NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AUTHORITY PROVISION FOR COORDINATING THE ACQUISITION OF FOREIGN PUBLICATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85S00362R000700090004-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 27, 2003
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: July 1, 1946
• Content Type: REPORT

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N.I.A. 5
1 July 1946
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AUTHORITY
PROVISION FOR COORDINATING THE ACQUISITION
OF FOREIGN PUBLICA'T'IONS
Report by the Director of Central Intelligence
with the unanimous concurrence of the
Intelligence Advisory Board
1. It has been suggested by the Librarian of Congress that an
Inter-departmental Committee on the acquisition of Foreign
Publications, such as that which existed during the war, s1.ould
be established on a permanent basis. The Department of State
supports the principle embodied in this suggestion.
2. The matter was laid before the Director by letter -)i? vr.
Alfred McCormack, dated 4 March.1946.
3. After consideration of all evidence assembled in the case,
the Director. of Central Intelligence concludes that:-
a. The-continuation, on a permanent basis, of an ntcr-
departmental committee to coordinate the acquisition of
foreign publications for the use of government agenc.ie,ci..::
necessary in the interest of economy and efficiency.
b. The materials collected as a result of the cor ncc e'ti
activities will contain much information needed for the
production of intelligence related to the national security
Therefore, the N.T.A. should assume responsibility in the
matter.
c. The organization of the committee on a permanent
basis should. be arranged for by the Director of Central n-
telligence. The Department of State should administer the
committee and. continue to furnish the Secretariat. Since
' ITT
the committee will deal largely with matters of library
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techniques, the Librarian of Congress would be an appro-';r.ate
chairman; and he has, in fact, expressed his willin,nes to
accept such position.
Discussion upon which those conclusions are based is
contined in Enclosure "B".
4. The enclosed draft N.I.A. Directive has been prepared to
provide the means for carrying out the recommendations based
upon the above conclusions. It has been unanimously concurred
in by the Director of Central Intelligence and the Into 11 ~ ;once
advisory Board, which included the Librarian of Congress and
the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this case.
5. It is recommended that the National Intelligence Authority
aprove the draft directive in Enclosure "A".
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ENCLOSURE "A''
D R A F T
PROPOSED N.I.A. DIRECTIVE
PROVISION? FOR COORDINATING THE
ACQUISITION OF FOREIGN P YD .ICATIONS
Paragraph 1 of the letter from the President, dated 2
January 1946, designated this Authority as responsible for
planning, developing, and 'coordinating the Federal fore ; h intelligence activities so as to assure the most effective
accomplishment of the intelligence Fission related to the
national security. Since the mass of foreign publications re-
qui.red by the various Federal agencies, as references useful in
the conduct of their business, contains matter of value as _.ri-
telligence information related to the national security, the
following policies and procedures relating to the acquisition
of foreign publications, are announced:
1. A permanent Inter-departmental Committee on the Acquisi-
tion of Foreign Publications is hereby established as a
subordinate agency of the National Intelligence Authority. The
Department of State will administer the committee and furnis
the Secretariat therefor.
The Director of Central Intelligence will invite the
Librarian of Congress to accept the Chairmanship if the
Committee and will send invitations for membership on the
Committee to representatives of all Federal agencies intere'tod
in the acquisition of foreign publications for the conduct of
their business.
3. The Committee will have duties and responsibilities a
follows:
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a. To coordinate cooperative acquisition as between and
among the several departments and agencies. The sc..),.e of this
co:.rdination shall include the establishment of agreed
policies and procedures for the maintenance of comprc Llv_~sivc
collections of library materials, in appropriate locations,
the rapid interchange and loan of such materials, and tie
distribution of bibliographical Information. These
coordinating responsibilities are distinct from and tiorcfore
will not interfere with the usual responsibilities of
individual agencies for the maintenance of working c:ll c-
tions of library materials necessary to the transaction ;f
their business.
b. To originate recommendations to the several de art--
rents and agencies concerning the development of thea.r
libraries within a framework of over-all Federal acquis~ti ns,
such recommendations to be designed to make available t.) 131-l is
Government, with minimum duplication, all foreign library
materials necessary to the conduct of the public business.
c. To oninaterecommendations to the Department _,f
State on matters of broad policy connected with the
mont of foreig n library materials through the Foreign
Service, in so- far as they pertain to servicing the ac-
quisitions needs of the Federal Establishment as a
d. To review requisitions on the State Department yr
rient facilities whenever it is necessary to determine:
whether said requisitions are consistent with the
Committee's comprehensive acquisitions program.
4. The Director of Central Intelligence will designate a rep-
resentative to act with the Committee as the Vice-Chairman and to
be responsible for ensuring that the C:o~=mmittee's activit ...e s -rake
adequate provision for the securing of intelligence infor wt-:n
related to the national security.
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ENCLOSURE "B''
DISCUSSION
1. Immediately prior to and during the war, the Coordinator of
Information and later the Office of Strategic Services furnished
the Secretariat of an Interdepartmental Committee on the Ac-
quisition of Foreign Publications. That Secretariat was taken
over, under proper authority, by the State Department, as a part
of the Research and Analysis Branch of O.S.S., and still
functions under the Special Assistant to the Secretary if State
for Research and Intelligence.
2. The primary concern of such parts of this existing; and con-
tinuing Committee as are within the departments whose heads
constitute the N.I.A. is foreign publications having possi1c
intelligence information value in connection with the intcllJ.--
Bence mission concerned with the national security.
3. Other Federal agencies, not primarily concerned with in-
telligence bearing on the national security, are also
interested in the acquisition of foreign publications. Sole
twenty-one (21) Federal agencies have shown an interest in the
matter and manifested that interest by sending representatives
to meetings held in the office of the Librarian of Congress on
7 September and 25 October 1945. These meetings considered the
coordination of the procurement effort, but had neither formal
authority nor power to act.
4. The procurement of desired foreign publications for the
interested agencies is accomplished in large measure by the
State Department through its missions abroad. Payment for3}ub-
li.cations is made to State by the agency for which publications
are procured.
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5. Certain Foreign Service Officers (eleven at last re :rt) are
about to go out to the most important fore--i`;n publishing; center
with the sole duty of organizing the acquisition service and
preparing bibliographical indices of available publications.
6. The Librarian of Congress, Dr. Luther H. Evans, feels that
the problem of coordinating the Acquisition of Foreign Publl.ca-
tions Is a technical library matter. The Director of Central
Intelligence concurs substantially in that view, although _m-
portant matters of policy are also. involved.
7. Dr. Evans submitted to the Secretary of State, on 20 Octo-
ber 1945, an outline of the coordinating; committee which he
feels can govern properly the acquisition of foreign publica-
t?ons. The results of Dr. Evans' study are incorporated 'Lla the
recommendations made herewith.
8. The interest of N.I.A. in the Problem is due to its c en-
tinuing responsibility for coordinating the collection if
intelligence information bearing upon the national security, and,
the fact that some of the publications acquired will have value
in that connection. Therefore, this is an undertaking which. can
be most, efficiently initiated and organized by N.I.A. action.
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