CERTAIN INTERAGENCY MATTERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R001900140054-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 8, 2008
• Sequence Number: 54
• Publication Date: May 9, 1961
• Content Type: MFR

SErjT ? EVES
9 May 1961
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Certain Interagency Matters
Bromley Smith gave me today his views, as follows, on certain
pending matters of interagency concern:
1. State Department "Operations Center, " under Ted Achilles
According to Smith, this will be a modest setup, with simple
graphics and close communications with the State Secretariat. It is
intended to provide a home for task forces on certain critical areas.
Smith was vague on the task forces to be included, or what the criteria
for inclusion would be. So far Cuba has been designated, and Vietnam
appears to be a probability.
In Smith's view this is an attempt, originally sparked by the
Secretariat, to reassert State's position in interagency planning and
operations, and "to speed up processing. " It is intended that all
pertinent information on a particular area will be available, and a
"substantive officer" will be on duty at all times. It is not proposed
that such personnel will undertake evaluations.
2. White House Situation Room
Smith has been assigned responsibility, by Mac Bundy, for
setting up this Situation Room. As part of the exercise Bundy has
already moved physically to the White House and Smith will move
probably this week. It is hoped the Situation Room can be started
within a few days.
According to Smith, the Situation Room is primarily a secretariat
sort of problem, involving the flow of paper and an attempt to "work
toward an orderly assignment of responsibility" among departments
and agencies. The problem stems in part from the reluctance of the
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President to sit still for formal briefings. Therefore some other
way has to be found to give to the President the information he needs,
with particular bearing on the assignment by him of action responsibility.
Smith said that he anticipated a period of relative confusion
and thrashing around. He said that Bundy proposes to "reassure"
various interested people about `what he is doing and how their
organizations will fit in. " (I understood this to have a broader
significance than just the Situation Room. )
Smith then said that he recognized that CIA has liaison with
General Clifton. He went on to say, "We will have to look at what
CIA is giving to Clifton and adjust that. This will be funneled through
Bundy. " I made no response to this.
It appears evident that Smith sees himself ending up with some
at least of the functions which used to be performed by the Executive
Secretary of the NSC, but without that title. He avers that "they"
are trying to "get the NSC back on the track, " but that care will be
taken to avoid identifying any such activity with the infra- structure
which existed in the former administration. He sees this as a job
which has to be approached slowly and cautiously, but feels that there
is a real need for a somewhat more orderly system than now exists.
THUMAS A. PAR OTT
Distribution:
Orig. - DCI
1 - DDCI
1 -DDP
1 - DDP-COPS
1 - A/DD/P/A
1 - DDP/EBM
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