ALFRED MCCOY INTERVIEWED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00499R000100040006-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 17, 2005
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: August 8, 1972
• Content Type: TRANS

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FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS STAFF
PROGRAM CBS Morning News . STATION
DATE August 8, 1972 7:00 A.M.
ALFRED McCOY INTERVIEWED
WTOP TV
CBS Network
Washington, D.C.
NELSON BENTON: Alfred McCoy is the author of a soon-
to-be-published book entitled "The Politics of Heroin in Southeast
Asia." The already published excerpts and Mr. McCoy's testimony
before a Senate committee have triggered a controversy in government.
A principal allegation of the book is that the Central Intelligence
Agency has frequently looked the other way and allowed its operatives
and airplanes to be used for routing heroin from what Mr. McCoy
calls the Gold Triangle in Southeast Asia; that triangle overlapping
parts of Burma, Thailand and Laos.
His book was delayed in publication while the CIA looked
it'over, and the CIA has written a rebuttal to McCoy's charges.
They wrote the letter to the publisher.
"The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia" is published
by Harper & Row.
Mr. McCoy, the Golden Triangle that you refer to is behind
us. Could you just outline how you.alleged that heroin conies
into South Vietnam and. into the United States from that part of
the world.
ALFRED McCOY: Right. Within the Gold Triangle itself,
about seventy percent of the world's illicit opium supply is produced.
And there're two major corridors out of the Triangle. One is
kind of an overland corridor which begins as a maze of mule trails
in northeastern Burma, right up there, and moves down through
Thailand, across the northern Thai border and down through the
highways of Thailand to the ports along the Gulf of Siam right
down there. And from there. its major route is by Thai trawler
to Hong Kong where there's a very, very large complex-of.heroin
laboratories producing a very, very high grade of heroin for American
consumers.
Then from there it moves into this country from Hong
Kong either through Europe, through Latin America or directly
across the Pacific into the West Coast.
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 Approved Forlease 2005/07/01 :'CIA-RDP84-004900100040006-6
The other major route is an air corridor which begins
among the scattered dirt runways of northern Laos, ends up in
Saigon. And then from there it proceeds either in the form of
morphine base to the heroin laboratories of Europe or in the form
of pure heroin directly across the Pacific to the United States,
routes through Europe into the East Coast of the United States,
or again goes through Latin America and then comes up in the United
St.ates.
region.
.So there're two major routes out of the Gold Triangle
Now the basic group that is involved in the traffic that
provides sort of management expertise,-technical skills, runs
the laboratories, makes the connections, are in Southeast Asia,
are Chinese. These an indigenous, nonpolitical Chinese syndicate
which operates among the overseas Chinese communities throughout
Southeast Asia. and seems to manage most of the technical details
of the traffic.
Transport in the region and political protection for
the traffic is provided by high ranking officials in the various
governments -- Thai, Laotian and the South Vietnamese government.
BENTON: You don't mention -- you don't mention Burma.
And Nelson Gross of the State Department in testimony .1 believe
on the same day that you appeared before the Senate Government
Operations Committee said that the majority of opium. was produced
in Burma rather than -- and that it was produced under the auspices
of a.man by the name of Lo Sing Han (?), I believe. And you don't
refer to him, do you?.
McCOY: In my book I discuss him. The way that the traffic
in northeastern Burma works is that the local level of the traffic,
actually collecting it from the tribes and collecting protection
duty from local caravans into every region is controlled by local
warlords. Almost all of northeastern Burma is out of control
of the government. And it's controlled by either rebels, just
pure bandits, or pro-government militia, all of whom are very,
very autonomous from anybody.
BENTON: What are your allegations about the CIA's involvement
or indifference to this traffic?
McCOY: Yes. There've been a number of cases consistently
throughout the history of the traffic in Southeast Asia where
the CIA's recruited local. mercenaries from the indigenous population,
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whether it be Laotian, whether it be the various kinds of hill
tribes -- Meo, Yau (?), whatever. And it provided aid facilities,
transport for these indigenous mercenaries without making any --
you know, without providing any restrictions on the use of this
aid, use of the transport for the opium traffic. In many cases
.it was actually consciously known that what they were giving was
going to be used to-further the narcotics traffic without doing
anything about it.
