EE DIVISION(Classified)RELATIONS OTR/LAS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62-00634A000100040056-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 3, 2001
• Sequence Number: 56
• Publication Date: April 28, 1959
• Content Type: MFR

'Approved For Release 2=44 DP62-00634A0~00100040056-1
_kw
28 April 1959
SUBJECT: EE Division, -
Relations OTR/LAS
1. On 23 April PPS interviewed EE Division
25X1A6d Training Officer, (x3405), room 2110 K Building, M 0 0 stated 25X1A9a
some friction had been generated between LAS and the 25X1A8a
stemming from occasional crash requests for language training. She
said these were usually requests for six weeks quick brush-ups for
someone suddenly ordered to the field, or perhaps a hurry-up training
program for a TDY visitor to the United States. The languages which
have caused some contention have been German and Czechoslovakian.
She says LAS has always responded to these requests but not infre-
quently takes two weeks or more to do so. She believes these cases
should be handled within two or three days, She appreciates the
inconvenience and impracticability of excessive crash requests on
LAS but feels EE does not abuse these exceptions. Because of its size,
she believes EE will always have to make requests of this nature. It
is her opinion that faster decisions from LAS on what they can or cannot
do in each case would reduce most of the friction.
2. In discussing language training as a whole, says
some of the EE Division Branch Chiefs object to the Qualifications
Review Panel procedures. She believes the original spirit of the Panel
was to select the best site to train a particular individual, but in
actual practice the Branch Chiefs feel their signatures on the original
requests indicate their approval and generally there is no need for
their presence at the Qualifications Review Panel meetings. They
state they do not have time to just sit around and talk these things
over.
3. also told me Chief, 25X1A8a
would not see any OTR representative concerning his pro ems w~ S
as he had already discussed these with and unless
ument No.
V0 in Class. ^
r D CL~ s gin s
9 a~ mZ;
Approved For Release 2001/08/30 : CIA-RDP62-00634A000100040056-1
 Approved For R ase 2001/081" 1 2-00634AOOW0040056-1
wished him to talk about it with another OTR representative, he did
not desire to do so. I called office and
set up a meeting for 0845 on 24 April. At the time of the telephone
25X1A9a he did not wish to discuss the matter further without X1A9a
25X1A9a permission, and he felt his position had already been explained to OTR.
25X1A
- position was referred to DTP, via DDTR. The Director said to
25X1A9a go ahead and talk with Unfortunately was not in 25X1A9a
his office on the morning of the twenty-fourth, so I went to see
anyway at his office in 2204 K Buildin . Prio to going there I discussed
25X1A9a now we would approach I toldm :ve were 25X1A
not interested in any "w - one- conversations, but DTR was con-
cerned providing him with the best possible service and through the
IG we had been briefed to the effect he was a dissatisfied customer. 25X1A
After this and some other polite preliminaries, apologized for
being somewhat abrupt the preceding day on the telephone and a nice
enough conversation followed. He explained he had talked for over
25X1A9a an hour with and didn't want to betray confidence5X1A9a
and that having already talked to one member of OTR, he had not felt
that he should have to go over the same ground a second time. He
hopes that on the strength of his conversation with ~ their earli(A5X1A9a
differences have been resolved. He states he has five students presently
in LAS language courses. He expects to receive student evaluations on
them in the near future. At that time he will ask them if they have found
the course satisfactory. If they have,-says that will end the 25X1A
matter. If not, he will take the matter up with his Division Chief if
this should be necessary, but he feels that things are satisfactory at
this time. From this point on, we got into a general conversation
concerning overall impressions of OTR. Some of these follow:
a. He believes the language courses should be subjected
to regular unscheduled inspection by OTR to insure that courses
are proceding in keeping with the best present U. S. thinking
on the conduct of intensified language training classes and
programs.
b. He stated one of the earlier problems was the need to
organize language courses so that the students would get a
sense of faculty enthusiasm, promptness, and day-to-day
preparation for each class period.
Approved For Release 2001/08/30 : CIA-RDP62-00634A000100040056-1
 Approved For RVease 2001/08/ ; 2-00634A09 (00040056-1
g. He specifically mentioned course as "a
good course but not tailored to DD/P needs. "
c. He was critical of our system of self-evaluation of
language proficiency from the field. He is taking a language
test on 26 April and feels that after a year away from the field
he will naturally have fallen off in his proficiency, which he
had earlier reported was fluent. He thinks that others have
underevaluated their ability as linguists in order to qualify
for monetary awards at a later date.
d. In discussing OTR training problems in general, White
believes DD/P should initiate directed assignments to Training
as students. He points out it is now very difficult to phase
training into the other considerations involved in DD/P rotational
assignments.
e. He ventured the opinion that our Clandestine Services
instruction devotes too much time to tradecraft and not enough
to what he called "Dale Carnegie" type training 2 how to
handle people. I asked him if he had anyone from his branch
attending our new course in Personal Effectiveness Abroad. He
was not sure, but thought no one from his branch was in the
present class. He is interested in the course after it has finished
what he called its prototype run.
f. He expressed the opinion that OTR has been handicapped
by having to build its training to meet the exigencies of various
DD/P crash demands.
4. At the end of our conversation, offered to come 25X1A9a
over and discuss all the details of his earlier problems if it was OK with
whom he had tried to call before I arrived at his office.
Approved For Release 2001/08/30 : CIA-RDP62-00634A000100040056-1