PROPOSAL FOR APPOINTMENT OF A HIGH-LEVEL 'BOARD OF CONSULTANTS.'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86B00269R000100130082-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 1, 2002
• Sequence Number: 82
• Publication Date: June 8, 1954
• Content Type: MF

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8 June 1954
M IORA.NDU11 FOR: The Director of Central Intelligence
Proposal for appointment of a high-level
c
"Board of Consultants."
1. Pursuant to your request of this afternoon, I have considered
with some care the proposal which is embodied in the three attached
papers which you furnished to me, and I have discussed this matter with
I land with no one else. The following is the essence of the
joint conclusions and reactions of I land myself:
2. The desirability and utility of the proposal is, of course,
dependent upon the purposes sought to be served. If it is desired to
spread or firm up at this time, for the benefit of congressional and
public opinion, the point or proposition that this Agency has been
and is subject to review and criticism in the conduct of its work and
the handling of its financial and personnel affairs, then the proposal
would be very effective for this purpose. In the same connection, it
would help to dispel the prevalent criticism to the effect that we are a
free-wheeling organization and responsible to no one for the conduct of
our affairs -- an impression largely based upon ignorance or misappre-
hension of the true facts.
3. If, on the other hand, it is intended by this device to quell
the current sentiment existing in certain congressional quarters to
the effect that CIA should be more subject to congressional review and
direction, then we do not think that this proposal would fill the bill.
The appetite within Congress for more say-so and more control with
respect to CIA activities and procedures is believed to be such that
the findings and recommendations of a board appointed by the Executive
would not be considered binding upon or particularly persuasive to
those elements of the Congress who desire to satisfy themselves more
adequately. I fully appreciate that we could be wrong in our judgment
in the latter respect and in any case I am anxious to make it clear
that it is not our intention to condemn or fault the proposal. It is
quite possible that by thus broadening the base of judgment as to what
matters should (and should not) be regarded as appropriate for sub-
mission to the Congress, there will be a net benefit to your position,
even though the proposal would not do the entire job hoped for. The
one thing to be avoided is the possibility of an adverse congressional
reaction, viz. that this is some sort of attempted run-around or
25X1A
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gloss-over. This should be avoidable through the contemplated step
of having the President take preliminary soundings with congression-
al leaders of both sides prior to the final decision to unveil this
one.
t. As regards the actual text, we have a few minor suggestions,
to wit:
a. In the third sentence of the first paragraph, I
would point out the fact that the Dulles Report was sub-
mitted to the NSC. This is not entirely clear despite
the reference to NSC action in the first sentence.
b. I should like to repeat my recommendation to the
effect that some reference be made to the thorough-going
review which the so-called "Triple-Jackson Committee""
gave to "certain important aspects of the responsibilities
and work of the Agency." This review took place only
slightly over a year ago, whereas the work of the Dulles
Committee is now nearly five years gone by.
c. In the draft of proposed reply from the President
I question the language appearing after the second semi-
colon, in the third sentence, viz.,"It should assist you
in furnishing to the appropriate committees of Congress
such information with respect to the operations of the
Agency". etc. Would it not be better to phrase this as
follows: "It should assist you with recommendations as
to how best to furnish to the appropriate committees of
the Congress such information" etc. My thought here is
that you probably do not intend to have the Board of Con-
sultants serve as the actual conveyors of the information,
which is the thought suggested by the existing language.
d. In the last paragraph of the draft reply from
the President the deadline sought to be specified is not
too clear, in view of the various steps which are in-
volved in the submission of our budget appropriations.
25X1A
r 1 G. WISNER
Deputy Director (Plans)
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7 June 1954
The President
The White House
Dear Mr. Preside
About five years ago, pursuant to NSC action, a small
committee of persons outside government, but familiar with
igence work, was constituted to review the work of the
ligence Agency. I was Chairman of that committee,
which included Mr. William H. Jackson and Mr. Mathias Correa.
The report which we submitted in January 1949 served as the bass
for certain organisational changes which my predecessor, General
Bedell Smith, put into effect shortly after he became Director of
Central Intelligence.
In the five years subsequent to this report there have been
basic changes in the world outlook, and in the problems which this
Agency faces. The Soviet have nuclear weapons and are making
Important progress in various scientific and technical fields
affecting their over-.all strategic situation vis-a-vis the free world.
