COMMITTEE TO STUDY WAR DEPARTMENT INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00610R000100130016-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 2, 2002
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: November 6, 1945
• Content Type: MF

TOP SECRET
Approved For Release 2002/08/28 : CIA-RDP90-00610R000100130016-6
6 November 1945
MEMORA-71DUM FOR MAJOR GENERAL H.
A.
CRAIG, OPD
IMIAJOR GEIJERIL
E.
R.
QUESADA, AAF
1r AJOR GENERA,
"z .
G.
VMMAN, AGF
COLONEL J.
ROAL'IER, ASF
BRIGADIER GEN RAL JOHN MAGRUDEI, SSU
SUBJECT: Committee to Study War Department Intelligence
Activities.
1. Mr. Lovett has directed me to inform you that
the preliminary report of the Committee, dated 3 November
1945, has been approved by the Secretary of War.
2. Mr. Lovett has also advised that a new Committef;
will be appointed to consider intelligence reorganization
within the Army and War Department.
CARTER W. CLARKE
Brigadier General, GSC
Deputy Chief, MIS
OSD review(s) completed.
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3 November 1945
MEPMIORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF WYAR.
SUBJECT: Preliminary Report of Committee Appointed to Study
War Department Intelligence Activities.
The undersigned special committee was A)
order of the Secretary of War,
to advise the Secretary of War on certaiintelligence matte'Ls
more fully set forth in said order, including
of a plan for War Department activittieespin t eedfiielld of
fation
foreign intelligence, the existing and
ow atta of G-2. A-2 and the Strategic nand thecfuture
the Office of the Assistant
use or disposition that should be made alm ntelligence
activities within the War Department. The l
directed to make its report not later than 3 November 1945.
In the limited time available since its appointment
the committee has made as intensive a study as practicable
of the various subjects covered in the Secretary's order,
It has held nine meetings of the full committee.
By means it re of a special questssintant ChiefgofsStaff,dOPI}cuAshistanten
reports from the A
Chief of Staff, G?2: Gs~isAGF, Director ofrlntelligence,iAS.P',
tant Chief of Staff, , Ia~~-
"G P Plan
Director, Strategic Services Unit and Directors, Special
t S
ecial Sta
f
p
ning Division, War Departmen
addition, the
i
reports are available for inspection.
committee took the formal testimonyof' MaWar jor Gener sntlaetOn
Bissell (Assistant Chief of Staff, G
n (formerly Assistants Military
k
so
Staff); Mr. William,. Jac
Attache for Air_in,
Planning,Group, OS
Theater)
ean
Euro
,
p
(Deputy Chief SI Branch, S ; Mr.
the war as +ctirs
Weicker served. during
M
'
r .
Kingman Douglas (
A-2 of. the Eighth Ai?aseAAan& Director of F rpresentativenatltheeAi r o~.
USSTAF, and &Ir. . Douglas uinn (Exe cuts ve Officer
l William
ministry in London), Colone
of SSU); Colonel Gordon B. Rogers (formerly G-2,.AGF);
I- 1--her the Joint gic
of
Ltl General Stanley D. Mr. Alfred McCormack
Survey Committee),
for Tntelliaence, and formerly
f Sate
11 r e
dditi
"_,
Director of Intelligence, MIS). In a
h ; '
of the Committee held numerous informal conversar.Iot ggj:
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TV zitt;K
If such a program is successfully carried out,
there will be assembled under the direct control of the
Interim Activities Director all personnel controlled
by the Tar Department who are engaged in foreign espionage
and couznter-espionage activities, whom it is desired to
transfer to the Central Intelligence Agency, and it will
be possible to coordinate their various activities until
such time as their transfer to the Central Intelligence
Agency can be effected. In the event that higher authority
finally decides not to create a Central Intelligence
Agency, the personnel so controlled by the Interim Acti-
vities Director should be then transferred to the direct;
control and administration of the Assistant Chief of
Staff, G-2.
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REPORT OF THE LOVETT COMMITTEE
The committee took its duties very seriously and
was ready with its preliminary report scarcely a week after
it had first been convened. The fact that its reasoned
conclusions could be unanimously presented in such a brie:'
time is an indication of the degree to which the idea of
a centralized intelligence service had gained acceptance.
A close comparison of the committeets redommenda-
tions with the final proposal of the Secretaries to the
President and the Presidential directive establishing the
NIA is well worth while. A major and very important differ-
Intelligence Agency should be supported by an independent
budget. The Secretaries recommended that funds should be
drawn from the various departments, and thk* recommendation
was implicitly carried out in the Presidential directive.
This provision was the result of a compromise
with a very different plan presented by Alfred McCormack, .
Special Assistant to the Secretary of State. His plan is
included in this collection immediately following the report
of the Lovett Committee.
Approved For Release 2002/08/28 : CIA-RDP90-00610R000100130016-6