CONTRAL TRANSLATION SERVICE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-00706R000100210015-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 11, 2013
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: March 7, 1949
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified and Approved For Release @50-Yr 2013712/11 : CIA-RDP81-00706R000100210015-2
Chief, ICAFS
Aseistant Pireetor for Operations
Central Translation 9ervice
7 izarch 1949
1. Attached are our preposals on the above subject, which
be used as agenda for the next meeting of the 1,,,d goo Coomittee on
Central Translation if you coneur. You mtll note that they are
drafted. for your signature.
2. As a. result of a discrssion with the hief, Foreign Documents
Pranch? on the differentiation between "atriet translation,' and the
proposed "exploitation" of foreign doeumentsl this .1-ffice believes
that a new committee shoulc: be formed at a lower workine level to -
consider the problems mentioned in Para. 3 and 4 of the attached.
Collection and exploitation aetivitiee in the field of foreign
documents are not usually handled by the same branches or units in
the IAC aeenoies as handle agency translation facilities. Any
'recommendations made by nuch a new ammittee would paturaIr be
submitted to TCA[' *7 for inter.-agency diecussion on a higher isrel
before presentation to the Standing Committee of the TAO.
GE1BOE Cr. CARE/
teat 1
Nemo 7 ear 47 to ed en Central Translations
fr ,:!hief?
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-I Declassified and Approved For Release @50-Yr 2013/12/11 : CIA-RDP81-00706R000100210015-2
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14 noo Comittee on Central Translations
Chief, ICAPS
Central Service and Coordination of Translation
1. The recommendations of the TAO agencies on this subject maybe
split into two major categories. The first deals with translation per
se. Four of the five akeneiss. namely State, Army, Navy and Air,
recommend maintenanos of individual facilities with a high degree of
000rdination. The arguments for this may be summarised as follows:
a. The problem of establishing inter-agency priorities
in a central bureau for each &money's priority material is too
complicated. Mere satisfactory results can be accomplished
through coordination. (Army, Air)
b. Material of unique interest for a single agency should
be processed by that agency and then lode available to other
agencies. (Army. Navy)
0. By coordinating and utilising existing services,
additional personnel otherwise required to give full servioe
needed. by the intelligence agencies maybe considerably re-
duced. (State)
d. Responsibilities within several agencies for the
translation of other than intelligence information requires
the maintenance of separate translation faoilities. (Army, risTr)
e. The Gest of ortabliahment and maintenance of a central
bureau would be excessive. (Army)
f. The close cooperation between the analyst and the
translator for technical translations of speoialised service
interest could not be maintained, resulting in decrease in
overall efficieney. (Army)
g. The same results can be attained through cooperation
and coordination if measures are taken by the IA0 agencies
to insure that all translations node within their organisations
be disseminated by the originating agency its cit. or by
furnishing a copy te CIA for dissemination.
2. aw It is evident from the almost unanimous reecomendations
of the /AC ageneies that editing service translation faeilities
must be maintained for translation or priority and unique
service-interest material. They must also be maintained for
the translation of other than intelligens, material.
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Declassified and Approved For Release @50-Yr 2013/12/11 : CIA-RDP81-00706R000100210015-2
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Declassified and Approved For Release ? 50-Yr 2013/12/11 : CIA-RDP81-00706R000100210015-2
' Declassified and Approved For Release @ 50-Yr 2013/12/11 : CIA-RDP81-00706R000100210015-2
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a. Central exploitation of ,brelem languaee periodicals
and newspapers is necessary. (;4.vy)
b. A central service is needed to provide all the Tee
agencies with e4 tomplete coverage of all untranslated intelli-
gence documents less those in i mediate or urgent demseal by
onc of the services. (kir)
c? Steps should be taken on a country by country basin
for coordinated collection enploitation and dissemination of
publications of intelligence value aleng the lines of the
efforts velich have been made with respect to Soviet and
Tunoalav peblications. (State)
d. AU agencies should proeinle ?accessary Re:eliable
seeterials for proceseng by such a central ?Service. (Navy, Air)
a, As l'breign Documents eranch is now performine some
of the needed ?service envi...eaeed it should be ntrarefehened
so as to an the g:ip betv1) V. czcistinr end needed services.
(Etates Navy)
f. A group should be anpointe e to work with the eesearch
and Development 2oard or other Dor -412 enencies attempting to
solve the translation problem on an crrerall Uoyernmenteeride
basis and to make recomendatione to the aC as to the partici-
pation of the ac in any proposed solution. (state, Eav-y)
4. 3eyord the field of strict translation, it is thus recommended by
a majority of the TAC ELL:uncles that a =anon service of exploitation
(collection, screening and processing of foreign laseenege dotes:yenta) is
both desiranle and necessary. Such a service ie a complex one and deserves
careful consideration in order to meet nest ef.acierrtly the needs of all
agencies served. It shouli be surveyed with the cooperation of the in-
terested agenclei in order that the capabilities and limitations of exist-
ing facilities may be thoroughly understood and practical recommendations
may be made for the most economical use and easementatiom of those facilities.
Such a survey zonld best be made by a purely working-level ad hoc conssittele
composed of representatives of the collection units of the IAC ageecies,
under the chairmanship of' the Chief, Foreign i'ocuments :3ranch, 10.? CIA.
S. Riving determined that a Central Translation aureatt is not
desirable, it is recoemended that the Committee approve the folic/1,11ov
a. illaintenarce of individual agency translation sections.
b. Coordination by CIA of translatioe work accomplished by
such sections.
SECRET
Declassified and Approved For Release @50-Yr 2013/12/11 : CIA-RDP81-00706R000100210015-2
Declassified and Approved For Release @50-Yr2013/12/11:CIA-RDP81-00706R000100210015-2
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c. bstablishment of a new committee, to be designated the
"Committee on l',xploitation of .oreign Language Documents," to
study the problems outlined in paragraphs 3 and 42 above, and
to make recommendations through normal chanels to the Standing
ComTittee of the IC,
UnWr
Declassified and Approved For Release @50-Yr 2013/12/11 : CIA-RDP81-00706R000100210015-2