Intelligence targets have chaeged; intelligence techniques must be
altered accordingly.
Under these circumstances, I would welcome it if you felt
the time had come to constitute a "Board of Consultants" to review
the work of the Agency, Its programs, techniques and administrative
setup, as well as its progress in carrying out its statutory duties and,
in particular, its duty to coordinate and make more effective the
intelligence operations of government. Such a study could include a
review of our personnel policies and of our methods of controlling the
expenditure of the unvouchered funds entrusted to us by the Congress.
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It is belief that reviews of this nature should be carried
out at periodic inter 'aAis as the Nati,nai See urityr Council might.
determine to be appropriate.
We I might constitute such a board by my own action,41
believe that I could only secure the high caliber of men required
to carry out this mission if you, yourself, took the initiative in
constituting the Board thereby emphasising the importance you
Faithfully you're,
Allen W. Duties
Director
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DRAFT
Dear Mr. Dulles;
I am in agreement with the conclusion in your letter of 7
June suggesting that a Board of Consultants be constituted to review
and report to me on the work of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Such a revie,
on to covering the Important objectives
you outline, should conform to the following standards. It should
supply the Central Intelligence Agency with guidance; it should be
so conducted as to assist you as Director in protecting intelligence
sources and methods from unauthorised disclosure as provided in
the National Security Act of 1947; it should assist you in furnishing
to the appropriate Committees of Congress such information with
respect to the operations of the Agency as they may reasonab
require in the exercise of their legislative, appropriative and
investigative functions.
t my request, General Omar Bradley, Dr. Karl Compton
Robert Sprague have consented to serve as the member of
the Board of Consultants. You are Instructed to make available to
such information as they may require in connection with their
review. Other intelligence agencies of the government will be
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ructed to afford the Board like facilities insofar as it
this necessary in considering CIA's function in the coordination
of the intelligence activities of the government.
It is my desire that the Board should complete its study
me for my consideration before your budget appropriations for
'55 are submitted to the Congress.
Sineere
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S?[I~ PTTIAL STATE E OF A M E:'I 31~KF
101 P~
It;7AIAL I.#A) RS (to be given out to the Press.)
I`I CONG
dent stated that for some time he had been disturbed
ves
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Lae e
Central Intelligence
-_ *u at an attempt might be made to subject the
td inn
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f Congressional investigation which wo -'-
tar a o
Agency to a ied security matters to potential enemies of the United
close highly classified
ers with whores
d
al lea
ression
sfdent expressed to the Cong
i
e
'
r
the
, states. he consulted this morning his feeling that if such a~snvestigatia~n were to
result in serious harm to our riatiofl*i security. He made
take place it would ~' an
to the C'.ongressiona1 leaders that he recognised that Congress
it clear
f its legislative functions has a clear right to the information
the exercise o clear that the
that is essential to it to carry out this duty. it was made
Director of Central Intelligence had been in close touch with the Armed
fthe Congress
o
ses
&, v-m iations Committees of the two Hou
-
th
-
eA _
and that he had furnished these Gonzxnittees such information as
clationsshiP should continue and these Committees should
sou.g;ht, This r Provision
be kept currently advised of CIA activities within the wise P
the Congress in the National Security Act of 1947 'that the
included by Protecting
Director of Central Intelligence shall be responsible for P was
sources and methods from unauthorized disclosure . It
intelligence reas Ohm
esident' a firm conviction that the executive and the Long
g out this legislative mandate.
cooperate in carryin
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The President further expressed to the Congressional leaders
his view that it was essential that the Congress should be satisfied as
to the integrity of the administration of CIA,, particularly in connection
with the handling of the unvouchered funds intrusted to it as
its exercise of the powers and duties conferred upon it under the National
Security Act of 1947 and directives of the National Security Council thereunder.
He advised the Congressional leaders of correspondence which he had had
with the Director of Central Intelligence and of his decision as indicated
in this correspondence and as requested by theDirector of Central Intelligence
to set up a Board of Consultants, with duties and functions outlined in that
correspondence.
The Congressional leaders present expressed their unaiaimous
currence in the view that the legislative and investigative functto
should be exercised by the Congress insofar as CIA is concerned, in a
manner to protect intelligence sources and methods from unauthorized
disclosure and they welcomed the President's action in setting up the
high level Board of Consultants.
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