WHY FORD ASKED COLBY TO HANG AROUND

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00901R000700080011-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 23, 2005
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: November 16, 1975
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2005/11/28: CIA-RDP91-00901R0
E - 208,274
S - 283,774
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
NEWS AMERICAN
NOV 16 1W5
"He's been a high-class messen
e
t
deputy director. Telling lies is not as fashionable asgt -i ber trip to China and then he faces
All.owine Waite.:., to hPrnma nrt- W A f? w ..1..-:__ .L_ ---__ . ...i.-. _ _ t .
r t
grea pressure to be as truth- first arrange the President's necern
Vernon A. Walters _' the- agency's. ful as- Colby is credit
d '
h b
Informed sources within the Ceii ger dump Colby, as a large number ofr
boy;" one source said. other things about his dramatic Cab-''.
tral Intelligence Agency report that CIA sources are divided as to his inet shuffle did not seem to occur to
t he real reason President Ford was ability, but they.agree that it might him.' It will be a substantial peritxli
forced to ask CIA chief William Col- not be helpful to President Ford if he before China envoy George Bush care
by to h"airg-arn e.while longer aft testified. For one thing, he`would be assume command, because he must',
er he was fired is named-Gen unde
_ ..o .............. ?uwuuo- S .. ...YY......, .., v.......~n.~,u~ uuV a
ing chief could have proved to be tration. Helms, for instance, is being 4 serious and potentially long confir
very embarrassing -
ire ante jgence work, much of it unof s
~g
. ficial ggbutextrmost of it ll l Rgi?e rs a pparentiydi ~q~n't occur 09018000700080011-4
natinemely sensitivxe material. the President In his initial haste to.
g
the crime.,,
compliance: Tt was also clear, however, that
1 Walters Is also believed to be the CIA resisted riot because of some
a privy to the most sensitive CIA se- ethical distaste but because it feared
I crets. He has had a long background' being exposed: i
it:
y me a as a III LL- ment to .White House agent E. How
tary man close to Nixon he would re- . and Hunt Jr. that was later used in.
spond? wi?th?unquestionin
White House had 'dealt with Walters tergaCe ourgnary. rte also -beieo l
the CIA. did not kno w it was being
during the. Watergate crisis rather used for-improper purposes prior to?
than then-director. Richard. Helms the break-in, when it provided equip-
e because the ass's d th t
fore a House subcommittee indicat-' ` n Pfi fhy, .... `v uc4uttrttt,
o
t
aides considered hiim,their best: link :., p e scan e
Walters presented, a picture of-
to the naanrv TnrlonrT tochirnn...r 6 __ .
memos he had written after his
Yet he was regarded at one-time ".White-House contacts describing. the
as such' a good friend of President- efforts.-to enlist both the CIA- and
Nixon that high-level White House.:;'. FBI in the cover's
f
h d
underground: served. "He knows a lot."
But as acting director he would "After Watergate, I' am amazed
have had to sur ace to. testify in' the that he was able to stay on," ob-
coming Weeks before-the continuing: 'servedL another agent. '
House and Senate probes into the Walters was- a prime witness at -
ageney's,illegal abuses of power. His both.the Senate Watergate probe and'
role as - CIA spokesman might well'. the 'court' trial. of Nixon's former
have. prompted awkward ,questions -.White House aides. He testified that }
as to why President- Ford had al : White House aides had asked him to
lowed him to stay. .t lean 'on` FBI'Director Patrick Gray-I
In:?'addition, Walters' testimony . to stop a probe of ,Nixon campaign:
{
might have opened up a whole new funds. from Mexico' which had turned
line of -congressional;, inquiry:.: Both . up in- the bank account of one of the
the Senate and House : committees , men arrested during the Watergate
have thus far concentrated upon Col-. break-in in June, '1972. He submitted
by and virtually ignored 'Walters.r
p
r
is Son wit Nixon p e o pe-
h
tp be in his original powerful posi- might catch -him between Kissinger suade.him to delay his departure.
tion. He survived, in part; by going- .'and Schlesinger ". a CIA official ob- .----mot
__ r._...... ~.....~,... J. r ........ ... ... .. .. ... r.....,,w uuu ?ca,Iau
pant in the Watergate scenario still This asstic' t'
on Colby's
rofessional
id t
a- investigated by the Justice Depart- matron fight. So the President ate a
Walterns i.% the rtni'V rnninr garb,-;. ,.__- i__ ___ L,
 The Director of Central Intelligence
awards the Distinguished Intelligence Medal to
VERNON A. WALTERS
Lieutenant General, United States Army
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
n recognition of his outstanding performance of his moral and legal
responsibilities as the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence.
General Walters intensively learned the details of the Agency's
mission, organizational structure and activities- His exceptional
talents in human relations made him a highly effective representative
of the organization in dealings with foreign intelligence officials and
other members of the United States Government. Behind his outward
appearance of informality and conviviality, he displayed the highest
qualities of moral integrity and rigid adherence to his constitutional:
responsibilities, despite a number of severe pressures to lead )him
to a contrary position.2 General Walters' actions made a major
contribution to the Central Intelligence Agency and reflect great
credit on him, the United States Army, and the Federal service.
Approved For Release 2005/11/28 : CIA-RDP91-00901 R000700080011-4