LETTER TO COLONEL WILLIAM G. LEE, JR FROM BURTON W. ADKINSON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-00706R000200010012-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 9, 2004
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: July 2, 1956
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2004/08/31 : CIA-RDP81-00706R000200010012-3
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Washington, DC
REFERENCE DEPARTMENT
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
July 2, 1956
As a result of your current interest in exploiting the oriental
language holdings of The Library of Congress, I feel that you may
wish to be informed of the size, nature, and cost of controlling these
largely uncataloged collections.
The Library of Congress has the largest accumulation of Chinese,
Japanese and Korean materials outside the Orient. This collection
currently numbers more than 700,000 volumes and pamphlets and is
being augmented at a rate of some 12,000 titles each year. Not only
is this the largest Western collection of orientalia, but in many
respects it is as unique as it is voluminous.
The arrearage of uncataloged Japanese material of some 250,000
volumes includes Japanese intelligence collections with materials
which are not known to exist elsewhere either in the U.S. or Japan.
Particularly valuable studies relating to mainland China are included
in the materials of a grup of the most outstanding oriental research
and intelligence organizations. The East Asian Research Institute
(Toa Kenkyujo); the Research Department of the South Manchurian
Railroad Co; the China Affairs Board (Koain); the Ministry of Greater
East Asian Affairs (Dai Toasho); the civilian research units of the
Japanese North China Garrison; and other lesser organizations. Many
of these documents are mimeographed and most are! classified confidential
(hi) or secret (gokuhi). While some of this material may be considered
dated, the selected titles included in Appendix A affotd some indication
of the scope and nature of this material.
The current acquisitions include some 5,000 Chinese, 6,000 Japanese,
and 1,000 Korean titles which include valuable materials of amore current
nature.
USAF review(s) completed.
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The USAF projects within the Library are using, and have used
these collections as much as possible, considering their present
unorganized state. Some specialized bibliographic work has been
initiated by the projects, but as we learned in exploiting the Slavic
collections, sporadic bibliographic efforts which do not result in
complete control of the documents have proven to be more costly than
the general cataloging of the collection. In addition, the usual
cataloging procedures assure the projects, the Directorate of
Intelligence, and the larger intelligence community not only an
efficient method of locating available, often unique, titles, but the
ability to use and reuse the documents as needs arise.
It is my best estimate that complete control of current acquisitions
would require an expenditure of about $290,000 per annum, following a
maximum initial expenditure of $150,000 in the first year. Complete
control of the 250,000 volume Japanese arrearage would require an
expenditure of about $1,500,000 over a five-year period, with a maximum
first-year expenditure of about $78,500. Selective criteria would be
applied to assure that more critical volumes be given cataloging priority.
The establishment of complete control of the collections includes
the coordination of materials cataloged in the Library of Congress with
current holdings cataloged by every library in the United States which
has extensive oriental collections. The existence of such a catalog
would not only provide control of Library of Congress collections, but
would indicate the location of similar materials in libraries throughout
the United States.
I will be glad to discuss this further with you or furnish additional
information if you desire.
Sincerely,
s/
Burton W. Adkinson
Director
William G. Lee, Jr.
Colonel, U.S. Air Force
Directorate of Intelligence
Headquarters, U.S. Air Force
Washington 25, D. C.
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Report of a survey of mineral resources in North
China important for national defense (February 191+1). (One
volume of text, one volume of maps and charts.) SECRET
Report of a survey of freezing conditions on the
rivers and lakes of North China (July 1941).
Drinking Water in the Main Cities of North China (March 1941).
Report of a survey of water transport on the rivers of
North China -- a collection of photographs (1936).
Report of a survey of irrigation facilities for agriculture
in Central China (August 191+1) CONFIDENTIAL
Report of a basic survey of measures for the prevention of
diseases in Central China (May 1942).
Collective report of the research committee appointed
to study the Yellow River (June 1944). CONFIDENTIAL
Report of mineral resources in South China (January 1940). SECRET
Description of strategic positions in Kiangsi Province, from the
standpoint of military use (December 1943). TOP SECRET
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