And there're a couple of really extraordinary cases.
For example in that rebuttal to my book by the CIA, which you
have in front of you, they say -- they in there talk about the
involvement in the traffic of a gentleman named Major Chau La (?).
Major'Chau La was commander of CIA mercenary troops, or is commander
of CIA mercenary troops in northwestern Laos. And he's operated
since 1965 an opium refinery. That refinery was -- the location
was known by the CIA case officer in the region. As a matter
of fact, at one point the CIA moved one of its top secret bases --
actually shifted its location by quite a. distance in order to
get it away from the refinery because the refinery -- there were
caravans coming in; merchants were coming in; buyers were coming
in and out. And they were afraid that the existence of the refinery
compromised the clandestine nature of its base. So they actually
moved their base to get away from the refinery.
The CIA claims the destruction of that refinery, you
know, in mid 1971-as an example of its commitment to any narcotics
work. What they don't say is they knew that refinery had operated
for six years prior to that destruction with.its full knowledge
and full complicity.
BARRY SARAFIN: Well, Mr. McCoy, this is Barry Sarafin
in. Washington. Why would the CIA get involved in drug traffic?
Why would-it knowingly go along with it?
McCOY: It's not a question of corruption on the individual --
'in the case of individual CIA officers. It's not a matter of
the agency drawing any kind of financial resources from the drug
traffic. It's a simple matter of adjusting oneself to the political
realities of the situation.
In Southeast Asia the CIA in the Gold Triangle region
has allied itself with a number of indigenous tribal groups whose
major cash crop is opium. They've mobilized the total resources
of-these tribes in order to fight the Pathet Lao and the North
Vietnamese Army in northern Laos. The major cash crop of these
people is opium. Therefore the CIA has bowed theirself [sic]
to the economic realities, the political imperatives of the situation
and simply compromised itself to the traffic.
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It has always been that fighting the war, that pursuing
the political and military objectives was,the most important thing
that the CIA had to do or that the United States government, in.
general, had to do, and that all forms of corruption or all forms
of the economy that we didn't approve-of, like the opium traffic,
was something we couldn't deal with now, something we'd deal with
later, perhaps maybe never. But the important thing was the war.
And we pursued that with full vigor, letting everything else go
aside.
BENTONN: Well, the CIA says that it has engaged in a number
o.f -- in its rebuttal it says that it engaged in a number of programs
to combat this. There has been the removal of a Vietnamese General,
General Dzu, I believe, who was alleged to have been connected.
There was a pretty big fuss in Thailand just eight or ten days
ago.
Do you say that the CIA is still ignoring it or isn't
it and other government agencies trying to halt this traffic?
McCOY: I say that, let's say, until mid 1971 certainly
there was almost no'effort on the part of United States officials
in Southeast Asia to do anything seriously about the narcotics
traffic. You had a case, for example, where the largest heroin
laboratory in Southeast Asia, one. of the largest laboratories
in the world, was operating openly, with full knowled e for two
years.of U. S. officials. This is the Bon Hoa Top (?)'Laboratory.'
Its brand, the WO Gold Brand, has turned up in New York, all up
and down the eastern seaboard. It's moving to this country in
enormous quantity. It was the major source of heroin that addicted
U. S. GI's in South Vietnam. The laboratory was operated by the
commander-in-chief of the Royal Laotian Army, an army that was
receiving almost a hundred percent of its military aid from the
United. States government. We did nothing to close down that laboratory
until mid 1971 when there was public pressure on the part of Congress
and the public to do.something about the drug traffic in Southeast
Asia.
Since then narcotics has become a priority. But it's
by no means the top priority. It's no longer possible to say
that the complicity is [as]'extreme as I've talked about in the
past. -It's definitely -- you know, there's been some improvement.
However, it is still a very, very long way from doing anything
positive about correcting the drug traffic.
For example, all of the massive seizures that the administration
has listed in great detail in a number of reports still comprise
less than about three percent of the total opium production in
the region, which leaves ninety-seven percent to come out.
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?BENTON: We're running out of time, and there're a couple
of questions I'd like to get to. Isn't it unusual to submit a
book to a government agency to let them read it before publication?
