MANSFIELD RESOLUTION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP01-01773R000300040001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 20
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Sequence Number: 1
• Content Type: MISC

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 1956 Man lqr@'edd FW jk1 06/08/21 : CIA-R
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in his Nov. 15, 1955 memo to Ike, Dulles noted that Ike had
long favored some sort of high-level committee of civilians
to oversee CIA. Dulles now suggests creations of such a
committee and asks that it be appointed before Cong. convenes
early the following yr, that is before debate on the Mans-
field proposal. Dulles than attaches a list of names for
appointment to this committee.
oTrConls.) I14N4S o,J Fo,2 ,.,
Ike created this President's BoardAin Jan. 1956 [did he staff
it w/ Dulles's suggestions? see NYT and p. 126 here to find
out] [can I say that the Board, just as Dulles has anticipated,
proved to be no bother/]
NYT [22 Feb 56, 20:1] reported Senate "miffed" that Pres
**----had acted to cut them off in this fashion. [Chk. this story]
Jospeh P. Kennedy one of members chosen by Ike. Dulles
pushed his candidacy.
pp. 125-26
of 8 ca,~,N~l cdn,a.~1~w- r,e>,6eRs~ 3 wad*_ .. Q,/kes i
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 Mansfield f vflr ~or Release 2006/08/21 : CIA-RDPO1-01773R000300040001-7
Normal Paul memo, Job 58-597
11 April 1956 vote in Senate--defeated 59-27.
leading opponent of Resolution on Floor was Russell, w/ strongl
support from Hayden, Saltonstall, Hickenlooper, Symington, and
Barkley. Knowland also argued vs. the bill and inidcated Ike's
opposition.
in addition, to Mansfield, Sens Langer, Morse, Gore, Sworshak, and
McCarthy spoke for the resolution
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see Senate Rep. 1570, Feb a23, 1956, Comm on Rules and
Administration, "Jt. Comm on CIA"
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creation of President's Board Edwards, "The Pres's Bd"
following submission of Doolittle Report, IG Lyman
Kirkpatrick (who had worked closely w/ Doolittle Com-
mission) suggested to Dulles in Feb. 1955 that CIA take
the initiative in pushing for White House creation of
a permanent advisory body to the Pres. Similar
calls for such a board had been circulating among NSC
staff, so perhaps Kirkpatrick believed some such board
was inevitable, and it was better for CIA to have a
voice in its creation and charter
p. 113
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be sure to see Senate Report No. 1570, Report of the Committee
on Rules and Administration, "Joing Committee on Central
INtelligence Agency" Feb. 23, 1956
L-cSL. I,(..;I A, Lz
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following report by Rules and Admin Comm, Sen. Hayden submitted
a minorit. report arguing that existing surveillance by members
of Appro and Armed Services Comms adequate. Noting that the Pres
has recently established a Bd. of Consultants on For. Intell.
Activities, he warned that Cong should let CIA get on w/ its
work "w/out being watchdooged to death."
p. 166
Russell later added his prestige to support Hayden by saying:
"If there is one agency of the Govt in which we must take some
matters on faith w/out a constant examination of its methods
and sources, I believe this agency is the Cen Intell Agency."
Supporters of the measure countered w/ the argument that the CIA
has gr influence in determining for. pol. and therefore deserved
cong. attention.
none of the members of the 2 ClAlsubcomms voted for the resolu-
tion.
.
JAG_
pp. 167-69
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0(2187Yrs
defeat of Mansfield resolution due to pressure from White House
plus otpositin from influential members of Senate fearful of
~?~'~ offending Richard Russell
p. 88
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 1956 Man s piPr d For Release 2006/08/21 : CIA-RDPO1-01773R000300040001-7 e Warner, St in Intell (1966)
~,,,,, % is
er, SECRET .4 S
Mansfield joingd by 39 co-sponsors in a resolution which proposed
that the members of the existing CIA subcommittess of Armed Ser-
vices and Appropriations in each House comprise a jt. committee.
? AdM,NtS4*4 i0N
The Senate Rll1PC_Cnmmi-f--~- ~ ., ..,-_-3 _ . .
se
i
+..
ll +. e
n deserted
even by his co-sponsors [this deserves to be explored].
