Connected at
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 21 December 1967
the new PMU office in Wembley Park. During its first partial month of
operations the PMU wirefiled 31,000 words and airmailed 10,000 words
from the Soviet press. (CONFIDENTIAL)
SERVICES AND REQUIREMENTS
4. Special Services: Stokely Carmichael's return to the United
States after a five-month tour abroad generated several requests for
tape recordings of his statements as broadcast by foreign radios and for
radio and press reaction to his activities. In response to a request
from the Justice. Department, the' Publications Division collated and
prepared for publication 15 December a 54-page Special Memorandum on
Carmichael's activities and statements from 6 October to 12 December.
(CONFIDENTIAL)
An urgent request from an Organization component for tape
recordings of U.S. defector John D. Smith's statements broadcast by
Pedio MOSCOW was met. The London Bureau had anticipated the request and
already dispatched the tapes to Headquarters. (CONFIDENTZAL)
An extensive check of Havana broadcasts in English and French to
Canada, conducted by the East Coast Bureau, indicated that Cuba was not
biloadcasting inflammatory material to Canada, as had been reported. The
search was in response to State and qrganization requirements. (CONFIDENTIAL!)
Other special services included.a package of DRV press materials
pro,gired by the South and East Aiia Branch, Asia Division, for a congress-
man interested in attitudes expressed in DRV publications; information on
the new Soviet helicopter carrier, supplied to the Navy by the USSR
DivisionSs Political/Military Brandi; and tapes of Burmese language
materials for NSA, supplied by the Bangkok Bureau. (SECRET)
5. Support of U.S. Missions: Information on Moscow's Peace and
Progress broadcasts, including A statistical study prernred by' the
Monitoring Operations Section, was forwarded to State Department and
Organization components for vouching to the Embassy in Delhi. Field'
bureaus have been asked to file laterally to U.S. Army Headquarters in
Heidelberg processed reportage. and comment from all sources on military
maneuvers and related developments in USSR and East European countries.
The U.S. Eabassy in Santa Domingo has levied a requirement for Moscow
broadcasts in French and Creole on Haiti. Bureaus covering Latin America
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 21 December 1967
were requested to supply U.S. Missions in Madrid and London with
references tO the.: disappearance of the Dominican ambassador to London.
Bangkok Bureau teletypists are now preparing mats for communist clandes-
tine program summaries for reproduction by the U.S. Embassy for various
components of the mission in Thailand, including USIS posts in the
Northeast. (CONFIDENTIAL)
6. Propaganda Analysis: PAD supplied the DDI SpecialResearch
Staff,'st its request, with copies of a large segment of a new card file
on Hanoi Key.Themes as well as with Spies of Trends and purvey articles
on Vietnam since 1965 in support of a study of North Vietnamese &eadership
attitudes being prepared at DDI direction. The Hanoi Key Themes cards
now number more than 2,500 in some 55 categories relating to military
doctrine; strategy, and tactics, the, allied pacification program, North-
South Vietnam relations, DRV and Liberation Front relations with Moscow
and ?eking, and political settlement. (SECRET)
A compilation of Asian communist leaders' statements reflecting
militancy and inflexibility was prepared by PAD analystS at OCI request
in response to a requirement levied on the Organization Py the office of
the Vice President. The 20-page compilation included statements by
Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Burmeee communist spokesmen. (SECRET)
Special Report CD. 281, "Communist Propaganda Reaction to the -
U.S. Decision on a Limited ABM? SysteM," respofided to special interest on
the part of Organization components and the office of the Secretary of
Defense. CD. 282, ."The Left Opportunism and Military Adventurism of
reng Te-huai and Lo Jul-thing," examined the Maoist propaganda case
against the two discredited Chinese communist military leaders.
\(CONFIDENTIAL)
Vietnam services included the 10th in the PAD Series of monthly
Special Memorandums on Hanoi claims of diviliSn casualties from U.S. air
strikes. A memorandum from MACV Saigon described these reports, instituted
at State Department request, as "extremely helpful in the performance of our
mission." (CONFIDENTIAL)
7.- Press and Document Exploitation: The USSR Division has sent to
the London ,Press Monitoring Unit the first of a series of Assessments and -
guidance on processing of newspapers being monitored in the new London
operation, The division checks London selections against requirements ?
and comments on appropriateness of processing, language, and terminology.
