EVALUATION OF USSR AREA PROGRAM, SUMMER 1952.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP54-00216A000100040026-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 14, 2003
• Sequence Number: 26
• Publication Date: September 9, 1952
• Content Type: MF

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:Security Information.
9 September 1952
_TTEN TI ON
TTRJECT
Evaluation of TTS5R .area Pro_~ram, `summer 195".
1. Tn response to O/TR renuest of 28 August 1952, the Following
reriarks concerning the value of the USSR Area Program are ;-,ubmitted.
25X1
2. The program as set ur at present would contribute to produc_n
a 7iotential analyst more so than increasing the effectiveness of an.
intelligence officer who is presently carrying on the duties of an ana-;
lyst. The material presented during the first four weeks of the course ,?
the lectures on Russian Government, History and the Communist Part-,, -
should have been known by the analyst. This is part-ally true c>f
the second four weeks also, althou did present many "revolk;. 25X1
tionary" ideas which I'm sure had not occurred to many, if any, of those
attending the classes.
3. Unfortunately, during the course of the program, T assumed new
duties so that I must say that the course was not generally relevant to
ry work, other than to that extent to which it is relevant to the work Or}f
all CT!s employees. The nnrogram did. serve as a tying together of a grea i,
deal of information that I had spottily -ath.ered tog44*mr both during aih
before my employment with CL".
4. The scope and content of the subject matter was rather general
and would. provide excellent for all new employees, especially while thee-,
are located in the Personnel Pool awaiting final security clearances.
]{'ollowing the receipt of clearances, employees who are destined for an
analyst slot in the future could then be given specific training in their
particular field. For example, those who are beginning their career ins
OAR could be given detailed work in Russian economy (on a part-time bail T,)
:chile carrying out duties of a lesser nature than analysis at 0/RR.
5. The time allotted for the course probably would have been
sufficient were it not for the excessive heat which caused several lectiras
to be cancelled. Since all students were working at their desks concurient-
l,T with attending the lectures, two hours for each session seemed adeautta.
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It would have been better to have scheduled the lecture at the beginni.
rather than at the end of the work day.
6. The course was primarily slanted toyard the elementary student.
of Russian, and the balance between lecture and discussion ~ as satisfacttrc.
There was ample opportunity for asking questions during all lecture orris c v.
7. Due to the fact that those attending the lectures were only nark-
time students, the policy of having no outside assignments Baas satis_factprv.
`Towever, periodical review quizzes would have helped stimulate the inters $t
of the students and also provide the lecturers with a consistent audiencI4
At the beginning of the pro rrem, notebooks were provided, hut during the=
transfer of the classes from f?. ?, S building to Central Building, these 25X1
notebooks were lost.
. If I can be of any further help, T can be reached on extens-i on 1 1 1
S I I; ded
@AL
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