McCOY: Yes, it's extremely unusual. I myself didn't
agree with the decision on the part of my publisher. But I understand
my publisher's reason for doing so. My publisher was simply --
simply believes that the government agency makes a request for
a manuscript and you should have -- as a publisher have enough
confidence in what you're publishing to be able to show it to
anybody at anytime at any stage during the publication process.
I myself feel that although the review compromised my
principles, my belief that this is certainly -- I feel certainly
-- well, if it had been carried through it would have been a violation
of my First Amendment freedoms and could have set a very, very
dangerous precedent for the press in this country. On the other
hand, I think there would be a strength in my position. I think
what the CIA has had to say in rebuttal to my book is absolutely
pathetic. Their argumentation is extremely weak, extremely vague.
And some of my most controversial sections, the most detailed
section which I detailed very, very closely -- the CIA's cross-
border operations into China, its clandestine operations in northeastern
Burma and their total involvement in.the opium traffic, which
is the most detailed portion of the entire book on the CIA the CIA said not one word about,-no comment whatsoever.
BENTON: You made no changes as a result of...
-McCOY: No. Absolutely not changes were made. As a matter
of fact, Harper & Row,.people at Harper & Row were, I guess, really
amused and dumbstruck by the incredible disparity between the
CIA's initial overtures, which were extremely strong, extremely
militant. At one point in their correspondence they actually
said "'If you decide to publish the book." They thought they were
really going to get Harper & Row to...
BENTON: Well, aren't you -- do you really know what
the CA thinks?
McCOY: Oh, does anybody really know what the CIA thinks,
including the CIA? But that's.a whole...
BENTON: Well, let me ask you about a quote from -- I
think it came from a former CIA agent who must have been one of
your sources, may have been one of your sources. He said that
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6
had the CIA not jumped into this with its criticism of your book
you may have sold four thousand copies. And what I'm going to
is, how much -- I have to ask you this -- how much of what you're
doing now is to hypo sales for a book that's coming out in less
than two weeks? Your appearances before a congressional committee
I realize this is done as a scholarly work, you spent eighteen
months in southeast Asia checking this out, but how much does
an author do of this nature to -- to sell a book that he believes
in?
McCOY: I don't know. All I can simply say is when I
started this book, it was going to be a paperback; there were
maybe going to be three, four, or five thousand copie.s printed.
I did all of the work on the book. I put in all the effort on
the book on the basis of that knowledge and the basis of that
understanding. It's only been really during the latter stages
of production of the book that it was actually moved to a trade
book. And since the CIA's overtures, which just began two months
ago after the book was done, after my scheduled -- my appearances
before Congress were scheduled, that the book has become such
a major issue.
I thought it would be an interesting topic. In the beginning
I. thought it was purely academic. When it became controversial
and the nature of the traffic changed, I thought it might be of
public interest. I had no idea that it was going to -- to mushroom
in such huge proportions. As a matter of fact, it's causing enormous
complications in my life. I just don't have the time to do things.
BENTON: We have some complications in our life: we're
running out of time. Mr. McCoy, thank you very much for being
with us this morning.
McCOY: Thank you very much.
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8AUG1972
usher ar~ Changs in
By Tim O'Brien
Washington Post Ste[r Writer
The Central Intelligence
Agency has sent Harper and
Row, Inc., a detailed critique
of a book the firm is about to
release, saying the work will
do a "disservice" to the fight
against narcotics traffic in
Southeast Asia.
The New York publishing
house, however, has decided to
go ahead with publication of
"The Politics of Heroin in
Southeast Asia" 1;y Alfred W.
McCoy. The firm informed the
CIA that ? "it is our sincere
opinion that IVIr. McCoy's
scholarship remains unshaken`
and we do not see any reason
for making changes in the
text."
The book is highly critical
of the CIA's efforts to sup-
press opium production and
smuggling in Southeast Asia.
On. July 5, CIA. General
Counsel Lawrence R. Houston
wrote to Harper and Row, ask-
ing "to see the text" of the
book. "In the light of the per-
nicious nature of the drug
traffic, allegations concerning
involvement' of the U.S. gov-
errnnent therein or the partici-
pation of American citizens
should be made only if based
on hard. evidence," Houston
wrote. "It is our belief that no
reputable' publishing house
would wish to publish such al-
legations without being as-
sured that the support evi-
dence was valid."