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 21 December 1967
Among its various regular services during the past month the USSR Division
completed a 17-page urgett translation of a Payanskiy article in KOMMUnist
which was published in the Daily Report and immediately .distributed to
interested Organization components. (CONFIDENTIAL)
Receipt of Red Guard newspapers was slower in November, but some
16 monographs totaling 200 pages on Red Guard activities were processed.
Ahe Asia Division also received some 167 non-metropolitan newspapers with
considerable economic data. The South and East Atria Branch received four
new Cambodian dailies, published since the Cambodian Government banned
private neWspapers. The Saigon Bureau and Asia Diviidon established a
system for speeding up processing of North Vietnam's Hoc Tap. (SECRET)
The Czechoslovak/Hungary Branch of EM) submitted for inclusion
.in a USSR Division series two Czechorilovak articles ccnfirming speculation
that Soyuz-X,-in which Soviet astronaut Komarov was killed, was. originally
planned as text of a two-spacecraft .docking exercise. Three handwritten
diaries captured from "Che" Guevara end his companions were translated
for an Organization component by a team from the EM) Latin America and
Language Services branches. (SECRET)
8. Coordination With Other Agencies: In Saigon, the U.S. Public
Affairs Office, the EMbassy, and the Saigon Bureau have agreed to share
in the preparation of the review of the Saigon daily press. The new
arrangement permits the bureau to scan only five papers instead of 14
daily, thus enbbling monitors to devote additional time to communist
materials. (FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY)
9. Commendations: Hewson A. Ryan, Deputy Director for Policy .
?
and Research of USIA, expressed appreciation for "splendid support" in
a USIA study of AFp's Africa file. Material for the project was supplied
by the East Coast Bureau in September: The Chief of Special Staff, OCI,
expressed appreciation for PAD's "thoiroughness and speed of response? in
fulfilling a requirement for a compilation of recent statements Asian
Communist leaders.
The was praised in a memorandum from Myron C. 50X1
Nagurney, of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, for "accurate
translation and timely delivery" of materials for a forthcoming United
Nations conference on space. The Business and Defense Services Adminis-
tration, Department of Commerce, .also praised the contractual facility for
"both 'speed and quality" in handling translations of Japanese industrial
and product classifications used in comparing U.S. and Japanese economic
statistics. (CONFIDENTIAL) ? '
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 21 December 1967
A high-level Organization officer commended EAD staff members
who translated the diaries captured with "Che" Guevara, noting that the
work was "accomplished with a high degree of accuracy despite difficulties
in reading handwritten material." The commendation also noted that the
"speed with which the material was translated enhanced the intelligence
value of these significant documents." (SECRET)
The 'Office of Economic, Research commended the Near East/North
Africa Branch of Asia Division for "excellent support" in reporting on
the Near East situation, in particular with regard to developments in
Jordan, Egypt, and Algeria. (SECRET) -
PUBLICATIONS
10. Daily Report Supplements: Exeept for a forthcoming Index,
USSR/EE Branch wound up its coverage of the Soviet celebration with
Volumes 2I, XII, and XIII. of ."Materials on the 50th Anniversary of the
Great October Revolution," published as Supplements dated respectively
21 November, 88 pages;- 24 November, 91 pages; and 14 December 91 pages.
During the sane period the sane branch issued four other Supplements:
"Materials on October 1967 USSR Republic Supreme Soviet Sessions, S3
pages, 25 &getter; "Materials on 23-24 November Plenum of the SED
Central Committee," 89 pages, 7.Decembet; "Materials on League Central
Committee Sessions'; Work Theses of the Socialist Alliance of the Working
People ct Yugoslavia," '$8 pages, 22 December; and "Materials 'on 6-8 ?
December National Conference of the Rumanian Communist Parti," Part I:
Ceausescu ,Speech, 56 paget, 13 December. London and Austrian bureaus
were large contributors, as was HeadquarterS USSR Division. German ,
Bureau prePared all of the SED material on mats ready for reproduction.
