LETTER TO LT. COL. GUY RICHARDS FROM ANGUS MACLEAN THUERMER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00780R006100080008-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 27, 2002
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: July 10, 1974
• Content Type: LETTER

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1 0 JUL 1974
Lt. Col. Guy Richards, U" R
344 East 37th Street
New York, New York 1002-
Lear Colonel Richards:
eiJ
IrrIS Registry
FP?
I am pleased to advise you that the eutherities reeposente for claudfication
status of the documents mentioned In my letter of 25 June 1974 have informed this
Agency of declassification action in both cases.
Our normal practice would be to hold the &cures** for you u*U receipt
of payment for search and copying fees, the former calculated at $6.00 per hoer
or fraction thereof, and the latter at 110 per page. HOW4PVIT, in the interests of
expediting the process, we are enclosing the two documents herewith and ask that
you kindly remit a check or money order payable to the 'Treasurer of the Mated
States in the amount of $7.70.
The chief Special Agent ftles, concerning which yes se-queriad us on
28 June, are not part of the records holdings of this Agency, and we doubt that
there would have been any interest in rnakkag them such is* tepritoccupations
with current intelligence matters. Ulstorl*alImezut lathe hems would pre-
sumably rest with the Department of State ilse trightstor aad the National Archives
as repository. The two documents on =found in our files relate to an abortive STAT
STAT interest shown by for employment by the Centml Istelligsace Group in 1947.
We do not have a CIA history and archives Beetles se such, but it is possi
ble for qualified researchers to gain some /ignited aeCeee to Army records.
such privileged access is grunted only to recogaized sebilarly researchers with
a responsible publications recant and involves (a) the ershotation of detailed
biographic data, a well-defined research prospect. and I Aped secrecy
agreement; (13) the conduct of a security investiostiort; (C) the isenence of security
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cleaxnnc as !equtred for reading the pertinent materialit (d) the submission of
all notes r review; and (el Agency approval prior te punk:Mien of manuscript.
'we wish you well in your interesting research area.
Sincessly,
/s/ Angus VladLean Thuetssyt
Enclosures:
fend l (10 pp.)
1SAS/CPB
Angus MacLean Timmer
Assistant to die Director
cl (7
24 Apr 23,
ydc (3 July 1974)
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2 5 JUN 1974
Lt. Col. Guy Richards, UsMCR (net.)
340 Fast 57th Street
New York, New York 10022
!,ear Colonel Richards:
Ce assured that your letter of 28 May 1974 was received and
the congratulatory comments on Mr. Colby's appointment are
appreciated.
Actinp on your request for information that might be found
In files formerly with the Department of State, we contacted Mr.
Oannerman in retirement. fe responded with a lack of knowledge
regarding the men, the files and the missions. However, we have
otherwise located two documents hearing on the activities of
during the period of your interest, and have sent
these to the originating agencies for declassification review.
In addition, we found that Newton A. McCully is mentioned in James
Robert Green's M. A. thesis on "The First Sixty Years of The
Office of Naval Intelligence," done in 19f3 and available through
University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
We shall be back in touch with you when declassification
decisions have been reached on the above documents, or if other
relevant material should come to light.
Sincerely,
7s7 Wilgus MacLean Thuormer
Distribution! Angus MacLean Thuermer
Orig Adse Assistant to the Director
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GUY RICHARDS
340 EAST 57TH STREET
NEW YORK. N. Y. 10022
William E. Colby, Director,
Central Intelligence Agency,
Washington, D.C. 20505
Dipf.us
May 28, 1974
Dear Mr. Colby:
My belated congratulations to you on your
elevation to the high command of the CIA. It is always a
pleasure to note when the search for a good leader covers
the countryside from Point Barrow to Key West and runs
unavailingly through the list of big names in other fields
-- and finally returns home to choose the man best quali?
fied in the eyes of his peers, the guy who was in the
outfit all along, through fair weather and foul.
I know your colleagues are happy about it.
I am appealing to you for help in the
matter of research on very old files that I have been
told the CIA. took over from the State Department in the
late 19401s.
