ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE Minutes of Meeting Held in Room 1121, Temporary M Building 26th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W. 15 October 1957

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00283R000100110014-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 21, 1998
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: November 12, 1957
• Content Type: MIN

Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP82-00283R000100110014-0
TAB
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP82-00283R000100110014-0
 Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP82-00283R000100110014-0
M-63
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP82-00283R000100110014-0
 Sanitized -Approved For Release : CIA-RDP82-OO ROOO100110014-0
ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
Control No. 484834+
EIC-M-63
12 November 1957
Minutes of Meeting Held in
Room 1121, Temporary M Building
26th Street and Constitution Avenue, N. W.
15 October 1957
25X1A9a
25X1A9a
25X1A9a
PRESENT
*Dr. Otto E. Guthe, CIA, Chairman
, Jr., CIA, Vice Chairman
CIA
Mr. Gustave Burmeister, Department of Agriculture
Mr. Bennett V. S. Davis, Department of the Navy
.Mr. John W. Easton, Joint Staff (JCS)
*Mr. Jerome Forrest, International Cooperation Administration
Mr. Kingsley W. Hamilton, Department of the Air Force
Mr. J. Duncan Holmes, Department of the Army
CIA
CIA
Dr. Edward I. Mullins, Office of the Secretary of Defense
Mr. Robert P. Terrill, Department of State
, EIC Executive Secretary
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1. The minutes of the EIC meeting of 8 August 1957 were approved.
* Present during part of meeting only.
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP82-00283R000100110014-0
 Sanitized - Approd For Release : CIA-RDP82-00-?3R000100110014-0
EIC-M-63
12 November 1957
ANNOUNCEMENTS
2. The Acting Chairman announced:
a. The EIC-approved statement of Priority National Economic
Intelligence Objectives was approved by the IAC on 20 August 1957.
b. The EIC Subcommittee on Petroleum prepared a coordinated
statement on?"Trends in Middle East Oil" for use in NIE 30-2-57,
Near East Developments Affecting US Interests.
c. Annual reports have been received from all subcommittees
and forwarded to the interested EIC representatives.
25X1A9a
d. The EIC has approved, by interim action, the appointments
of CIA, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Electric
Power and Solid Fuels; and of Harry H. Bell, State Department, as
Chairman of the Subcommittee on International Trade and Finance.
e. The Chairman has received a letter from the Director of
Central Intelligence commending the EIC on its series of biweekly
and semiannual reports on Sino-Soviet Bloc Economic Activities in
Underdeveloped Areas, and complimenting the members of the Working
Group engaged in the preparation of these reports. Copies of the
commendation have been distributed to the EIC representatives of
agencies participating in the Working Group.
REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES OF SUBCOMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
3. Discussion:
The Chairman of the Subcommittee on Agriculture commented
briefly on the SC'r current activities and plans for the future.
Fiscal Year 1957 was devoted largely to the preparation of a report on
Policies, Performance, and Prospects of Soviet Agriculture. This
report, Vhich is nearing completion, will fill many gaps in economic
intelligence on Soviet agriculture. It was noted that the SC's Terms
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP82-00283R000100110014-0
 Sanitized Appro d For Release : CIA-RDP82-00 3R000100110014-0
EIC-M-63
12 November 1957
of Reference were approved in 1951 and do not reflect changes in the
concept and functions of subcommittees since that time. The SC Chair-
man was asked if he thought it would be useful to broaden the SC's
work so as to cover non-Bloc areas. He stated that the SC had long
.felt the need for such extension and thought that additional activi-
ties covering' important non-Bloc problems would be fruitful.
4. Action:
The Subcommittee was commended for its activities. It was
agreed that the SC should continue its work as outlined in its last
annual report; that when the study on Policies, Performance, and
Prospects of Soviet Agriculture is completed, the SC should review its
Survey of Priority Research Deficiencies; and that the SC Terms of
Reference should be reviewed and updated. (See paragraph 7, below.)
REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES OF SUBCOMMITTEE ON INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY AND
EQUIPMENT
5. Discussion:
The Executive Secretary of the Subcommittee on Industrial
Machinery and Equipment commented briefly on SC activities in the past
and the program for the future. The SC seems to be serving a useful
function in coordinating interagency intelligence, and in keeping par-
ticipating agencies informed. SC plans for reviewing industrial data
recently released by the USSR were discussed. The desirability of the
SC's maintaining a "watch" on items within its field likely to be
considered in connection with periodic reviews of controlled items in
East-West trade was discussed.
6. Action:
It was noted that this has been a productive SC, and its
members were commended for their efforts. It was agreed that the SC
should continue its work as outlined in its last annual report. In
addition, the following were suggested as proper SC activities for
FY 1958:
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP82-00283R000100110014-0
 Sanitized - Approcl For Release : CIA-RDP82-OO2 R000100110014-0
EIC-M-63
12 November 1957
a. Evaluation. of Soviet industrial statistics which have
recently become available.
b. Consideration of the desirability of following.selected
controlled items in its field so as to assist the EDAC community
in the periodic reviews of East-West trade controls.
c. Review and updating of the SC Terms of Reference. (See
paragraph 7, below.)
The Navy representative agreed to take up with his agency the question
of Navy representation on this SC.
REVIEW OF TERMS OF REFERENCE OF SUBCOMMITTEES
7. In connection with the reviews of SC's it was noted that many
of the SC Terms of Reference have been in effect for a number of years,
and that in December 1955 the EIC published a statement of General
Concepts and Functions of EIC Subcommittees which ought to be reflected
.in the SCi' Terms of Reference. It was agreed that the Secretariat
would prepare a format for SC Terms of Reference, taking into account
the statement of General Concepts and Functions of EIC Subcommittees,
as a guide for the SC's in revising and updating their Terms of
Reference.
SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE EIC TO THE IAC
8. The draft Sixth Annual Report of the EIC to the IAC was reviewed
and, with. minor revisions, approved for transmittal to the IAC. The
Secretariat was commended for its preparation of this report which was
considered to be concise and meaningful.
DISCUSSION OF NSCID 15
9. Discussion:
The IAC has for some time been reviewing proposed revisions of
the various National Security Council Intelligence Directives (NSCID's).
- 4 -
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP82-00283R000100110014-0
 Sanitized - ApproWd For Release : CIA-RDP82-002 R000100110014-0
EIC-M-63
12 November 1957
In the course of this review, a question was raised as to the desira-:
bility of retaining NSCID 15, as many of its provisions are included
in the tentatively approved revisions of NSCID's 1 and 3. A statement
of preliminary ORB/CIA views on this question (EIC-D-255) was
presented and discussed.
The EIC concurred in the ORR/CIA conclusions indicated in
EIC-D-255, with the understanding that:
a. The EIC is qualified to speak for the recommendations in
paragraph 3 of EIC-D-255 only insofar as they relate to economic
intelligence; and
b.. the insertion recommended in EIC-D-255, together with the
pertinent sections of the revisions of NSCID's 1 and 3 referred
to in this document, are construed to provide adequate authority
for DCID 151 in its present form.
SURVEY OF PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL IN US GOVERNMENT ENGAGED IN ECONOMIC
INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH
11. Discussion:
In connection with the proposed survey of professional per-
sonnel engaged in economic intelligence research, discussed at EIC
meetings on 23 July and 8 August 1957, two forms for agency reporting
on Bloc areas were presented and discussed. Several suggestions were
made which would make the forms more useful. Similar forms are to be
prepared for use in reporting on non-Bloc areas. It was indicated
that there would be a summary section of the report covering both
Bloc and non-Bloc areas.
12. Action:
It was agreed that:
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP82-00283R000100110014-0 .
 Sanitized - Approi For Release : CIA-RDP82-00R000100110014-0
EIC-M-63
12 November 1957
a. the forms dealing with economic intelligence research on
the Bloc.would be studied by the EIC members, who would make such
.further suggestions and recommendations as they considered would
make the survey more meaningful;
b. the State Department representative would prepare similar
reporting forms for use in connection with non-Bloc areas; and
e. the EIC would review the revised forms covering Bloc and
,non-Bloc areas and the reporting instructions before they are
forwarded to.the reporting agencies.
Executive Secretary
25X1A9a
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP82-00283R000100110014-0