LETTER TO GENERAL DONOVAN FROM PRESIDENT TRUMAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00610R000100200006-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 17, 2002
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: September 20, 1945
• Content Type: LETTER

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LETTER FROM PRESIDENT TRUMAN
TO GENERAL DONOVAN
20 September 1945
The letter belongs in this collection of documents
because of its reference in the third paragraph to "the
development of a coordinated system of foreign intelligen^e
within the permanent framework of the Government." If it
were indicative of nothing else this statement would show
that the idea of having an American peace-time, centralized
intelligence service had gained sufficient acceptability
to permit of public mention without danger of again exciting
cries of "Gestapo."
The letter is also interesting because of its clear
indication of the President's desire to preserve the assets
of OS5 for use in peace-time intelligence work. Somewhat
similar phraseology was used in the directive transferring
the intelligence procurement branches of OSS to the War
Department, and it was echoed in the specific directives
issued by Secretary Patterson and Assistant Secretary
McCioy to General Magruder, who had been asked by them to
take over direction of what was then entitled "The Strategic
Services Unit" of the War Department.
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 C O P y ~
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My dear General Donovan:
I appreciate very much the work which you and your staff
undertook, beginning prior to the Japanese surrender, to licul-
date those wartime activities of the Office of Strategic Ser-
vices which will not be needed in time of peace.
Timely steps should also be taken to conserve thoso resources
and skills developed within your organization which are vital to
our peacetime purposes.
.Accordingly, I have today directed, by Executive oz-der,
that the activities of the Research and Analysis Branch and
the Presentation Branch of the Office of Strategic Services
be transferred to the State Department. This transfer, which
is effective as of October 1, 1945, represents the beginninr
of the development of a coordinated system of foreign intelli-
gence within the.permanent framework of the Government.
Consistent with the foregoing, the Executive order provides
for the transfer of the remaining activities of the Office of
Strategic Services to the War Department; for the abolition of
the Office of Strategic Services; and for the continued orderl_r
liquidation of some of the activities of the Office without
interrupting other services of a military nature the need for
which will continue for some time.
I want to take this occasion to thank you for the capable
leadership you have brought to a vital wartime activity in your
capacity as Director of Strategic Services. You may well find
satisfaction in the achievements of the Office and take pride
in your own contribution to them. These are in thenselves
large rewards, Great additional reward for your efforts should
lie in the knowledge that the peacetime intelligence services
of the Goverment are being erected on the foundation of the
facilities and resources mobilized through the Office of
Strategic Services during the war.
Sincerely yours,
HARRY S. TRUMAN
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ESTABLISHMENT OF A WAR DEPARTMENT COLS41ITTEE
UNDER ASSISTANT SECRETARY LOVETT TO STUDY
THE PROBLEMS OF FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.
In view of the recent appointment of Mr. Lovett as
Undersecretary of State it is of particular interest to
note that he headed this committee. The instructions which
he gave to the committee members are sufficiently detailed
as to indicate on the part of the Chairman a very consieerable
grasp of the problems involved.
This committee is of particular importance in that
its recommendations, as later document:- will prove,, had a
very marked influence on the final form of the directive
establishing the National Intelligence Authority.
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COPY r - '23 October 194
LEY101RANDUMM FOR: ASSISTANT CHIEF OF STAPP, OPEM210 NS DI r'ISIONN
ASSISTANT CHIEF OF STAFF, G-2
ASSISTANT CHIEF OF AIR STAFF' - 2
ASSISTANT CHIEF OF STAFF, G-ry, ACF
DI30;'CTCR OP INTELLIGENCE, ASP
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC SERVICES UNIT
DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PLAN NI/dG DIVISION, tD
SPECIAL STAFF
Subject: Report on Intelligence 21atters.
