DECLASSIFICATION REVIEW OF CERTAIN WORLD WAR II DOCUMENTS HELD BY THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00780R006100110005-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 25, 2006
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: December 18, 1974
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2006/05/25: CIA-RDP84-0078OR006100110005Z/
1,374
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, ISAS/CPB
SUBJECT: Declassification Review of Certain World War II
Documents Held by the National Archives
REFERENCE: Memorandum dated 19 November 1974, Same Subject
1. Reference memorandum outlined a proposal that reviewers of the
Records Declassification Division, NARS be permitted to review certain OSS
records for declassification. Such review was to be performed only when
CIA personnel were present to supervise the activity. Approval was given
by the ADDO on 22 November 1974.
2. This procedure was instituted with highly favorable results.
Consequently, NARS has asked if their personnel may perform this review
when Agency personnel are not present. The Agency reviewers are satisfied
with the competence and judgment demonstrated by the NARS personnel and
recommend acceptance of this additional offer of assistance.
3. This memorandum authorizes the use of NARS personnel in the
review of OSS-related records at any time, such review to be made under
the guidelines stated in Reference. You may inform NARS of this decision.
Executive Secretary, SSU
/CDF Pages _3, 4, 10
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USE ONLY ^ CONFIDENTIAL ^ SECRET
ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (Optional)
^
FROM: EXTENSION NO. an
~mW S
Executive Secretary, SSli 1 D 17
ATE
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
DATE
building)
OFFICER'S
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
INITIALS
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
C/ISAS/CPB 2 E 50??
+97
t
1
4
:.
4 - 3
2.
AC/DDA
Attached memo from Executive Sec-
:~
retary/SSU proposes that NARS
3.
'7
reviewers be permitted to review
DDA
3 DEC
documents falling under CIA's
16
classification jurisdiction
sub-
4?
,
ject to the approved guidelines
C/ISAS
(also attached), at. times when
CIA personnel are not present
5
.
Inasmuch as you, as Chairman of
C/CPB/ISAS
the Information Review Committee,
restricted this delegation of
e
declassification authority to thos
days when CIA reviewers were col-
located with the NARS personnel
-
7_
,
any amendments require your approv-
al.
8.
Our experience with having NARS
personnel review non-sensitive
records of predecessor a
encies
9.
g
has been highly satisfactory. The
NARS reviewers have been very care-
ful about referring any
uestion-
10.
q
able documents to a CIA officer fo
a decision. The modification pro-
osed b
the DDO
ld
d
p
y
wou
spee
up
11.
the processing of 30-year-old doc-
uments. Arrangements can be made
to s
ot che
k th
k d
h
l
p
c
e wor
one w
i
e
12.
CIA personnel are not present.
We therefor recommend approval.
S
13.
A
974
14.
D
15.
Original - C/ISAS
2 - DDA
FORM 610 USE EDITIONS USE O PREVIOUS ^ SECRET ^ CONFIDENTIAL U ^SE OALNLY
3-62 UNCLASSIFIED
Annrn vPd For Release 2006/05/25: CIA- RDP84-00780R006100110005-0 .
 Approved For Release 2006/05/25: CIA-RDP84-00780R006100110005-0
SPECIAL GUIDELINES FOR DECLASSIFYING DOCUMENTS
ORIGINATED BY THE WORLD WAR II PREDECESSOR ORGANIZATIONS
OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE -AGENCY
The Director of Central Intelligence exercises exclusive or final
original classification authority over all documents originated by the
Coordinator of Information (COI), the Office of Strategic Services (OSS),
and the Strategic Services Unit (SSU). In addition, the Agency must
review and clear those documents originated by other agencies which
concern CIA's predecessor agencies or intelligence matters of possible
current interest to the Agency. In light of the voluminous holdings of
OSS documents (hereafter used to include COI and SSU documents as well)
in records of those organizations which used the OSS product or other-
wise dealt with the OSS, and in light of the limitations of time and
manpower available for the 30-year review of World War II materials,
this authority is being delegated to a limited degree so that non-CIA
personnel can assist in completion of the task. The following special
.rules shall govern such review:
1. This delegation of declassification authority extends to
reviewers of the Records Declassification Division, NARS, only, and
maybe exercised only when these reviewers are working under the
direction of colloca e I~ e sonnel.
