MEETING WITH E. ALAN THOMPSON, DIRECTOR, RECORDS DECLASSIFICATION DIVISION, NARS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85B00236R000400030012-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2008
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: February 18, 1982
• Content Type: MFR

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18 February 1982
Chief, Classification Review Division
SUBJECT: Meeting with E. Alan Thompson,
Director, Records Declassification Division, NABS
1. On 16 February 1982 Mr. Thompson came to this office to discuss several
issues, primarily the declassification review of 1950-54 Department of State
records. Mr. Thompson provided us with a copy of the memorandum of agreement
between State and NARS (see attached). He requested that we consider as particu-
larly sensitive the information about the percentage of financial support provided
by State in this contract. He advised that they hope to start the review on the
5th of March or as soon as possible within the following two weeks. They plan to
apply about 25 people to the effort, dividing them into two teams. State will
provide one person to work with NARS throughout the review: at any given time
State's expert on the geographic area then being reviewed. They will commence
with documents concerning,respectively, Central America, and Korea, China, and
Southeast Asia, assigning one team to each of the two major areas. They have
selected these areas as the first to be reviewed because they feel that they will
receive the most attention from researchers. As the teams complete one part of
the world, they will then move on to another. The Near East and Europe will be
reviewed toward the end of the effort. The review of NATO materials is seen as a
particular problem because of the current lack of clarity and understanding as
regards the authority of each member nation to release NATO information. Unclassi-
fied materials will probably receive a cursory review. Mr. Thompson feels that
they will be able to proceed through the classified material at a rate of approxi-
mately 50 pages per hour or 2,000-4,000 pages per team per day. He encouraged us
to provide reviewers to join them in this task.
2. Mr. Thompson provided us with a copy of the Truman Library shelf list
just compiled. He asked that we review the list for sterility of its contents.
(I had received a call from Brenda Reger, NSC, who had also received a copy of
this shelf list, and who suggested that we coordinate our response to the
Truman Library.)
State Dept. review completed NLC Review Completed.
USE ONLY
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3. Mr. Thompson then expressed his concern regarding the security of his
area where the declassification review of the State Department records would be
undertaken. He is troubled by the possibility that discussions of classified
material may be able to be overheard. He is also concerned about the outside
possibility that someone may have attempted to bug the phones to pick up such
conversations. He also raised the question about the usefulness of having a
secure phone installed in his office for coordination of matters concerning the
review with State Department and ourselves. He was obviously looking to us for
help in this regard, and I advised him that I would take up the matter with my
superiors and our Office of Security. (I subsequently discussed this issue with
DD/IS, who suggested that Mr. Thompson submit a letter to us describing
his concerns, and I have so advised Mr. Thompson.)
STAT
Attachment:
Memo of Agreement
1 - Liaison w/State w/at
1 - D/IS w/o att
1 - Chrono w/o att
n iNl T ATIVNNT R AL U [ MY
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MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
and the
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE
PROJECT TITLE: Declassification Review of 1950-54 Department of State Records.
SCOPE: This project will consist of a review for declassification of the
most historically significant protions of the 1950-54 central
decimal files of the Department of State (R.G. 59) and of the 1950-
54 records of the Foreign Service Posts of the Department of State
(R.G. 84) appraised as having continuing value. The declassifi-
cation reviewers will use the 1950-54 systematic review guidelines
developed by the Department of State for use by the Archivist of
the United States. The reviewers will also use applicable guide-
lines issued by the Departments of Defense, Energy, and Justice and
by the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council.
The project will require careful page-by-page review using all
guidelines currently available and coordination for final declassifi-
cation determination with responsible agency experts.
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this project is to declassify and prepare for release
to the public the historically significant protions of the 1950-54
Department of State records. This objective should be accomplished
on or before January 1, 1986.
PRODUCTS: 1. Declassified 1950-54 Department of State records arranged,
reboxed, and labeled.
2. 1950-54 Department of State records identified as requiring
further national security protection segregated, arranged, reboxed,
and labeled.
3. A listing of the record item requiring continued national
security protection.
4. 1950-54 Department of State records accessioned into the
National Archives.
ORGANIZATION: The project will involve National Archives and Records Service (NARS)
and Department of State personnel. The project will be organized
as follows:
1. NARS: The Project Director will be:
Edwin A. Thompson
Director, Records Declassification Division
Office of the National Archives, NARS
The NARS project team will consist of a supervisory archivist/
project coordinator and at least two archivists/team leaders and
approximately 22 archives technicians/reviewers.
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2. Department of State: The Project Liaison Officer will be:
John R. Burke
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Classification/Declassification
Department of State
The Department of State will assign one or more staff members to
work with the NARS project team on an as needed basis.
NARS
RESPONSIBILITIES: The National Archives and Records Service agrees to:
1. review the most significant portions of the 1950-54 State
Department Records (R.G.s 59 and 84) using all current applicable
guidelines for declassification,
2. coordinate with agency experts the review of record items not
declassifiable under those guidelines,
3. participate with Department of State personnel in revising the
systematic review guidelines provided by the Department:of State,
4. prepare for researcher use the record items which have been
declassified,
5. segregate, arrange, and rebox the record items determined by
competent agency authority to require continued national security
protection,
6. prepare and submit to the Department of State a listing of the
segregated items,
7. provide professional archival direction, supervision, and
space necessary to accomplish the review,
8. employ, train, and maintain a staff of approximately 25 qualified
persons to conduct the review, and
9. accession the 1950-54 records of the Department of State into
the National Archives upon completion of this project.
DEPT. OF STATE
RESPONSIBILITIES: The Department of State agrees to:
1. maintain high level management support for the project,
2. provide the project liaison officer with sufficient resources to
complete the project,
3. issue, maintain and keep current the Department of State guide-
lines necessary to accomplish the objective, and
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4. respond to Freedom of Information Act and mandatory review
requests on the 1950-54 records of the Department of State until
completion of this project.
SCHEDULE: This project will begin on or about March 1, 1982, and should be
completed by March 1, 1986.
TERMINATION: Either party may terminate this agreement upon 90 days notice in
writing. Outstanding financial or other obligations incurred by
either party will be settled to the extent of the commitment at
the time of termination.
COST: The Department of State agrees to reimburse the National Archives
and Records Service in the amount of $162,000 in F.Y. 1982. At
the commencement of each fiscal year, beginning in F.Y. 1983 and
thereafter through F.Y. 1986, both parties will agree to a funding
limitation for the project.
BILLING: The Department of State will furnish NARS with required fiscal
citations, the correct billing address, and one signed copy of
this Memorandum of Agreement.
NARS will bill the Department of State quarterly based on the funding
limitation. Standard Form 1080, Transfer of Funds, will be used
for billing purposes.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES-AND RECORDS SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF STATE
By Zvvt t;~{nJ 0 (- Y By
James W. Moore
\-_)
Assistant Archivist
Title: for the National Archives
Assistant Secretary
Title: Bureau of Administration
Date:
Date: Please provide the following when Agreement is approved:
Funds Citation: 1920113-1035-200018-2.01600-25810
Agency Billing Address:
A/CDC
Room 1239, New State
Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20520 ATTN: Sam Brushel
This Agreement is made under the authority of the Economy Act,
approved June 30, 1932, as amended (31 U.S.C. 686).
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