"This, of course, in no way
affects the right of a publisher
to decide what to publish. I
find it difficult to believe,
however, that a responsible
publisher would wish to be as-
sociated with an attack on our
government involving the vi-
cious international drug
traffic without at least trying
to ascertain the facts," he
wrote.
Author . McCoy, when told
that Harper and Row planned
to release galley proofs to the
CIA, protested. He argued in a
letter to B. Brook Thomas, the
firm's vice president and gen-
eral counsel, that "submitting
the manuscript to the CIA for
prior review is to agree to
take the first step toward
ment protection against prior
censorship."
McCoy cited "extralegal ac-
tions" taken by the CIA to ob-
struct the book's publications.
He said, "Visits by the CIA to
Harper and Row, the tele-
phone calls, and the letters
are extralegal attempts by the
CIA to harass and intimidate
me and my publisher."
Thomas replied in a July 18
letter, however: "We want
very much to publish (the
book). But we want even more
to live up to the traditions and
responsibilities of a great pub-
lishing house as we see them.
If we are forced to make a
choice between the two, there
can he no doubt what that
choice must be."
McCoy, under "strong pro-
test," agreed to give the CIA
an advance. copy of his hook.
Ile did so, he said yesterday,
"for pragmatic reasons,"
partly because of the firm's
decision not to publish the,
work if it were not first re-
viewed by the CIA,
Acknowledging receipt of
the manuscript, CIA counsel:
Houston wrote Harper and
Row on July 21: "It is not our
intention to ask you to make
changes in Mr. McCoy's book
even if we believe some of the
stateriients might be harmful
to the government. It is possi-
ble that we might find some
statement which is currently
and properly classified in the
interest of national security. If
so, we will consult with you,
but we believe this'is highly
unlikely. Our primary interest
is in the validity of the evi-
dence with which Mr. McCoy
supports his allegations."
A CIA agent hand-delivered
the agency's formal critique of
the book in a letter dated July
28.
"Mr. McCoy supports his
theme by citing a large num-
ber of allegations, assertions
and interpretations," the 11-
page criticism said. "From an
examination of these, it is
plain that Mr. McCoy has lim-
ited his citations to those sup-
porting his thesis, and he ap-
pears to have ignored availa-
Y
contradict it."
"Mr. McCoy's charges
against the CIA, both directly
and by innuendo, have been
repeated by editorial writers
throughout the nation and
could create an accepted myth
that the CIA has been in-
volved in the drug traffic. The
truth is that CIA has never
Been involved in the drug
traffic and is actively engaged
in fighting against it. We be-
lieve that the effect of Mr.
McCoy's book is to do a dis-
service to this fight and. to dis-
hearten the many sincere peo-
ple -in CIA Who are at least as
concerned about this menace
as Mr. McCoy."
In his book, McCoy argues
that "American diplomats and
secret agents have been in-
volved in the narcotics trzffie
at three levels"--coincidental
complicity by allying with
groups engaged in drug traf-1
ficking; abetting trafficking
by covering tip for Southeast.'
Asian traffickers: and active l
engagement "in the transport!,
of opium and heroin."
The CIA critique covered
several, although not all, o.fi
the illustrations used by
McCoy to substantiate his;
three charges. For example.
McCoy said that Air America I
-"which is really a CIA
charter airline"-has been ac-
tively involved in the trans-
port of opium products out of
Laos. His sources, he said, in-
clude former-Laotian chief of
staff Iiuane Rattikone (him-
self a suspected drug smug-
gler), Laotian air force com-
mander Gen. Thao Ma, a
USAII) officer in Laos, and
McCoy's own interyiews with;
officials in Laotian villages.
The CIA critique said: "We'
believe the statement Mr.;
Paul Velte, Managing Director
of Air America, made on 2
June 1972 in response to these
allegations, labeling them as
`utterly and absolutely false,'
clearly expresses the company
and CIA views on this prat-,
ter."
"General Ouane categori-!
cally denied that Air America i
was in any way involved in
such traffic."
