DEAR GENERAL DONOVAN;

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP59-00882R000300230035-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 15, 2000
• Sequence Number: 35
• Publication Date: October 1, 1954
• Content Type: LETTER

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*OGC Has Reviewed*
October 1, 1954
General William J. Donovan
c/o Department of State
Washington, 0. C.
Dear General Donovan:
In order to give you a ata rt ing point in clarifying
certain matters relating to my service under your command in
1943 ind 1944 I will try to set down briefly the .9u-stance of
the account related to you in- about a month ago. 25X1A6a
e unfriendly attitude displayed by certain people
in the Mi officemade it quite clear to me that I was being
"tarred with the same stick" as the man who r cru ted me and 25X1A6a
for whom I had been. working in In view of
that fact that I have always enjoyed. a good reputation in bu-
siness and official circles I feel that I can no longer afford
to let this matter remain unresolved. The dirty politics and
misconduct of those with whom I was so unfortunate to work can
not be permitted trofy o',~n future or the honor of my family.
That Is too great a price to pay for the privilege of serving
one' a country as I have always tried to do.
I first suspected that harm had been done me when
after apparently having been recruited for work in our old or-
ganization in 1950 I was summ,.irily dropped from further con-
sideration, at the instigation I believe of a man who has since
ri! Pkh in the organization but whose early successes were
duey, to groundwork and organization which I,,had
laid in
25X1A6a 25X1A6a
I was recruited by the then chief in on the
atrenwth of what he knew to my financial round 25X1A6a
and common acquaintances in the community, a and I went to _finan-
cial sc i- 25X1A6a
entious job in a field which Justly could demand my fullest
energies. Consequenly, I was surprised to find myself plunged
into a nightly round of carcusing and drinking in night clubs
and sundry places. This not only out seriously into the working
efficiency of myself and my chief but was contrary to all rule;
of mature good conduct and security. Therefore, after having
"gone the rounds" and met everyone in my chief's circle of
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acquaintances I suggested as tactfully, aa possible that he excuse
me from further participation in these parties in Garde hat I might
save my eneLrgi;,s for the ur ent matters of our official 4., It was
'1uickly apparent that I had made an unpopular move and it was not long
before I learned that my chi f wa seeking the services of an army
25X1A6a Major idaamm formerly in the office to replace'me as--"right-hand"
In view of the fact that the chief was-associating with a
group many of whom were alrer4dy discredied in more responsible Ameri-
can circles I continued to try to warn him and lead him away from the
trouble he was obviously drifting into. Aside from the harm he wwas
doing himself personally he was also exciting unfavorable comment among
our Allied ase6ciatea who took a dim view of any behavior likely to
compromise security of their operations of which our office had know-
led-7e. 25X1A6a
The situation was relieved somewhat during ti? absences of
the chief 'on consultation in and Washington. At this time I was
free to pursue our work and lay the groundwork for further organiza-
tion. At the same time I located new offices and installed ourselves
in quarters more ade^uate to our needs and security. This involved al-
so the installation of a clandestine radio station with its atten!i
problems.. All this work done priomr to my going to-in Dec em A6a
1943, enabled successive people to move into high gear in our program
a fast as they arrived. Yet no credit in our organizati evefX1A6a
25X1A6a given me. Instead, I was -- as I see it now -- exiled toas Liai-
son Officer to the-office for the office. I was relt3H
enough to be entrusted with recruitment of personnel for Balkan opera-
tions, and for the complicated task of procurement and forwarding of
supplies from a theater of war through a neutral zone but my qualities
as an official jester" did not come up to par.
In spite of the differences of opinion I held with my chief
on matters affecting security I continued to exert every effort toward
the success. of the operation inwhich I saw as being bigger25X1A6a
than persons or personalities. For my pains I lived as a virtual oui
25X1A6a east among the people of the - office who appeared to regard m41A6a
as the "spy" of the srouF and as a "peat" because of my persist-
ent efforts on behal of the people in -. My so-called superi2AX1A6a
25X1A6a in 1 ~cked thefortitude to back me up even as I was working for
the s ppor of his efforts.
Und r these circumstances I was only too happy to eventually
return is to settle my financial accounts and prepare to go to
another organization. Without warning I had been charged with res-
pnsibility for the fiscal accounting of the mission, for which I had
had he briefing whatsoever. Worse still, inadecuate provision had been
made for the financing of our activities and I was compelled to bor-
row from other American groups and our in order to
even to pay the office utility bills. w .s arc ng my peculiar po-
sitipn the office could find no reason why my name should not be on
25X6A
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25X1A6a
25X1A6a
a, promotion list and I was duly promoted after a year of service
with the organization.
The axe fell on my chief the summer of :1944 a ortly after
my return to-. He was a chastened and. sorry .man, and I, in 25X1A6a
spite of all I had tried to do found myself branded in similar man-
ner by the ~ group. Fortunately practial.ly everyone else who had
`'flown me and seen me work held a contrary view and when I left
a few months later it was with the feeling that however unpopular
my decisions may have made me they had, .the approval of informed,
and good, people. My only error was in carrying- cut my policies
alone and quietly instead of fighting iaigorously for them, and making
issues of them by seeking support for my views from others.
On returning _ to 25X1A6a
~ I found a new group in cha who
would have included me in groups then being set up in as opera-
tions moved away from the Midele Ehst. However, having been "once-burned
I was ready by this time to get back into uniform with the
andasked for reassignment in the United States in order that I might
perhaps get to the Far East with the 25X1C4e
25X1C4e
In Washington I found no sympathetic hearing in the ors an - 1A6a
nation since I was branded there also by my original
associations. Fence, the clearest course of action was to get out
and this I did before making my farewells to you in your office the
Fall of 1944 since I did not want to risk being talked into remaining.
All of which brings us down to the present time. I have fin-
ished four years of hard service in Indo-China with FOA. Here I have
found the usual amount of back-biti ag, for which Indo-China has be-
come notorious and without respect to persona. Nonetheless I have
left there with a sense that in sticking to sound American principles
I have done my job well and earned recogniation for my work.
Because the various commendations I have from FOA, the Embaspy,
the local government, and American agencies are all classified I am
unable to eh--lose copies of them to you new. Copies will be made a-
vailable to you when I see you in W shin'ton or New York in a few
weeks. Ambassador Heath has written some special die atches concern-
ing my work, and when I last saw him before leeving 6" he was in
the process of drafting a final dispatch about me. 25X1A6a
I regret the necessity of troubling you at this late date
with thl a thing. Neither do I relish re-hashing matters concerning
others. As I 'know you agree, however, it is time this was done. Again,
I mi:.'ht point out the urgency of this matter since I am returning to
Washington on October 15th for conaul4ttion and reassignment. More
particularly I am hoping to transfer to the State Department In
:R:hich, inspite of its"trials by newspaper". I believe one is freer
to work.
Naturally I can expect to have to fight the battle of clear-
ance all over again. Therefore, I will welcome your taking such steps
as you think necessary as soon as you can. I will be in Washington
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