? ? ~-' Aril 11 d
p - ay of vote. 12 co-sponsors defect, and resolution
defeated 59-27.
Mansfield ruefully remarked that he had been beaten by the pros.
/;.f r N ACJA% J\ ,.J 7A,J `5 S
3/ ,
pp. 10-33
in Feb, while this resolution pending, NSC considers what its
position should be. Decides to oppose creation of a jt. comm.
on grounds that it was unnecessary, would have serious jurisdic-
tional probs w/ other Gong. committees, would raise substantial
security probs, and might interfere w/ conduct of for. rel. by
Executive branch.
p. 33
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28 Yrs.
UNCLASSIFIED
Mansfield resolution directed as much vs. Cong as vs. CIA.
Saltonstall (Conn Rec, Aor 9. 1956--check this) co`n eded: "it
is not a ques. of reluctance on the part ofIA officials to
speak to us. Instead~it is a ques of our reluctance, if you
will, to seek info and knowledge on subjects which I personally,
as a member of Conq and as a citizen, would rather not have."
p. 91
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opposition of imp. members of Cong probably decisive in de-
feat of resolution.
Sen. Barkley (former v.p.) and Sen. Symington (former Sec.
of Air Force) both spoke strongly vs. it, citing their
experience as members of NSC.
Russell, Saltonstall, and Hayden all opposed. Resented the
implied lack of confidence in their performance and the
invasion of their established preserves.
this effort the highwater mark of the watchdog comm. effort
during Dulles's time as DCI.
pp. 110-111
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28 Yrs
debate re Mansfield resolution "the first major public debate
over issues affecting the intell. community since the 1947
legislation."
,~? altho measure failed, set a precedent for increased skepticism
Win Conq of CIA.
p. 92
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Ransom says 14 originial -cosponsors defected--this figure will
need to be tracded down
the 27 who voted in favor of resolutioncame from 2 camps:
liberal Demo w/out seniority, and right-wing Repub associated
w/ Joseph McCarthy. The liberals were voicing concern and
distaste for the distasteful business of spying and for the
existence of a potentially dangerous agency outside tong.
control.
Repub were expressing Midwestern resentment vs. international
commitments and resp, of which the CIA was a symbol, and vs.
an agency engaged in an essentially intellecutal process and
apparently led by IVy League types.
p. 170
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 X111
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Ransom, 1970 book
Mansfield resolution: jt. committee would be composed of 6 mem-
bers from each House.
would have a broad mandate to study activities of CIA, probs
relating to gathering of intell. affecting nat. security, and
coordination and utilization of intell by various depts and
agencies of govt.
CIA was to keep jt. comm. "fully and currently informed w/
respect to its activities.
would have a permanent staff, be authorized to hold hearings
and to issue subpoenas
proponents said it followed recommendation of Hoover Commission.
pp. 163-64
ini.,reporting out the bill, the Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration noted that a policy of "secrecy for the mere sake
of secrecy" invited abuse and prevented Cong and the nation
from knowing whether country being adequately served in its
intell. needs.--though acknowledged need for secrecy in certain
areas. But complained: "Secrecy now beclouds everything about
CIA. . . . It is freed from practically every ordinary form of
congressional review. The CIA has unquestionably placed itself
above other Government agencies."
p. 165
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 1956 Mans R~9I006/08121 : CIA-RD
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Jan. 6, 1956, Dulles sends long memo to NSC on Mansfield
**----resolution. See this in ER 7-7695
does not explicitly oppose creation of watchdog (tho impli-
citly he does) for has maintained that this is a matter for
Cong. to decide.
does pt. out the difficulties such a comm. would raise--i.e.,
jurisdictional probs and duplication of existing arrange-
ments. But these difficulties were more nuisances than
substantively harmful.
pp. 107-08
in this memo he (too strongly?) says that creation of the
proposed comm. would result "in the inevitable stoppage of
L/S~n flow of certain sensitive information which by its very
nature, is most important to the United States." becuz of for.
doubts re security.
p. 110
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0001-7
28 Yrs
l cites the Cong Recored of 1954 for this--I should try
za-the correct citation before using]
Mansfiled during consideration of his resolution acknowledged
that secrecy necessary but warned"there is a profound difference
bet. an essential degree of secrecy to achieve a sporadic purpose
and secrecy for the mere sake of secrecy. Once secrecy becomes
sacrosanct, it invites abuse."
p. 89
Russel stated on floor of Senate that he would rather see CIA
abolished than have info relating to Agency's activities be made
availabl
t
e
o Cong.