McCoy said yesterday that
"there are over 200 pages off
material on -American opera-1
tions in the (I olden Triangle
area. Out of all that, this is all
they (the CIA) could come up
with. They're . only criticizing
about 2 per cent of my totalI
information."
"The most remarkable thing
about the CIA's critique is
that the agency actually ad-
mitted that one of its own,
mercenary army commanders,
Laotian Gen. Chao La, was
running a heroin lab in north-
western Thailand. Although
the CIA said it destroyed his
laboratory in mid-1971 it had
been optrating since 1,965 m4'i
the agency's full knowled;
he said.
Elisabeth Jakab, the editor
handling the manuscript, said
yesterday that "the industry
has been very cautious on
things like this ever since the
Clifford Irving story broke."
A source at Harper and Bow
said the CIA wrote the pub.
fishing firm that it could
"prove beyond doubt" that
McCoy's facts were wrong.
"They just didn't do it," the
source said.
On Friday, the firm wrote'
the CIA, responding to each of
the agency's criticisms. The
"best service we can render
the author, the CIA and the'
general public is to publish
the book as expeditiously as
possible, and that is what we
intend to do." The book is
s. hedulecl for release on Aug.
17.
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THE WASHINGTON POST Tuesday, Aug. 8, 1972 A3
Publisher Bars Changes in Book
On SE Asia Drugs Hit by CIA
By Tim O'Brien
Washington Post Staff Writer
The Central Intelligence
Agency has sent Harper and
Row, Inc., a detailed critique
of. a book the firm is about to
release, saying the work will
do a "disservice" to the fight
against narcotics traffic in
Southeast Asia.
The New York publishing
house, however, has de bided to
go ahead with publication of
"The Politics of Heroin in
Southeast Asia" by Alfred W.
McCoy. The firm informed the
CIA that "it is our sincere
opinion that Mr. McCoy's
scholarship remains unshaken
and we do not see any reason
for making changes in the
text."
The book is highly critical
of the CIA's efforts to sup-
press opium production and
smuggling in Southeast Asia.
On July 5, CIA General
Counsel Lawrence R. Houston
wrote to Harper and Row, ask-
ing "to see the text" of the
book. "In the light of the per-
nicious nature of the drug
traffic, allegations concerning
involvement of the U.S. gov-
ernment therein or the partici-
pation of American citizens
should be made only if based
on hard evidence," Houston
wrote. "It is our belief that no
reputable publishing house
would wish to publish such al-
legations without being 'as-
sured that the support evi-
dence was valid."
"This, of course, in no way
affects the right of a publisher
to decide what to publish. I
find it difficult to believe,
however, that a responsible
publisher would wish to be as-
sociated with an attack on our
government involving the vi-
cious international drug
traffic without at least trying
to ascertain the facts," he
wrote.
Author McCoy, when told
that Harper and Row planned
to release galley proofs to the
CIA, protested. He argued In a
letter to B. Brook Thomas, the
firm's vice president and gen-
eral counsel, that "submitting
the manuscript to the CIA for
prior review is to agree to
take the first step410pS7Ddi
abandoning the First Amend-
ment protection against prior
censorship."
letter, however: "We want
very much to publish (the
book). But we want even more
to live up to the traditions and
responsibilities of a great pub-
lishing house as we see them.
If we are forced to make a
choice between the two, there
can be no doubt what that
choice must be."
McCoy, under "strong pro-
test," agreed to give the CIA
an advance copy of his book.
He did so, he said yesterday,
"for pragmatic reasons,"
partly because of the firm's
decision not to publish the
work if it were not first re-
viewed by the CIA.
Acknowledging receipt of
the manuscript, CIA counsel
Houston wrote Harper and
Row on July 21: "It is not our
intention to ask you to make
changes in Mr. McCoy's book
even if we believe some of the
statements might be harmful
to the government. It is possi-
ble that we might find some
statement which is currently
and properly classified in the
interest of national security. If
so, we will consult with you,
but we believe this is highly
unlikely. Our primary interest
is in the validity of the evi-
dence with which Mr. McCoy
supports his allegations."
A CIA agent hand-delivered
the agency's formal critique of
the book in a letter dated July
28.