To be more specific, I am the author of
several books rooted to the World Tar I era. The most
recent was "The Hunt for the Czar!' (Doubleday). I have
just about finished another which deals among other
things with U.S. special agents in Europe and Russia
between 1914 and 1930.
Four of these agents interest me particular
ly and I have already amassed a good deal of material
about them. Three were Naval officers affiliated with
the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) as well as with,
at various times, the State Department's own CIA of
those days, the office of Chief Special Agent. All
three officers received high U.S. and Russian decora?
tions. All are deceased. They were:
ewton A. lIcCullv (who became a vice admi?
AT ral) Comsnanderl and Commander Hugo
William Koehle
Commander Koehler, who had a fabulous
career, was a stepfather of the incumbent Senator from
Rhode Island, Claiborne Pell. Senator Pell especially
cherishes the memory of Com. Koehler and has spent a
number of years trying to exhume all the facts about
him both here and abroad. That's how my path crossed
with the Senator's. He is, as you know, not Only a mem?
ber of the Foreign Relations Committee but chairs
several subcommittees which deal with history,
document declassification, archives and the Library of
Congress.
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GUY RICHARDS
340 EAST 57TH STREET
NEW YORK, N. Y. 10022
There is a fourth man involved, a civilian lawyer
from Chicago, who was sent to Poland in 1922-23 on a special
mission for Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes. He is
described in rather mysterious detail by the well-known
author Kenneth Roberts in a non-fiction book, really Roberts!
own memoirs, III Wanted to Write n (Doubleday 1949). The
reference to Mr. Woods runs for several pages, starting on
Page 156, in the middle of the page.
The State Department has informed Senator Pell and
myself that there are no longer any security restrictions on-
matters pertaining to the World War I period and that such -
records it had are now in the National Archives. But a
search of the Archives has revealed almost nothing about the
special missions of those named above.
? Then only the other day in Washington it was called
to my attention that shortly after the creation of the CIA
AT in 1947 Hr. as brought over to the CIA
from his post' as uniei bpecial Agent at State and many of
these old files on the missions of McCully Koehler
Woods, etc., were transferred to the CIA wi n
. ?
My questions, then, are these:
Does the CIA still have available those Chief
. Agent files from State?
If so. do they include those on the missions of
McCully Koehler, Woods?
ou I see them?
Because of his personal relation to Commander
Koehler and his admiration for him, Senator Pell seems to
be as interested in the Issue as I am -- the issue of
finding the facts about what many of these anonymous and
faceless agents did for their country. He has authorized
me to enclose a copy of his letter to me on the subject
whenever I address myself to Federal officials, active or
retired. This letter is included herein.
Ey upcoming book covers the activities of these
agents of a half century or so ago. With some difficulty, I
have collected -a good deal of new material on them from other
sources some of which, I imagine, would be of interest to
the CIA since much of it sharply contradicts recorded
history. .I would be glad to consult with any CIA represen-
tative about it.
Thanking you in advance for any help you can give us,
Very sincerely
c Za-,ctic
Lt. Col. U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Ret.
Enclosure ? Letter from Sen. Claiborne Pell
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CI4A113 ORA-El P-ALL
325 Old Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
May 20, 1974
Mr. Guy Richards
340 East 57th Street
New York, New York
Dear Mr. Richards:
I am very interested in your inquiry
with regard to the fate of the Romanoff family
at the time of the Russian Revolution.
I congratulate you on the excellent
job you have done in pursuing your leads. I
realize that you may face various difficulties
because of the distance and time or other
problems that might have elapsed since the
events took place.
In such cases, I hope you will let me
know as I would like to be of whatever help I
can to you.
I believe that there should be no
problem with regard to declassification of
documents since I am informed that all State
Department documents of this vintage have been
long since declassified.
Good luck and be sure to -et me know
of whatever help I can be.