Russell stated that Allen Dulles had never failed to answer
the subcomm' s Qs "forthri
11
htl
d f
g
y an
rankly.
even though "it k~,M?
almost chills the marrow of the bone" to hear of som
f
h
''3
3 1
e o
t
e
sgt
CIA's activities. 4 C3 Ru 1J:dl.s ..?as,hat Ask.10"1/.,, "V&&.1 seu-4.3"4: motl'~~j
but Sen. Henry Dworshak, memver of a defense appropriations
subcomm. charged w/ CIA oversight, complained that Dulles had
refused to provide info re expenditures and manpower.
[try Cong. Rec, Apr $9. 1956 for these 2 quotes] D. 90
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 1956 Man ,fps d is6ktmjOj006/08/21 : CIA-RDP01 U-1 7 3Q 40901-7 25x1
vol. 4
Cong. normally reviews an agency's actions thru its control
of authorizations and appropriations. But since the cong.
supervision of CIA bidget so cursory, it had little way to
check on AGency's activities. Hence repeated calls for
a jt. watchdog committee becuz the customary budget review
process so utterly lacking in case of CIA.
p. 105
On Nov. 15, 1955, while Mansfield resolution pending, Dulles
sent a memo to Ike re his thoughts on this resolution. See
**----this in ER 7-6176, E.R. file: Clark Task Force
pp. 106-07 quotes from this memo at length if I can't find
original.
Apparently Dulles conferred repeated w/ Russel and Saltonstall,
and also Mansfield. Dulles got Mansfield to modigy his
original proposal to make it less objectional.
Goes on to say: "I have never come out in opposition to the
idea of a 'watchdog' committee as I felt that tactically
it was unwise to do so. In general, however, I would prefer
the 'status quo' as relations w/ both the Armed Services
Committees have been extremely satisfactory. I see no reason
for a change."
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ihistory
Mansfield asks Saltonstall how many times CIA briefs the 2
Senate + comms .
Saltonstall: twiace a yr in Armed Serv Comm, once a yr. for
Appro. Comm. Both Dulles and Bedell Smith stated "that they
were ready at all times to answer any Qs we might wish to
ask them. The difficulty in connection w/ asking Qs and
obtaining information is that we might obtain information
which I personally would rather not have, unless it was
essential for me as a Member of Cong. to have it."
Mansfield then suggests that this does not seem like suffi-
ciently close contact, at which pt. Saltonstall then makes
his statement that it is not a Q of reluctance on part of CIA
but of members of Cong.
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one outcome of Mansfield reso and debate: creation of special
CIA subcomms. in Senate Armed Serv and Appor. Comms.
but this entailed no broadening in the membership of those
resp. for cong. oversight
in Armed Srv Comm, Russell appointed Saltonstall and Byrd,
both of whom had been meeting informally w/ Russell on CIA
matters already. Subsequently, Sens. LBJ and Bridges added
to the subcomm.
in 1957, Senate Appro. Comm created a CIA subcomm. Russell,
Bridges, and Byrd on this one as well. Carl Hayden, as chair
of Appro. Comm., usually sat in on CIA subcomm. mettngs as
well.
essentailly, Russell, Bridges, and Byrd were the Senate
overseers. They frequently convened the 2 subcomms. at the
same time.
but even after creation of subcomms. , the most frequent form
of interchange w/ CIA remained personal communications bet
Dulles and Russell.
pp. 54-55
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SECRET
Jan 14, 1955 -- Mansfield introduced S. Con. Res. 2 to
establish a Jt. Comm on Central Intell. In addition to
himself, thee are 32 co-sponsors for the bill.
The resolution has been reverred to Sen Comm on Rules,
3 of whose 9 members (including Sen. Mansfield) are
co-sponsors.
9 of the co-sponsors are members of the 15-man Senate
ForRelComm.
7 of the co-sponsors are members of the SenArmServComm
19 of the co-sponsors are Democrats and tend to represent
the liberal wing of the party w/ the exception of Sens.
Daniel, Ervin, and George.
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