"Mr. McCoy supports his
theme by citing a large num-
ber of allegations, assertions
and interpretations," the 11-
page criticism said. "From an
examination of these, it is
plain that Mr. McCoy has lim-
ited his citations to those sup-
porting his thesis, and he ap-
pears to have ignored availa-
ble information which might
contradict it."
"Mr. McCoy's charges
against the CIA, both directly
and by innuendo, have been
repeated by editorial writers
throughout the nation and
could create an accepted myth
that the CIA has been in-
vol
veed in the drug traffic. The
~
! -"ri tei PQ0A
traffic and is actively engaged
in fighting against it. We be-
lieve that the effect of Mr.
at three levels"-coincidental
complicity by allying with
groups engaged in drug traf
Picking; abetting trafficking
by covering up for Southeast
Asian traffickers; and active
engagement "in the transport
of opium and heroin."
The CIA critique covered
several, although not all, of
the illustrations used by
McCoy to substantiate his
three charges. For example,
McCoy said that Air America
-"which is really a CIA
charter airline"-has been ac-
tively involved in the trans-
port of opium products out of
Laos. His sources, he said, in-
clude former Laotian chief of
staff Ouane Rattikone (him-
self a suspected drug smug-
gler), Laotian air force com-
mander Gen. Thao Ma, a
USAID officer in Laos, and
McCoy's own interviews with
officials in Laotian villages.
The CIA critique said: "We
believe the statement Mr.
Paul Velte, Managing Director
of Air America, made on 2
June 1972 in response to these
allegations, labeling them as
'utterly and absolutely false,'
clearly expresses the company
and CIA views on this mat-
ter."
"General Ouane categori-
cally denied that Air America
was in any way involved in
such traffic."
McCoy said yesterday that
"there are over 200 pages of
material on American opera-
tions in the Golden Triangle
area. Out of all that, this is all
they (the CIA) could come up
with. They're only criticizing
about 2 per cent of my total
information."
"The most remarkable thing
about the CIA's critique is
that the agency actually ad-
mitted that one of its own
mercenary army commanders,
Laotian Gen. Chao La, was
running a heroin lab in north-
western Thailand. Although
the CIA said it destroyed his
laboratory in mid-1971, it had
been optrating since 1965 with
the agency's full knowledge,"
he said.
Elisabeth Jakab, the editor
handling the manuscript, said
yesterday that "the industry
has been very cautious on
things like this ever since the
Clifford Irving story broke."
A source at Harper and Row
said the CIA wrote the pub-
lishing firm that it could
"prove beyond doubt" that
McCoy's facts were wrong.
"They just didn't do it," the
source said.
On Friday, the firm wrote
the CIA, responding to each of
the agency's criticisms. The
"best service we can render
the author, the CIA and the
general public is to publish
the book as expeditiously as
possible, and that is what we
intend to do," The book is
scheduled for release on Aug.
17.
 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
't JULY 1972
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Harper to Show CM Proofs of
New 3ookonAsia iDru Tr ff1c
Marchetti Boole on CIA Still Under Suit
Harper & Row has decided, after
much consideration, to honor a request
from the Central Intelligence Agency to
see page proofs of Alfred W. McCoy's
controversial September 13 book, "The
Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia,"
and to consider "factual" corrections
that the CIA may offer. The publisher,
however, has made no advance com-
mitment to accept any requested
changes.
In his book,.written with Cathleen B.
Read, Mr. McCoy, It 26-year-old student
in Yale's Ph.D. program in history, al-
leges that French, Vietnamese and U.S.
personnel have used the traffic in opium
and heroin in Southeast Asia for their
own ends, and that the CIA and other
U.S. agencies have either accepted or
have responded inadequately to the sit-
uation..Mr. McCoy told Congressional
committees early in June. (including the
foreign olierations subcommittee, headed
by Sen. William Proxmire, D., Wis., of
the Senate Appropriations Committee),
that he had had more than 250 interviews
about the drug traffic, including talks
with CIA and South Vietnamese offi-
cials, and that President Thieu and
Premier Khiem were involved: he gave
details of many allegations which appear
also in the book. 13. Brooks Thomas,
Harper vice-president and general coun-
sel, tells PW he and the editors have
worked. closely with Mr. McCoy on the
manuscript, have insisted on documen-
tation of all material points, and have
had outside experts read it. As a result,
Harper & Row is convinced that tfte
book is well-documented, scholarly and
deserves to be published.