Ever sincerely,
/1Z?,A.,,
Claiborne Pell'
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TCONFIENTIAL"
19 June 1974
Officer in Charge
Vepartment of the Navy
neclassification Team
Puilding 210
qashington Navy Yard
qashington, D. C. 20734
Dear Mr. McKinney:
Independent researcher Guy Richards, It. Col. USMCR
has written to this Agency regarding the activities of
Ifor possible inclusion in a book dealing w
special agents in Europe and Russia between 1914 and 1930. Inasmuch
asI Iname appears in paragraph 9 of the enclosed copy of a
-report from the Commanding Officer of the U. S. S. Childs, the
report and its transmittal memorandum from the Acting Secretary of
the Navy to the Secretary of State are forwarded for your declassi-
fication review. If declassified, we would propose to release the
documents to Col. Richards. Please mark the documents as appro-
priate and return to this office.
Sincerely,
(a/
Chief, Classification Programs French
Information Systems Analysis Staff
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19 June 1974
Mr. Daniel Brown
Director, Freedom of Information Staff
Bureau of Public Affairs
Department of State
Washington, 0. C. 20520
Dear Mr. Brown:
Independent researcher Guy Richards, It. Col. USMCR (Rtd),
has written to this Agency regarding the activities of
for possible inclusion in a book dealing with U. S.
special agents in Europe and Russia between 1914 and 1930. The
enclosed copy of a dispatch from
to the Department with its STAT
enclosures falls within this subject area and is forwarded for
your review. If declassified, we would propose to release the
documents to Col. Richards. Please mark the documents as appro-
priate and return to this office.
Sincerely,
Chief, Classification Programs Branch
Information Systems Analysis Staff
Enclosures: a/s (18 panes)
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? DTIZS Registry
Fpe Peco iecl
AT
Chief, Information Systems
Analysis Staff
Gail:
was return .,Egglicaliy, because of two typo cal
advised that the attached letter
errors--"Colonel" should be spelled out ahd is
not the abbreviation for retired.
Aside from this, Ben suggests that we go out
with a direct response, and provide the Executive
with Secretary (BR) a drop copy of our letter. He is
in the process of preparing something for all four
Directorates in this area, because there is a wed for
an information copy even when a particular office or
staff takes the action.
I would suggest a new letter for the signature
of the mow, possibly covering recent developments
on Bob Bannerman, the sooner the better.
Suspense: 25 June 197.
LJD
Atts: DD/MS 74-2087, DD/MS 74-1977
Executive Officer to the DD/MRS
20 Jun 74 STAT
EO-DD/MS: :kmg (20 Jun 74)
Distribution:
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1 - DD/MS Chrono
DD/MS 74-1977: Ltr dtd 3 Jun 74 to DCI fr Guy Richards re research on old files
DD/MS 74-2087: Proposed ltr to Guy Richards fr DCI re same subj
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3- ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
' SUBJECT: (Optional)
STAT
FROM:
NO. STAT
C/ISAS
DATE
10 June 1974
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
STATRECEIVED
DATE
OFFICER'S
INITIALS
-s
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
FORWARDED
L DDMS
En 0
1. For concurrence.
2. For signature. 1
Lt. Col. (Rtd.) Richards is
writing a book which includes
the
Attn:
2.
ILLI--------]
3.
rA/c/i)/D7YAL-5
4.
material on activities of
U. S. special agents in
Europe and Russia during the
period 1914-1930. Richards
believes that the files of
four State Dept. agents were
brought to the Agency by Mr.
5.
6.
kpon his E
transfer to tne CIA. He has
requested access to the files
if they prove to be in the
Agency's custody.
3:
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7.
8.
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9.
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14.
15.
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1,'
Lt. Col. Guy Richards, USMCR.
340 Fast 57th Street
New York, N. Y. 10022
Dear Col. Richards:
Be assured that your letter of 24 May 1974 was
received and the congratulatory comments on my appointment
are appreciated. A search for the information you seek
has been instituted, and we shall-be back in touch with
you as soon as answers to your questions are available.
Originated by:
Concurrence:
TWO
C/fSAS
Sincerely,
W. E. Colby
Director
?7, Deputy Director
for
ISAS:CPB:DGV:slh tlogmtlef)Services
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1 - ER
1 DDCI (w/basic)
Exec.WET/000
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