2. All classified documents or other material above described can
be declassified, except those which, after review, are determined to
contain information of the types in subparagraphs a. through 1. below.
Documents falling into the categories listed below must be reviewed by
CIA personnel:
a. Information received from a foreign intelligence service
through OSS liaison, whether that liaison sourcing is stated or
only inferable.
b. Information which discloses the identity of foreign
personnel in official liaison with OSS.
c. Information concerning communications intelligence,
cryptography or related matters.
d. Information which names or effectively reveals the
identity of any OSS sensitive source -- human or technical,
 Approved For Release 2006/05/25: CIA-RDP84-0078OR006100110005-0
actual or planned. Classification will not be removed where any
doubt exists. (Note: Captured enemy documents and personnel,
refugees and casual informants are not to be considered as
sensitive.)
e. Information which reveals the non-official cover (NOC)
status of personnel employed by the OSS or the nature of the NOC
arrangement, including the NOC name, title, etc.
f. Information which reveals any of the arrangements involved
in placing and supporting OSS personnel under official cover with
any degree of sensitivity attaching.
g. Information which reveals any aspect of agent spotting,
recruitment, development, handling or support, the assignment of
tasks, the levying of requirements, and the agent's manner of
response and means of reporting or contact.
h. Information disclosing the design and operating charac-
teristics of special devices used or under development by the
OSS in support of operations in the field.
i. Information disclosing the manner and degree of financial
support given by OSS.to foreign organizations and movements, and
the means used to obtain and transmit such support.
j. Information which could adversely affect the conduct of
present and future U.S. foreign relations.
k. Information which conceivably could place in jeopardy the
life of any individual.
1. Letters and memoranda, other than routine transmittal
correspondence and acknowledgments.
3.- All of the documents exempted from declassification under any
of the above provisions of subparagraphs a. through 1. will be reviewed
by CIA officers. No downgrading to Secret or Confidential is authorized
by these guidelines.
4. All documents deemed to qualify for declassification under the
guidelines herein provided will be marked with an appropriate stamp to
show that declassification action was taken under the terms of this
declassification authority.
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 Approved For Release 2Q061.9125 t, IA_R P Qtgj R006100110005-0
1.9 1! Q'/ 1274
MEt1ORANDUM FOR: Chairman, CIA Information Review Committee
FROM : Chief, Information Systems Analysis Staff
SUBJECT : Declassification Review of Certain World. War II
Documents Held by the National Archives
1. Action Requested: Approval of an offer from the Director,
Records Declassification Division, National Archives, of assistance
in the review of those 30-year-old records falling under the Agency's
declassification authority.
2. Background:
a. The CIA, unlike other U.S. Government agencies, has re-
fused to delegate to National Archives personnel authority to declassify
30-year-old documents falling under the Agency's jurisdiction.- The
rationale for this policy was that the National Archives reviewers,
who lack experience in intelligence matters, might be unable to recog-
nize the continued sensitivity of information contained in the records
under review and, through premature declassification of documents,
inadvertently disclose intelligence sources and methods.
b. Accordingly, the Agency (i.e., DDO/SS/ISG) assembled a
team of CIA annuitants to complete the review of RG 226 at the National
Archives. This task was commenced in December 1972 and completed in
September 1974. The team is now reviewing COI/OSS records held by the
Agency.
c. In addition to RG 226 and the COI/OSS records still in the
custody of the CIA, many documents held by the National Archives re-
quire a review by Agency officers. Some are COI/OSS-originated docu-
ments disseminated to other agencies and included in the files
accessioned by the National Archives. Other documents, although
originated by other agencies, concern COI or OSS activities or other
intelligence matters. Moreover, the CIA is responsible for the review
of intelligence-related records of certain defunct wartime agencies,
e.g., OWfl, OSRD. In March 1974, the National Archives began copying
these documents and sending them to CIA Headquarters for review by the
Classification Programs Branch. This practice proved to be prohibi-
tively expensive, however, and was recently discontinued.