A chapter from the book, adapted,
appears in the July Ilarpcr's magazine.
The magazine has, received a letter from
the CIA's executive director, W. C.
Colby, denying allegations involving the
CIA. Harper's reportedly plans to pub-
lish the letter soon. Mr. Colby and an of-
ficer of Air America (a contract airline
which does work for CIA in Southeast
Asia) also wrote to the Washington Star,
disputing allegations picked up by a Star
columnist from Mr. McCoy's findings.
In these protests, and in its approach to
Harper & Row, the CIA is said to be
departing sharply from its usual policy of
silence concerning criticism.
I larper & Row was approached early
in June, when a representative called
upon Cass Canfield, Sr., former chief
executive, now a senior -editor for the
firm, and said the agency understood the
McCoy manuscript contained serious al-
legations about CIA and other agen-
cies-allegations that he said might be
libelous to individuals or severely dam-
aging to the national interest. The repre-
sentative spoke also to M. S. Wyeth, Jr.,
executive editor of the trade department.
The Harper officials said the manuscript
was not yet ready to be read, but that the
request would be considered.
In weighing their decision, Harper &
Row officials and editors talked among
themselves and with respected publishing
colleagues, including experts in the field
of the freedom to read. On June 30. Mr.
Thomas wrote to the CIA asking the
agency to state its request, with reasons
for it, in writing. The reply, dated July 5,
came from Lawrence R. Houston, gen-
eral counsel of the CIA. He wrote that
the CIA was in no way questioning
Harper & Row's right to publish the
'book, but said, "We believe we could
demonstrate to you that a considerable
number of Mr. McCoy's claims" about
the CIA were "totally false" or "dis-
torted" or "based on unconvincing evi-
dence."
Harper & Row then decided to let the
CIA see the book-subject to the au-
thor's approval, without which, Harper
& Row president Winthrop Knowlton
told PW, the CIA's request would not be
accepted. The author finally accepted the
decision, to let the CIA look at page
proofs only, and to give a quick reply,
with Harper & Row reserving all its op-
tions and reaffirming its right to publish.
"As head of the house of Harper &
Row," Mr. 1nowlton told PW, "I am
sensitive,. like all my colleagues in pub-
lishing, to the problem of censorship,
and if I felt this request involved censor-
ship we would not be agreeing to it. In'
view of the gravity of the allegations, we
? simply think this is the most responsible
r4 C CO V
way we can publish this book."
Ironically, in view of CIA efforts to
refute the charges by Mr. McCoy and
others, personnel of CIA, State and the
Department of Defense completed in
February a report to the Cabinct Com-
mittee on Narcotics Control which but-
tressed many of the charges, according to
Seymour Hersh in a front page New
York Times story, July 24. Mr. Hersh
reviewed the harper-CIA discussions in
the Times of July 22.
The CIA's procedure with respect to
Mr. McCoy's book is in sharp contrast to
government action on an as-yet-
unwritten book, a nonfiction work about
the CIA, which Victor L. Marchetti is
under contract to prepare for Knopf. In
that case, the Justice Department ob-
tained in April a restraining order to
prevent Mr. Marchetti front-publishing
the proposed book, on the ground that it
would be likely to divulge currently clas-
sified information in violation of a se-
crecy agreement that Mr, Marchetti had
made as a CIA employee. Mr. Marchetti
worked for the CIA for 14 years and
resigned in 1969. lie then wrote a novel,
"The Rope Dancer" (Grosser), based on
his observations.
Judge Albert V. Bryan, Jr., U. S. Dis-
trict Court, Alexandria, Va., in issuing
the restraining order, ruled that Mr.
Marchetti's agreement with the CIA
"takes the case out of the scope of the
First Amendment," The American Civil
Liberties Union. representing Mr.
Marchetti, denies this and argues that the
author cannot in fact sign away his First
Amendment rights. The Association of
American Publishers and the Authors
League have filed amicus curiae briefs
supporting Mr. Marchetti in further
court proceedings. (See PW, April 24,
June 5, June 12.)
Approved For Release 2005/07/01 : CIA-RDP84-00499R000100040006-6