TOUCHY SENATE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000200890004-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 5, 1999
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: July 30, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

Tni STATINTL
Approved For Release 200?14 : CIA-RDP75-00149R0002
JUL 3 0 1966
CPYRGH,T
(Touchy Senate
Helms, Y; bass, tlie., s President of , tlie,
:,the Senate's wounds can be no more,
than thin-skin deep.- Sen. Fulbright,:{
., himself, has made statements more
The-letter written by the new head
of the Central Intelligence Agency
praising a newspaper editorial critical
of Sen. J. W, Fulbright was lacking
An discretion, but it had one reveal-7
ing effect: Its reception in the Senate';
suggests that skins may be, if possible
e: ? even thinner on Capitol Hill than at
the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue_
In the White House. 1
It is surprising that the professional
head of a service so secret should
d'. make such a public gaffe, particular:
ly at this time. CIA Director Richard'
Helms' agency has just weathered an,
effort by Sen. Fulbright's Foreign Re-1
lations Committee to gain a role in
supervising the CIA. It was a St.;
i Louis Globe-Democrat editorial laud-
ing Senate rejection of that effort.'
that drew Mr. Helms' letter expressing
'his "pleasure" in reading it.
The timing was bad, the source
startling,. but the innocuously worded.:
letter scarcely merited its huffy re
ception in the Senate. Sen. Eugene?
McCarthy, D-Minn., said, to apparent
[general approval, that the CIA head
`owes an apology to every member
of the Senate."
Mr. Helms. has; made his apology,
by telephone call and in person. But j
Approved For Release 2000/04/14: CIA-RDP75-00149R000200890004-2