.1. The Secrotary of tar has appointed the following co: itLeo
to advise him on certain intolligenco matters, particularly those
relating to the subject of the foreign intelligence activities c -f'
the Nation and of the War Department:
Robert A. Lovett, Assistant Secretary of tear
for Air -- Ch,-, ix^.1.an
Major General L. A. Craig, c-PD
Major General E. 11. Q,uesada, AA.F
Major General G. 1'ly rnan, AGF
Colonel J. K. Rormaer, ASP
Brigadier General John : agruder, SSU
Brigadier General C. W. Clar1~e, G-2
2. The above com.ttee has boon directed to make a preli=' nary
report to the Secretary of War not later than 3 November 1945. It
is moot anxious to have the benefit of the views and reco::endatious
of the individuals to whora this memorandum is addressed at the
outset of its consideration of the various problems involved.
3. Each of the individuals to whom, this memorandum is addres:.ed
Is therefore requested to furnish to the undersigned not 1atcr than
27 October 1945 a report covering the following subjects, as fully
as possible in the time available:
PAR`! I
a. The organization of the isdividual is Particular unit
as now constituted, to ;ether with a state: ment of the funct ions di s--
charged thereby based on current directives and practices.
b. A description of the relations that have existed be--
tween the Individual's unit and other 3bntelli ;once units in ti c
govon.mont during the period of the war.
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;
? eky.3 onco of unnocosaary duplicatioxi,- knd
also of lack of coordination, if any, bo;tween the various govarnr ant
intelligence units,
? pare, of i.he report should c
ontain the
writer's opinion as to the a i
,overnmQnt"fntollI /;e-neo units dvrinl~e the aver-all operations o1 all.
particular reference to those In the War Departmentand the Oft; cc
of Strategic Services Shia
d, A frank a" "n4
1
p
.
,
.
c
o 44
in which it is bolieved intelligencetservicercouldnhaveobee4n improv
r ed
c. A frz.Ln1c appraisal of thou operations of the indivi&.u;
unit during thetva
l
i s
r
ori
i
t~avor-r,ent: C3iai ~,enee organization of the United States
r_ng tho war period,
d. Such other n--
t
0 a
as theite
wrer rgards as p, rt ne,,t
on the eve t.1 l intcllin
analysis and evaluation, and disserinati otters as research,
be A statement of tho field that should be covered by
the 1; arDc, artraernt in the over-all government intelligence progre.i:i.
This part of the report should indicate the relationship that should
exist between the War Depart-rnent intelligence agencies and the
central agency, if recommended, and also the relation between the
War Department agencies and intelligence ag ?ncies created in other
departments.
c, A brief statement as to the scope of the Intelligence
fUn.ctions that should be perforr.:ad undor the recomj ended plan: by
the Navy, the State Department and other individual
dopartxents,
govt: mment
o
wri ter r s view as to whether its
functions should include those of the collection of information,
or ~:hethaor it should be limited to su h
ld be l
inited t
n located, and the broad function3,responsibilities and~.composetior
of L-uclfa contrLii unit, If a central intelligence unit is
the report should contain th
dvoc ted
PART 11
organzatlon and program for the foreignas to theacttsvtitiesMah2a
of the United States Govern:aont for the future. There should be
included here they writer's views with respect to the desirability
of establishing a central forei~~
department In the Federal Go11"n i telligcnce uni t, the place or
d, A description of the reeormondod division within the
dear Depart font; of the intalli gonce functions which, under the plea,
proposed, are to be assir.;;od to the 1.7ar Department.
0. Rocoru:xexidnt:ions as to the ir:nediato disp onition or
c.asIgnr;,ont that should be riade within the War Department, or else-
et here, o1 the pars nnci, facilities and functions of the various
unite of the former Os'S organization, which have been recently
transferred to the War Department
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w 3 -
4. The above reports are to set forth the oipinions of the
forth the differing views should be oubmitted,
individuals belong. However, each individual in requested to
consult freely with the officers in Important positions in his
.unit, and if views are hold by others in the unit which differ
radically from those expressed in the reports, either a stag--
.ment to that effect should be appended, or raenoranda setting
individuals to whom this i emozancium is addressed, and need not
repreoont the formal c onclusioris of the units to which the
5. Reports are to be submitted directly to the undersicned
without for;,icl clearnatee tt,rou;h che.nnols. Emit copios of each
report arc desired. _
By direction of the Secrotary of < 7ar:
ROBERT A LOVETT
Assistant Sects tary of oar for Air
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