'kL USE ONLY
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 Approved For Re!jtp
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d. Currently, three members of the OSS review team visit the
Washington National Records Center on Tuesdays and devote the day to
reviewing records surfaced among the non-OSS RGs stored there. Two
members of the Classification Programs Branch visit the National
Archives Building on Wednesdays to review records stored at that
facility..
e. The target date for completing the review of World War
II records is 31 December 1975. It has been estimated that at least
800,000 pages of material at the National Archives will have to be
examined by the CIA before final action on the documents can be taken.
At the current level of manpower commitment, it is possible to review
approximately 4,000 pages per week. At this rate, the Agency would
complete only one-quarter of the review by the 31 December 1975 dead-
line.
f. Only a very small percentage of the documents reviewed
thus far has required classification beyond 30 years. Approximately
97 percent of the RG 226 documents was declassified upon review. If
anything, even fewer of the National Archives' documents now being
reviewed require continued protection.
3. Staff Position:
a. Two courses are open to the Agency if.it is to meet its
review responsibilities by the 31 December 1975 deadline: (1) in-
creased manpower can be committed; or (2) arrangements can be made to
obtain assistance from non-Agency personnel.
b. The first option seems to be less desirable. Manpower
resources are increasingly scarce. If additional personnel were
available, the Agency's interests would be better served by turning
the added manpower loose on reviewing the 30-year-old files in Agency
custody.
c. With regard to the second option, an offer of assistance
has already been received. The Director of the Records Declassifica-
tion Division of the National Archives, Edwin A. Thompson, has proposed
that some of his more experienced reviewers be placed under the super-
vision of Agency reviewers on a one-day/week basis. Subject to Agency
guidelines, the National Archives reviewers would bring all questionable
documents to a CIA reviewer for a decision. Many of the documents, how-
ever, would not require an examination by Agency personnel and could be
processed independently by the National Archives reviewers. Record-
keeping tasks for the CIA reviewers would be limited to recording
information on those few documents deemed to require classification
beyond 30 years.
!~':T., Jam- . --_ ''.?L US21 0 TLY
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 Approved For Re16 -0061D5L7S.=-C1 :Rf3P64L6(3760F.CO6100110005-0
d. A precedent exists for a limited delegation of declassi-
fication authority to non-Agency personnel. A proposal, concurred in
by the DDO, to delegate such authority to the Department of Navy
Declassification Team was approved by the Information Review Committee
earlier this year. The CIA review officers conducting the review of
30-year-old records believe that the guidelines developed for the use
of Navy reviewers could be used as instructions to National Archives
reviewers as to the categories of documents requiring examination by
Agency officers.
e. The number of Archives reviewers at the disposal of the
Agency is negotiable. Within reason, the only limitation would be the
number that each CIA reviewer would be able to effectively supervise --
probably not more than two or three. The benefits for the National
Archives are twofold: (1) the possibility of completing the review of
World War II records by 31 December 1975 would be enhanced; and (2)
Archives reviewers, through the experience, would gain a better appre-
ciation for the sensitive aspects of intelligence sources and methods.
The benefits for the CIA seem obvious.
