INTELLIGENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00022R000400070025-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 30, 2004
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: October 8, 1945
• Content Type: MEMO

COPY
?&01~21: (pjjrTWD or Release 2004/10/12: CIA-RDP84-00022R000400670025-7
UN, ITET) STATES FLEET
Headquarters of the Commander in Chief
NAVY DEPARTMENT
Washington 25, D.C.
FF11AS
Serial:
Subject:
This is a TEMPORSe Of I DOCUMENT
only, for the
The record copy has been TVA51
d to National Archives
under the ISTOR1CAL REVIEW PROOR
Date
11IL. 5ECR I1-IhY 01' THE NAVY
Intelligence.
Reference: (a) Memo from Admiral S. H. Robinson dated
4 October 1945 on the subject of In-
telligence.
1, Admiral Robinson's memorandum is on a subject of
great importance to the United States. It is, as he says, most
important that there be provided a proper intelligence department
in this Government.
2. As you know, and as Admiral Robinson probably does
not know, the Joint Chiefs of Staff have recognized the inadequac,
of present organizations in various Governmental departments and
have submitted to the Secretaries of War and. Navy their recommend,
tions for the creation of a central coordinating authority for th,
operation of an intelligence service of the United States.
3. It is understood the recommendations of the Joint
Chief of Staff have been forwarded by the Secretary of Navy and
the Secretary of War to the Secretary of State for further trans-
mittal to the President for his information. As you know, this
recommendation provides for setting up a national intelligence
authority composed of the Secretaries of State, War and Navy and
a representative of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with a Director of
a central intelligence agency appointed by the President and an
intelligence advisory board.
4, In my opinion, the present unsettled question con-
cernin,g the reorganization of intelligence activities of the
Government should be resolved at the earliest practicable date.
recommend that the Navy Department press for an early establishme
of the central intelligence agency along the linos recommended by
the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
document has been
approved r release ough
the RISTORICA? ZViE1 RQCR M o.*
the Central Inte Bence Agency.
1/-)_ J r ( Fleet Admiral, U. S. Navy.
Lt (j g) i au mama -I-"' "
Ora.- mated by : A..~C . Srnedh- rg) 8 Oct. 1945.
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 Appro ted For Release 2004/10/12 : CIA-RDP84-00022R000400E70025-7
Address Reply to
Paterial Division Office of
The Assistant Secretary
SMR/ j e
Id EMORAN-DUM FOR THE SECRETARY
Sub.j: Establishment of an Intelligence Branch for the
United States.
As a result of the developments of this war, it is be-
lieved that the United States has lost completely its security. It
is perfectly possible for us to have the finest Navy, the finest
Air Force, and the finest Army in the world and still be completely
and hopelessly defeated before we can strike a blow..
The two important things for this country after the war
1) To provide for adequate research and
2) To provide for a proper Intelligence Department.
You already have underway the first and I believe that thi
steps you are taking will eventually lead to proper emphasis being
placed on resear h. In regard to the second, I can see no moves or
situation. The most recent move that I know of has been to set up a:
intelligence branch in the State Department. This is no doubt a
good thing. I believe that the idea is that it will to some extant
coordinate the efforts of the War and Navy Department intelligence
services as well. I have no comment to make on this arrangement
except to say that it is wholly and completely inadequate to sup.ly
the Services which I believe to be the most important item in the
Government today. We should have an Intelligence Branch which would
report directly to the President of the United States, which would
obtain its appropriations directly from Congress in a "lump sum, and
which would not be subject to accounting and which would not be unde
the Civil Service. The members of this organization would have to
be chosen on a permanent basis; most of its members would. have to
spend their entire lives in foreign countries. The head of the
organization should be the most carefully selected man in the entire
Government setup; he should be given a completely free hand in its
organization, and the sole directive of this organization should be
to obtain advance information as to what foreign countries are
preparing to attack the United States. This organization should
not fritter away its efforts by having agents scattered all over the
globe but should concentrate on those countries which are able to ma
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war against the United States or which may in the near future be able
to make war against the United States and especially those whose motive
are at the present time unknown. At the moment I would say that three
countries qualify for these conditions--Russia, China, and Argentina.
The latter is, of course, at the present moment a weak country but
could in a few years be converted into a very powerful one. If our
forces are withdrawn from Germany in the near future, that country
would undoubtedly have to be added to the list. It may be that in a
few years France and Great Britain would also be added to the list.
I can conceive of conditions arising in Brazil which would make it
necessary to establish agents there, and, of course, the situation
in Japan will depend entirely upon how long we occupy it. As time
goes on and conditions change, it would undoubtedly be desirable to
move agents from one country to another, but in any case we should
be sure of having two or three years' warning of the intentions of any
country with regard to the United States. 1 do not believe that this
is an impossible program nor even a too ambitious one. Other
countries do it. I have been informed that the Prime Minister of
Great Britain has a foreign intelligence branch which reports
directly to him.. This information was given to me by a former
,naval intelligence officer. I don't know whether it is correct or
not, but I believe that all countries, after this war, will concen-
trate on developing and perfecting their intelligence systems, and
I firmly believe that if this country does not do the same thing
that we will be destroyed some day by a dealous neighbor and. without
the slightest warning. There are so many new weapons being produced
or perfected that would make this possible that I won't enumerate
them here.
In conclusion, I believe that the most important thing
now to be done in this country is to establish an independent
intelligence agency, the sole purpose of which shall be to keep
this. country informed of the movements of its possible enemies.
This agency should not be placed under any Cabinet officer so that
it can be submerged when the pinch of funds comes. Also, the placing
it under a Cabinet officer is bound to hamper the efforts of its
Chief to attain his goal. The adequacy with which we provide this
service will probably decide the life of this Nation.
/s/ S. N. Robinson
Admiral USN
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