CHANGE IN PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES, 1 JULY 1956- 31 DECEMBER 1959

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP63-00314R000200010006-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 10, 1998
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: January 4, 1960
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 999/09/16 . 1 63-00314R0OO0200010006-5
4 January 1960
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Geographic Research
SUBJECT: Change in Projects and Activities, 1 July 1956 -
31 December 1959
1. Following is a summation of changes in Geography Division
projects and activities during subject period, by manyear allocations.
a. Projects and activities initiated
(1) Production of geographic intelligence in support
V of unconventional-warfare planning -- 2.2 manyears (project
in abeyance following completion of basic phase, December
1959).
(2) Production of geographic intelligence in support
of Air Force "Safe Area" program -- 0.4 manyears (project
at halfway stage; programmed effort will be completed on
or about June 1960).
VeZ (3) Production of USSR city plans (jointly with D/GC) --
1.5 manyears.
(4) Production of Geographic Intelligence Memorandum --
0.5 manyears.
(5) Production of CIA part of map and chart appraisal
component of NIS Chapter I Annual program; coordination of
all parts -- 0.3 manyears.
(6) Production of geographic intelligence support in
the fields of guided missiles and atomic energy, to include
25X1 B0c support to related -- 1.3 manyears.
(7) Production of boundary problem section of Department
7of State "Boundary Inventory File" -- 0.4 manyears.
(8) Substantive review of TAB Country Studies prepared
by Target Analysis Branch, PMD, DD/P -- 0.08 manyears.
(9) Sponsorship of Africa Roundtable -- 0.08 manyears.
Approved For Release 1999/09/16 : CIA-RDP63-00314R000200010006-5
 Approved For'Release4999/09/16 WIN ' 63-00314E 000200010006-5
SUBJECT: Change in Projects and Activities, 1 July 1956 -
31 December 1959
(10) Sponsors]~~~atheast Asia Discussion Group --
0.08 manyears. LL I L 25X1A2d2
(11) Project (assistance to -- 0.3
manyears (in abeyance since June 1959).
25X1A2d2
X-1 (12) Project -- 2.0 manyears (in abeyance).
Projects and activities abolished
Jb. (1) Production of evasion and escape geographies -- 2.6
manyears.
c. Projects and activities increased
(1) Production of geographic intelligence on Africa --
1.0 manyears.
/ (2) Production of geographic intelligence on the Antarctic,
~/ IGY, and related scientific programs -- 0.5 manyears (increase
presently cancelled by project cited in para. 1. c.(3), below).
(3) Production of geographic intelligence in support of
/ operations, Latin America -- 2.5 manyears (includes 1 manyear
V borrowed from O/Ch/G; temporary, possibly permanent, cut back
of 1 manyear previously assigned to Europe, and 0.5 manyear
assigned to Antarctic, IGY, and related scientific programs).
d. Projects and activities cut back
/ (1) Production of geographic intelligence on Europe --
~/ 4 manyears (includes 1 manyear temporarily assigned to project
cited in para. 1. c.(3), above).
(2) Production of geographic intelligence on Latin America --
1._5 manyears (applies to activities not duplicated by project
cited in para. 1. c.(3), above).
2. Additional to the above are important shifts that do not repre-
sent changes in a formal sense. These are, with guesses as to the man-
years involved under conditions of the moment:
a. Projects and activities increased
(1) Direct operational support of DD/P on the Far East
and Near East -- 0.5 manyears.
Approved For Release 1999/09/16 : CIA-RDP63-00314R000200010006-5
 Approved For l elease4999/09/16 :
-00314R000200010006-5
SUBJECT: Change in Projects and Activities, 1 July 1956 -
31 December 1959
(2) Production of geographic intelligence for the
National Intelligence Estimates program -- 0.3 manyears.
25X1X4
25X1X4 3 Basic guidance for covert rograms related to -
(reflects acceleration
of programs following transfer of supervisory responsibilityy
to D/GL) -- 0.2 man years.
(4+) Support of OTR and FSI training programs -- 0.2
manyears.
b. Projects and activities cut back
/25X1 Direct o erational su port of DD/P on Europe
- 0.3 manyears.
25X1X4
25X1X4
/25X1Q4 Direct operational support of DD/P on the USSR -
V - 0.8 manyears.
(3) Accomplishment of geographic intelligence maintenance
7 on all regions (represants not a withdrawal of effort, but a
steady decrease in the adequacy of the available effort to
process, digest, and file the growing volume of incoming docu-
ments that have geographic intelligence significance) -- 2.6
manyears.
3. I should like to note those aspects of this rather complicated
picture which seem to me to be most significant -- which are, in effect,
the meaningful conclusions to be drawn. They are as follows:
a. Our projects and activities are more oriented toward the
expressed needs of planners, estimaters, and operations; there is
also some increase in the integration of work effort with that of
the ERA.
b. The Division has been drawn increasingly into projects and
activities on the Sino-Soviet Bloc. The shift has been achieved
by reducing production and maintenance work cUBloc areas such
as Indonesia, Latin America, Western Europe,
We do not, as a result, have the balance or breadth of capability
that we formerly had.
c. Projects and activities initiated or increased exceed those
abolished or cut back. In part, this reflects an increased efficiency
which results from accumulated experience and sophistication.
For the most part, however, it reflects an increasing imbalance
Approved For Release 1999/09/16 : CIA-RDP63-00314R000200010006-5
 Approved For'Release4999/09/1 fi
3-0031480200010006-5
SUBJECT: Change in Projects and Activities, 1 July 1956 -
31 December 1959
between work to be done and people to do it. Personnel cutbacks
exceed the savings that may be attributed to increased efficiency;
they similarly exceed savings that may be attributed to increased
sophistication in research planning and direction. The difference
has been made up by reductions in the level of intelligence main-
tenance and self-initiated work and a slow down in the rate of
accomplishment of requested projects. Since some projects -- like
the NIS, Latin American operations, GM's, and Soviet guided missile
work -- cannot be slowed down, the slow down is painfully apparent
where it applies (support of M/AG, boundary inventory file, all
contingency planning support). In the case of the reduction of
potential self-initiated work, ignorance is bliss and perhaps only
we realize the costs involved. For the record, however, they include
the continued delay of needed environmental analysis on such areas
as Communist China, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. This
gapitis is not new, but represents an enlargement of a condition
that had already developed by July 1956.
d. The increasing inadequacy of the resources we can devote to
intelligence maintenance represents a change that is of fundamental.
importance. As you know, geographic information differs from that
in other research spheres in that it is basically cumulative; we
are not presented with tables or handbooks which we can discard
each fiscal year. Any increase in the volume of incominj, information
creates much greater problems for us than for, say, economists. The
occurance of a very substantial increase over the past three years,
combined with an absolute inability to assign manpower to deal with
it, means that the Division is now afflicted with a weakness that
is vital. Our ability to respond quickly, comprehensively, and
reliably is being eroded. I don't know now how the problem will be
dealt with; in truth, I'm not sure that there is any solution except
in the form of augmentated staffing -- part of the problem rests in
the very Draconian measures that were taken with respect to Latin
America and Western Europe.
4+. Going back over our records, I find that the present Division
authorization is 20 percent under that of November 1955 (actual reduction
in ceiling, I know, has been 11 percent). I would estimate that this
represents a fair statement as to the difference between currently avail-
able resources and those required for the Division to do its December
1959 job adequately. In an inverse sort of way, it is this change which
I find to be outstanding.
25X1A9a
Chief, Geography Division
Approved For Release 1999/09/16 : CIA-RDP63-00314R000200010006-5