4. Recommendation: That the Information Review Committee approve
acceptance of the National Archives r offer of assistance, and that the
attached guidelines be used as the basis for determining which records
must be reviewed by Agency personnel. STAT
Secretary', n ormation Review Committee
Attachment: a/s
Q Deputy Director or Operations
APPROVED: DISAPPROVED:
/D/7 yG~?I3 ~`o 2IXp
us 0:LY
Aoaroved For Release 2006/05/25: CIA-RDP84-0078OR006100110005-0
 ,pprov2d For Ref a's ;2 06 G5/ -CIA-RC~'f~8 =~3fl 006100110005-0
Distribution:
Original - Addressee; return to ISAS
1 - DDO
2V- Chairman, IR
1 - Member, IRC (Mr. Warner)
1 - Member, IRC (Dr. Chamberlain)
1 - Secretary, IRC
1 - Legal Advisory, IRC (Mr. Lansdale)
1 - DDO/ISG/DIM
Originated by
Date : 19 fl 074
- 4 -
?'. n -'y---y , :IT U -- 01 TY
Ar r roved For Release 2006/05/25: CIA-R?P84-0078OR006100110005-0
 Approved For Release 2006/05/25: CIA-RDP84-0078OR006100110005-0
SPECIAL GUIDELINES FOR DECLASSIFYING DOCUMENTS
ORIGINATED BY THE WORLD WAR II PREDECESSOR ORGANIZATIONS
OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
The Director of Central Intelligence exercises exclusive or final
original classification authority over all documents originated by the
Coordinator of Information (COI), the Office of Strategic Services (OSS),
and the Strategic Services Unit (SSU). In addition, the Agency must
review and clear those documents originated by other agencies which
concern CIA's predecessor agencies or intelligence matters of possible
current interest to the Agency. In light of the voluminous holdings of
OSS documents (hereafter used to include COI and SSU documents as well)
in records of those organizations which used the OSS product or other-
wise dealt with the OSS, and in light of the limitations of time and
manpower available for the 30-year review of World War II materials,
this authority is being delegated to a limited degree so that non-CIA
personnel can assist in completion of the task. The following special
rules shall govern such review:
1. This delegation of declassification authority extends to
reviewers of the Records Declassification Division, NARS, only, and
may be exercised only when these reviewers are working under the
direction of collocated CIA personnel.
2. All classified documents or other material above described can
be declassified, except those which, after review, are determined to
contain information of the types in subparagraphs a. through 1. below.
Documents falling into the categories listed below must be reviewed by
CIA personnel:
a. Information received from a foreign intelligence service
through OSS liaison, whether that liaison sourcing is stated or
only inferable.
b. Information which discloses the identity of foreign
personnel in official liaison with OSS.
c. Information concerning communications intelligence,
cryptography or related matters.
d. Information which names or effectively reveals the
identity of any OSS sensitive source -- human or technical,
 Appro' d For Release 2006/05/25: CIA-RDP84-00780R006100110005-0
actual or planned. Classification will not be removed where any
doubt exists. (Note: Captured enemy documents and personnel,
refugees and casual informants are not to be considered as
sensitive.) -
e. Information which reveals the non-official cover (NOC)
status of personnel employed by the OSS or the nature of the NOC
arrangement, including the NOC name, title, etc.
f. Information which reveals any of the arrangements involved
in placing and supporting OSS personnel under official cover with
any degree of sensitivity attaching.
g. Information which reveals any aspect of agent spotting,
recruitment, development, handling or support, the assignment of
tasks, the levying of requirements, and the agent's manner of
response and means of reporting or contact.
h. Information disclosing the design and operating charac-
teristics of special devices used or under development by the
OSS in support of operations in the field.
i. Information disclosing the manner and degree of financial
support given by OSS to foreign organizations and movements, and
the means used to obtain and transmit such support.
j. Information which could adversely affect the conduct of
present and future U.S. foreign relations.
k. Information which conceivably could place in jeopardy the
life of any individual.
1. Letters and memoranda, other than routine transmittal
correspondence and acknowledgments.
3. All of the documents exempted from declassification under any
of the above provisions of subparagraphs a. through 1. will be reviewed
by CIA officers. No doungrading to Secret or Confidential is authorized
by these guidelines.
4. All documents deemed to qualify for declassification under the
guidelines herein provided will be marked with an appropriate stamp to
show that declassification action was taken under the terms of this
declassification authority.
 Approved For Release 2006/05/25: CIA-RDP84-0078OR006100110005-0
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 proved For Release 2006/05/25: CIA-RDP84-0078OR006
TRANSMITTAL SLIP
TO:
Deputy Director for Administration
ROOM NO. I BUILDING
Please return when signed.
runm mu .. REPLACES FORM 36-8 q7)
pr roJ leas''" 2C?t &U5725 : CIA-RDP84-0078000