THIS IS IN REPLY TO YOUR LETTER OF 26 DECEMBER 1950 REGARDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BOARD TO EXERCISE THE PRESIDENT'S WAR AND/OR EMERGENCY POWERS UNDER THE COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01053A000300050010-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 5, 2013
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: December 26, 1950
• Content Type: LETTER

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/05: CIA-RDP80-01053A000300050010-5
Mt. Frederick J. Lawton, Director
Bureau of the Budget
Washington 25, D. C.
Dear Mr. Lawton:
This is in reply to your letter of 26 December 1950 regard.
ing the establishment of a Board to exercise the President's
war and/or emergenoy power* under the Communications Act of 1934,
as amended.
The Central Intelligence Agency concurs in the proposal to
create a successor to the Board of War Communications of World
War II. The establishment at an early date of a body within
the executive structure of the Government to provide for the most
effective use and cont rol of our national telecommunications
resources is considered essential to the national defense and
security.
It is believed this Board should be established by Executive
Order and authorised to perform eubstantially the same fUnotions
assigned to the former Board of War Communications. Mbmbership
on the Board should be limited to those Departments and/or Agencies
of the Government having a primary interest in telecommunications
from the standpoint of national defense.
The opportunity to comment on this important aspect of our
national preparedness program is appreciated.
Sincerely,
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/05: CIA-RDP80-01053A000300050010-5
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/05: CIA-RDP80-01053A000300050010-5
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/05: CIA-RDP80-01053A000300050010-5
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved forRelease2013/03/05 : CIA-RDP80-01053A000300050010-5
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
BUREAU OF THE BUDGET
Washington, 25, fl. C.
26 December 1950
My dear General Smith:
The Bureau of the Budget has received several proposals
to establish a Board similar to either the Defense Communications
Board or the Board of War Communications of the World War II
years. The Defense Communications Board was charged with planning
to implement the President's responsibilities under Section 606
of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, while the Board of
War Communications executbd these Presidential responsibilities,
and also supervised execution of the responsibilities under Section
301 of the Act.
Presumably, composition of the proposed board would parallel
that of its predecessors modified to reflect changed in the Govern-
ment's structure since 1945.
It is requested that your views on this subject be submitted
to the Bureau of the Budget not later than January 4, 1951. It is
especially desired that these views include comments on the need
for such an agency, the kinds of questions such an agency would
have to consider, and the desired composition and status of such
an agency.
Sincerely yours,
/s/ F. J. LAWTON
Director
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/03/05 : CIA-RDP80-01053A000300050010-5