STORAGE OF VITAL INTELLIGENCE DOCUMENTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70-00211R000300220017-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 4, 2017
• Document Release Date: July 20, 2006
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: August 20, 1948
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2006/07/20: CIA-RDP70-00211 R000300220017-5
20 August 1948
AMTORANDUAM FOR: Assistant Director for Collection and Dissemination
SUBJECT s Storage of Vital Intelligence Documents
1. At the instigation of committee desire expressed at
the meeting on 16 August 1948, the ICAPS member of the committee
has contacted the State Department, Army, Navy and Air Force,
along the lines of my memorandum to the Director of Intelligence,
subject as above, dated 17 August. In addition to this, I have
contacted several other persons in the Department of the Army
concerning this matter.
2. Present indications in response to the questions
of paragraph 4 of the above mentioned letter are:
a. Department of State has done nothing toward
providing storage for vital documents. They are not
certain as to what action, if any, will be taken. They,
further, are interested in CIA providing the storage
space and the reproduction.
b. The Army is interested in having CIA furnish
the storage space and the facilities mentioned. They,
further, feel that in order to obviate as much un-
necessary duplication as is possible, that every effort
should be made to coordinate such reproduction as is
done by CIA with the other intelligence agencies in
order that they, in turn, may not feel the necessity
to reproduce and store the same documents. Certain
decentralization planning is going forward on a joint
basis in response to a directive from the Secretary of
Defense. See paragraphs 3 and. 4.
c. The Navy Department is unable to produce a
certain response concerning intelligence documents at
this time, since the problem is linked with that of the
storage of vital operational records. It is possible
that a response may be received prior to the meeting on
23 August.
d. The Air Force has no active program concerning
the Ftorage problem, but has made dissemination of the
Bombing Encyclopedia and target folders to the Strategic
Air Command at Andrews Field. Present consideration in
the Air Force is that such dissemination may not
SECRET
Approved For Release 2006/07/20: CIA-RDP70-00211 R000300220017-5
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be considered aaequate, in as much as Andrews Field is
close to Washington. They desire to participate in
such a program, when such is developed.
3. A joint committee, under directive from the Secretary
of Defense is working on the problem of the decentralization of
the Armed Forces away from the Metropolitan district of Washington.
Colonel Henry M. Zeller (Policy Branch, P. and 0. Division, phone
National Defense 2124), is the Army member and Steering Member
of this joint committee. I am unaware of other membership.
A directive is in the course of preparation, visualizing a small
establishment at the Seat of Government, (presumed Washington, D. C.),
another comparatively small Joint Command Post in another location,
located somewhere on the existing coaxial telecommunicational
lines; a Joint Logistics Center, at which industrial mobilization
planning and activities as well as supply functions will be lo-
cated at a third location, and, three, probably separately located
headquarters for the Departments of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
present thinking includes, but has not been explored, a central-
ized location possibly away from any of the above mentioned
four locations, for the intelligence activities of the Armed
Forces. Present thinking, is also to the effect that the Depart-
ment of State, as such, will probably be located at the Seat of
Government. Consideration of the location of the intelligence activ-
ities of the Department of State and the CIA at the centralized
intelligence point noted above may be opened.
4. In the event that the intelligence activities of the
Army, Navy, and Air Force are located at its decentralized head-
quarters, or at a central point other than these headquarters the
major portion of the reproduction problem facing the Armed Forces
will be eli iinated. The problem of how much of service originated
intelligence material within CIA which should be reproduced will be
a matter of assessing the risk of destruction of the various decen-
tralized service headquarters.
5. Since the actions of the Armed Forces are dependent upon
the present decentralization planning and since the proposals made
to the Armed Forces visualized each choosing,and reproducing the
material it desired to safeguard, I recommend that CIA proceed with
its planning in this matter on the basis that the Armed Forces and
the Department of State will participate in this storage at least to
a limited extent. I further recommend that the Armed Forces and the
State Department be kept abreast of CIA planning and actions, and that
the whole position concerning IAC participation be re-opened prior to
the reaching of a decision for a place of storage, in order that any
change of attitude or desire to be included in the storage program
may be used in assessing the place an ?
Approved For Release 2006/07/20: CIA-RDP70-00211 R000300220017-5