MY DEAR MR. CANNON:

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00022R000200100006-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 5, 2001
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: May 25, 1945
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved ForJGfiasDeVI'a
on File
C 0 P Y
OSS Archives File
Budget 191.6
Letter from Ain.. Leahy to
The Honorable Clarence Cannon
ABD - 2/11/52
The Honorable
Clarence Cannons
Chairmans
House Appropriations Counittee.
From General MacArthur, Ccamananding Southwest Pacific
Area:
Icy dear Mr. Cannon:
Pursuant to your requests transmitted orally by Mr. John K. Pugh,
for a statement as to whether or not General MacArthur and Adniral
Nimitz desire the services of the office of Strategic Services in the
Pacific wars the following messages from General MacArthur and Admiral
Nimitz are quoted for your information.
as speculative conjecture.
"No statement has emanated from this headquarters nor so
far as known from this area in comment on OSS. Any items that
may have appeared in the press along this line must be regarded
'- The OSS has not up to the present time operated within
this areas I know little of its methodss have no control of its
agencies., and consequently have no plans for its future employment."
From Admiral Nimitzs Commanding Pacific Ocean Areas:
"Owing to the character of the war in the Pacific Ocean
Areas which has'been primarily naval, amphibious, and aerial,
the employment of the agencies of'the' Office of Strate.o'
Services in the Pacific Ocean Areas has been very limited.,
. "The minor services rendered could have been rendered
equally effectively by appropriate agencies of the War and
Navy Departments.
"Although OSS has been anid.ous to assist and cooperate
it is my considered opinion that better results would have been
obtained and can be obtained in the future if the missions now
assigned to the OSS are reassigned to the War and Navy`Depart-
ments insofar as the Pacific Ocean Areas are concerned.
25 May 1915.
Enclosure "C"
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"I have no adequate basis for c naient on the need for
the OSS in land, campaigns in large land masses."
in addition to the foregoing, there are also quoted for your
information the following messages in the same connection from General
Wedemeyer, General Sultan and General McNarney:
From General Wedemeyer, Commanding U.S. Army Forces, China
Theater:
"Inasmuch as OSS and Navy Group China are the only gnerican
organizations in this theater trained and capable of carrying out
demolitions, commando operations and clandestine intelligence
activity, it is considered that the potential value of OSS to
this theater is high.
"Presently authorized for OSS is a strength of 2000 United'
States personnel in this theater and this number is being approached
rapidly. When OSS reaches authorized strength and its efforts are
closely integrated with offensive operations intended feel certain`
their approved projects will materially assist theater in its assigned
mission.
"OSS is now training 20 Commando Groups and intelligence teas
and will furnish United States persannel to these units as advisors.
These groups and others already trained are to be charged with re=
sponsible missions in direct support of contemplated future plans."
From General Sultan, Commanding U.S. Army Forces, India-
Burma Theater:
"During the, recent campaign in north Burma, OSS furnished
most effective assistance by organizing Kachin irregulars to
provide intelligence and to harass enemy lines of communications.
Now that this campaign has ended, the OSS Detachment which carried
out this useful work is being transferred. to China Theater.
"Although OSS has furnished* certain limited assistance to
British operations in the Arakan, its combat role in further
Southeast Asia Co nand operations in Burma is negligible and can
be disregarded.
"At the present time, the primary mission of the India-Burma
Theater is to support China Theater. 0SS is not required by IBT
for the execution of this mission.
"Insofar as OSS activities in this theater are concerned, it
is believed that the functions presently. being performed by 'OSS
would be more economically and efficiently accomplished were the
existing organization changed to bring OSS wholly within- the War
and Navy'Departments, thus insuring control through normal command
channels."
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From General McNarney, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander,
Mediterranean:
"Office of Strategic Services activities in this theater
have been to carry out special operations and to provide secret
intelligence.
"These activities contributed greatly to the success of our,
operations in Italy and could not have been performed i ffectively
in the absence of trained OSS personnel and facilities.
"0SS personnel did an outstanding job in directing and. co-
ordinating Partisan activities and their facilities were indispen-
sable ' in the negotiations culminating in the German surrender in
Italy.
"So long as-the situation in Italy, Austria, and the Balkans
remains unstable, it is essential to continue the secret intelli-
gence activities of 055 in this Theater.
"Special operations, however, are no longer required and
accordingly the OSS staff in the Mediterranean Theater of
Operations can be reduced, on the basis of a rough estimate,
to approximately 20% in 1946 of its average Mediterranean
Theater of Operations strength for the fiscal year 1945. Recce-
mend that Office of Strategic Services be provided with sufficient
funds in the fiscal year 1916 to continue their reduced activities
in Mediterranean Theater and to permit trained OSS personnel to
be redeployed to the Pacific."
Trusting that the above will give you the information desired,
Sincerely yours,
For the Joint Chiefs of Staff:
/s/
WIILIAM D. LEAHY,
Fleet Admiral, U.S. Navy,
Chief of Staff to the
Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy.
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