Other items from Okinawa, African, And Tokyo Bureaus were also incor-
porated,in the supplements. (UNCLASSIFIED)
11. Editorial Training Manual: A new Editorial Training Manual has
been formalized after experimentation with the training program over a
three-month period. Training of editors is now being given high priority
by the Publications Division to increase editorial quality in general and
prepare .editors for field assignment. (FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY)
12. Contractual Facility: The Publications Division as issued a
policy memorandum on administration and operation of the contractual
facility, which provides for formalization of quality control or
contractual translations, the systematid rotation of Staff personnel similar
to that of other FBIS field personnel, and greater flexibility for.field
office chiefs ifteatablishing contractual rates. (SECRET)
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 21'December-1967
13. Duplication Prevention: About 1,300'sequirements and inquiries
were processed by the Consolidated Translation Survey unit during
Novmmber. These included 154 requests for translations totaling 6,914
pages which were already available. The anti-duplication effort rep-
resented savings to the government of some' $35000, (FOR OFFICIAL USE
ONLY)
14. Broadcasting Stations of the World: 'Delivery of the 21st edition
of Broadcasting Stations of the World was made on 15,Decemter. A -
total of 177 sets of the publication were distributed to Agency and
other gevernment offices. The four-volume sets are again available to
the public through the Government Printing Office eta cost of $8.50
per set. The Agency's Legielative Counsel requested the Liaison and
Requirements staff to include certain Congressmen in the list of
recipients. (CONFIDENTIAL) '
FIELD5OPERATIONS
15. Saigon Communications: For the first time since the establish -
meet of the Saigon Bureau at teletype communications terminal has been
installed 'on bureau premises. FBIS traffic thus no longer competes with
Embassy traffic for preparation and there is direct operationalacontrol of
operators, handling bureau traffic. Formerly the bureau relied on the
EMbassy's teletype unit. (CONFIDENTIAL)''
i6.
16. ? Reception Surveys: Okinawa BureaU Cruising Monitor
conducted reception surveys at the BBC Monitoring Unit in Hong Kong 3-11
November and at the Banecok Bureau 29 November-1 December.
ENGINEERING
17. Caribbean Bureau: FBIS took beneficial occupancy of the
Caribbean Bureau from the contractor on 29 November. The overall
construction contract was estimated to be 97.6 percent completed. Final
inspection of the new bureau is planned for mid-January 1968. (SECRET)
18. Hokkaido Bureau: Planning with the Air Force and Kuma.Station
was started on an interim-period operations building hear the Kuma
Station operations building, and near the site selected for the FBIS
permanent building. , The interim location will allow FBIS to use the
better Kuma Station antennas' sooner and will allow the Air Force to
occupy the current-FBIS -Operations site it Carp Strong in the spring.
(SECRET)
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SUBJECT:. Letter. of Information, 21 December 1967
MISCELLANEOUS
19. Editorial Assistants: Foreign national personnel hired to
qssist Bureau editors and PMU officers in editorial-type functions
such as copyreading, polishing, and proofing translated materials,
or in preparing such items as commentary lists for editors, should
be described-as Editorial Assistants. This would similarly apply
to U.S. citizens hired abroad on contract for such purposes. The
term "foreign national editor" should not be used because of pessible
confusion within and without MIS with the duties And responsibilities
of Staff editors. (CONFIDENTIAL)
20. FBIS History: The first draft of a history of PBIS from 1941
to 1947 has been completed by an annuitant who is
now .the only fulltime writer on the project.? A history of the former
Foreign Documents DivisionJrom 1946 to 1952 has been submitted for
the review of the chairman of the DDI Historical Board. The initial
draft of the MIS history was based on more than 600 cubic feet of
materials in the National Archives. The draft of the 1947-1967 '
period of the FBIS history will be based on materials in Organisation
record centers and interviews with FBIS personnel who made the history
now being documented. (SECRET/
21. Fund Drives: PHIS personnel contributed $276.88 to the Educa-
tional Aid Fund and $295.37 to the Public Service Aid Sodiety. This was
in addition to 86048.80 which was contributed to the Consolidated Fund,
Dirve. The PHIS CFD goal was 1506.oq, which was thus exceeded by '
23.8%. (UNCLASSIFIED)
22. BBC'Monitoring Service: Mr. John Rae, a former administrative
officer of the BBC Monitoring Service, became Head of the Monitoring
Service on 17 November, succeeding Mr. John Campbell, who retired after
14 yearns dire4or of the BBC service. (UNCLASSIFIED)
23. Briefings and Visits:. The Director, PBI, visited the Key lest,
Panama, and Caribbean Bureaus 1-14 December, The Chief of Operations
visited the Middle Bast 1-16 December in connection with overseas
planning. Liaison activities included the attendance of the Chief, Austrian
Bureau, at a coverage coordination meeting with the BBC 27-30 November
in Caversham, and visits by the Chief, Key West Bureau, on 21 November
with the Coordinator :of Cuban Affairs, Department of State, and the
Chief of the USIA bureau in Miami.
