MINUTES OF THE GEOGRAPHIC RESEARCH AREA STAFF MEETING, 7 NOVEMBER 1955

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-01096A000200050003-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 21, 1998
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: November 7, 1955
• Content Type: MIN

Approved For Release 1999/09/21 : CIA-RDP79-01096A000200050003-6
M3NUTBS cF TRS GEOGRA1 IC R Am STAFF MMTING, 7 NOVEKNR 1955
25X1A9a PRESENT:
25X1 A9a 1. commented on two matters that came up at the
last staff meeting. The first concerned the problem of Military Reserve
business matters being handled during office hours, a practice that is
not desirable except in rare instances. The second question from the
last staff meeting concerned the ascertaining of continued interest 25X1 A9a
in CIA employment during the long clearance period. said
that Personnel sends every 30 days to each prospective employee a letter
asking if they are still interested in CIA employment and requesting
notification if they are not interested.
25X1A9a 2. commented that yesterday had brought a small
flap on a po . status of Outer Mongolia. 'Tbs E & E on Outer
Mongolia was sent to the DD/I.
25X1 A9a 3- cc~nented that he attended lecture 25X1 A9a
last week, which reported on his round-the-world trip.
25X1 A9a 4. reported that is in town and that efforts 25X1 A9a
are being to extend his stay in Washington by three weeks. it haw
seems desirable to establish his with permanent station in Rome instead
of Paris. Consideration is also being given to add the United Kingdom
25X1A9aand the Low Countries to area and to add the four Scandinavian 25X1 A9a
countries to area.
25X1 C8a
25X1 A9a 6. said that the report on activities in Antarctica 25X1 A9a
has been well received. conznented that four copies of it
25X1A9a
were sent to the Executive Office of the White House.
25X1 A9a 7. asked about the IAC Intelligence Glossary.
said that terms we think should be included are to be listed and
submitted by C.O.B., 8 November 1955, plus comments on the value of such
a Glossary. The terms need only to be listed at this stage. Definitions
are to come later.
25X1A9a
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25X1A9a
25X1A9a
8. ked about the priority of the 25X1 A9a
25X1 A9&ew Lands Project. said that the Agricultural Branch will
receive the study early in 1956. Eleven maps havoi been uested of
25X1 A9aby to be finished by 1 January 1956. indicated
that this completion date would require that some ass important 25X1 A9a
would have to give way, probably the city plans or the work on NIS Chapter I.
25X1A9 indicated that the city plans would have the lover priority.
25X1 A9a 9. reported that interest in Langley photography has
revived again t Colonel White has requested the new photography.
25X1A9a 10. ~ asked about the new Operation Alert that has been
25X1A ntioned in the newspapers as planned during the next three months.
said that it was discussed at the last staff meeting and
that it will be held in December or January with probably no warning.
25X1A9a
11. questioned the inclusion in the monthly report of
the type of project reporting covered by St/PC Status Reports. It was
decided to examine the situation carefully to ascertain the amount
of overlap and whether this was desirable.
25X1A9a 12. reported that he has attended the two meetings of
the Ad Hoc Committee formed to advise OTR on Area Training. The Committee
has emphasized to OTR that the Area Courses should be adequately intelligence-
oriented if they are to be of maximum value. The question of reducing
the class time from 8 hours a week to 6 hours a week has been discussed,
and OTR will probably agree to this. It has also been recommended that
courses not require any definite amount of off-duty preparation. If the
student is completely Ignorant of area knowledge, then he may have to
spend a great deal of off-duty time in order to keep up with the class;
however, if the person already has considerable area knowledge he may
have to spend very little off-duty time in class preparation. Adequate
quantities of outside reading material should be available to the students
so that they can take the unclassified materials home with them to read.
It appears that OTR will probably go along with these recommendations although
it is not definite.
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25X1 A9a*13. reported that the OBR/CSB had a special mating
this.morning to discuss a staff study on promotion policy that bad been
prepared for the DCI by Colonel White. The study proposes more leeway
on promotion policy. Two important recommendations are to increase
the 1 percent ceiling on assign ent of higher grade personnel to lower
grade jobs and the recommendation to recognize superior performance on
a job by promotion above the grade of the job without getting the job
classification raised. ORR will probably not go along with these
proposals.
25X1 A9a *14. reported that he now has a copy of the Mobilization
Plan-plus Annexes.
25X1A9a *15. Mr. _t asked about the probable date of transfer25X1 A9a
25X1 A9a for and indicated around the first of December
as a possible date.
25X1A9a
Approved For Release 1999/09/21 : CIA-RDP79-01096A000200050003-6