STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL HOYT S. VANDENBERG, DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE ON S. 758, 'THE NATIONAL SECURITY ACT OF 1947'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00610R000100110004-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 8, 2002
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: April 30, 1947
• Content Type: STATEMENT

FOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY
Statement of
LIEUTEPiANT GENERAL HOYT S. VANDENBERG
Director of Central Intelligence
Before The
Armed Services Committee
of the
United States Senate
On S. 7S8,
"The National Security Act of 19L7T".
FOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY
(756)
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Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee:
1tr appearance before your Committee this morning is in suppo.-t
of Section 202 of the proposed National Security Act of 1947. Th-s
section of the bill would provide the United States,'for the firs-
tune in its history, with a Central Intelligence service created by
Act of Congress. Our present organization, the Central Intelligence
Group -- which I have the privilege of directing - has been in exis-
tence since January 1946, by authority of an Executive Directive of
the President.
Since the day that the Central Intelligence Group was established,
the Directors of Central Intelligence -- ray predecessor, Admiral Souer:,
and I -- have looked forward to the time when we could come before the
Congress and request permanent status through legislative enactment.
I sincerely urge adoption of the intelligence provisions of this
bill. Section 202 will enable us to do our
ha
s
re in maintaining the
national security. It will form a firm basis on which we can construct
the finest intelligence service in the world.
In ry opinion, a strong intelligence system is
ll
equa
y if not
more essential in peace than in war... Upon us has fallen leadership,
.in world affairs
The L _ -- -
I
,
_
and Asia border the United States almost as d
iC
`
pc
o
anada and
Mexice
The interests, intentions and capabilities-of the various nations on
these la
d
n
masses must be fully known to our.na ional policy maker.I
We must have this intelligence if 'we are t
b
f
o
e
orewarned against
Possible acts of aggression, and if we are to be armed-against
disaster in a
n era of atomic warfare.
I know you gentlemen understand that the nat
f
ure o
some of the
work we are doing.makes it undesirable -- from the -security standpoint -
tci discuss ;certain activities with too much 'f
d
ree
oms I, . eei. that the
people of this country, having experienced-the .
xperienced .the' disaster, of Pearl arbor
and the appalling consequences of a global wa
a
r,
re,naw ufficientiy
informed in their approach to intelligence to understand that an or;-;a-
nization
h
suc
as ours -- or the Intelligence Divisions of the Armed
Services, or the F.B.I. -- cannot expose certain of their activities
to, public gaze. I therefore ask your indul
enc
d t
g
e -- an
hrough you
the indulgence of the people -- to limit my remarks on the record
this morning to a general approach to the subject of.a.Central
Intel i a .
1
,'I -think it can be
said without successful
all
e
t
,
c
eng
tha
befor?
Pearl Harbor we did not have an intelligence ser+ace,in this country
or Japan. We did not have one because the peo
le;of th
~U
it
d St
"
p
e
n
e
.
tes
would not accept it. It was felt that there was-something Un-American
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 A C r~ ravJe~ Fpr1lil ease A e/n 0/31 :CIA-RDP90-006108000100110004-1 ence g g y, properly cognizant of the intell:genc-
requirements of the various departments and agencies, is best equipped t-,
handle the dissemination to all departments of the material to meet these
requirements.
The complexities of intelligence, the immensities of information
available virtually for the asking, are so great that this information
must reach a central spot for orderly and efficient dissemination to all
possible users within the Government.
In addition to the functions mentioned, it is necessary for a Cen-
tral Intelligence Agency to perform others of common concern to two or more
agencies. These are projects which it is believed can be most efficiently
or economically performed centrally. An example of such a service is the
monitoring of foreign voice broadcasts. There are many departments of the
Government vitally interested in this matter. No one department should
shoulder the burden of its operation and expense. Nor should two or more
agencies be duplicating the operation. It should rest with a central agenc;r
to,operate such a service for all. Similarly, we have centralized the ac-
tivities of the various foreign document branches which were operated by
some of the services individually or jointly during the war.
I would call your attention to the fact that the kind of men who are
able to execute the intelligence mission successfully are not too fre-
quently found. They must be given an opportunity to become part of a se-
cure and permanent agency which will grow in ability with the constant ex-
ercise of its functions in the fields of operations and research. We must.
have the best available men, working in the best possible atmosphere, and
with the finest tools this Government can afford.
During the war, intelligence agencies were able to attract a great num-
bar of extremely intelligent, widely experienced, .able_.,rten. S~rme are stisil
available and might become members of the Central Intelligence Agency,
should it become possible to insure them that career which was recommended
by the Congressional Committee-report I cited previously. It is very dif-
ficult to recruit such men before the will of Congress is made known. I
do not wish to belabor this point, but it is most important#
In conclusion, I respectfully urge the passage of Section 202 of the
bill under discussion, together with such additional legislation as is
needed to make for operational efficiency. I urge your increased and
continued interest in an intelligence system which can do much toward
safeguarding our national security.
Such a system indicates the necessity for a Central Intelligence Agency
to augment and coordinate these intelligence missions and functions of the
armed services and the Department of State. Such an agency should be given
the authority to provide research and analysis in the interest of national
intelligence, We know that the passage of such legislation will enable us
to establish a field attractive to men of outstanding background and exper-
ience in intelligence. These individuals will meet the challenge of the
task before them -- the most stimulating in which men can serve their
country -- by the production of a positive safeguard to the national
security.
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