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 21 December 1967
Visitors to bureaus included Mt. Chaluay Bichaisordat, chief
of the Thai Interior Ministry's monitoring service, at the Bangkok
Bureau 27 November; Mr. Nat Kingsley, Head of the News Department,
RFE Munich, and Mr. TalhntAinnA Chief nf RFT LeIndon at the Lolon
Bureau 3 Noveiber; andd
Intelligence Agency, at the East Coast Bureau, 14 November. USIA
analysts on communist broadcasting activities visited the Monitoring
Operations Section in Headquarters. (CONFIDENTIAL)
ADMINISTRATION
24. Field Reassignment Questionnaire. The Support Career Service
requires its members to submit a Field Reassignment Questionnaire
(Form 202) eight months prior to the completion of .a tour. The '
questionnaire is used in planning the Support Officer's nett assign-
ment. Requests for extensions ay be indicated on this form, but it .
would be to the individuals.advantage to. submit a request for extension..
or additional tour immediately after completing one year in an
assignment. The form is classified and may be obtained from Headquarters.
(SECRET) '
25. Wage Scale Revisions: Bureaus should direct requests for in-
formation about wage scale revisions and requests to make such revisions
to the Chief, Administrative Staff, who will coordinate them as necessary
with the appropriate Headquarters components. (FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY)
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26. Training;
attended training
a.
b.
During the reporting period the following
courses: (SECRET) ?
personnel
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Chief; USSR Division - Executive
Ulentation in PPBS; 20-22
November 1967
West Coaat Bureau and
Chief.
Executive ?r
Chief,
en a on
in PPBS, 11 and 12 December
1967
C.
Deputy
Chief, USSR Division - Advanced
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Management Planning,
26 November - 1 December 1967
d.
Chief,
Engineering Staff - Brookings
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Science Conference, 3
- 8 December 1967
e.
Chief Life Sciences Branch,
USSR
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Chief, Far East
Branch,
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uivision and
Publications Division
- Management, Is - 8 December
1967
f.
Area
Officer, USSR Division - Bathetic -I ' 50X1
Missile Staff, Course, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California,
11-14 December 1967.
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SUBJECT: LettervorInfortation, 21 December 1967
In the Editorial-Training.ManUal please make the following
pen and ink change on-page-5, .Section D (Phase'4)., para.-1, firat
sentence: Change period' tocomma, and add: "where he will revert to
'heavy'. editing." (UNCLASSIFIED)
. -
28. Regulatory-Issuancet: The following regulatory is-suancbs
were disseminated: (SECRET)
PFAISONNEL
29. New EntUyees
30. ReassignMents.
'Assignment
Area Officer, Asia Division
Editor', Publications Division
TeletyPiat, Wire Services Staff
From ' To'
Engineeting Staif Deputy Chief, FOS
Deptty-Chief
German Bureau EM)
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information, 21 December 1967
31. Resiwations
32. Retirements
33. TDY in Washington
From
Info Control Clerk, Publications Division 50X1
Area Officer, Europe/Africa/Latin 4
America Division
Teletypist% Wire Services Staff
Teletypist, East Coast Bureau
Area Officer, Europe/AfricaALatin
America Division
. .
Typist, Publications Division
Area Officer, Europe/Africa/Latin
'America Division
From
Editor, Publications Division 50X1
Area Officer, Asia Division,
- Chief, Saigon-Bureau, consultation while
:.on leave and return to Saigon
- Chief, Africa Bureau, consultation while on
leave and teturn to Africa
C ng, rector
Foreigth I oadcast Information Service
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