(Classified) COMMENTS, OTR/LAS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62-00634A000100040057-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 3, 2001
• Sequence Number: 57
• Publication Date: April 23, 1959
• Content Type: MFR

NO
T. r C
23 April 1959
D-. A 4 . 7
Au~h; La ~A L~;. "17 1`?6
MEMORANDUM f?s;THE R ECCQRn
SUBJECT: Comments, OTR/IAS
1. On 22 April 1959 PPS interd,vewed
DD/P FI Training Officer, (x 3770), concerning her knowledge of DD/P
area division relations with the Language and Area School. The
substance of the 1 1/2 hour conversation held in her office, 1301
K Building, follows.
2.-began by stating she had talked with DTR and felt
that the criticisms he had received concerning the OTR language
training were exaggerated. In the first place, the area of differences
of opinion between LAS and the DD/P area divisions is a two-way street.
On the one hand, LAS sometimes cannot get the trainees from the
divisions; on the other, the divisions sometimes contend LAS can't or
won't give the language instruction the area division needs to fill
their special needs. gave some examples of the over-all
relationship which are presented below.
(a) Spanish. WH Division frequently will not free say six
employees from their jobs to make up a Spanish language class.
ent No.
in Class.
Cyaas. C'L NGED ~'~
4 A
_ D
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was asked about the language qualifications of officer employees
25X1A2g
recently arrived PCS from headquarters at his station. _
stated neither of the last two officers he had received have
a satisfactory working knowledge of Spanish. He added
that the demands of their jobs are such that they will have
difficulty learning this language in the field.
also pointed out that the problem of getting students for full-
time language training is compounded by the Voluntary Language
Training Program. In short, there are only a few languages where the
DD/P provides enough regular students to organize language courses
on a regular basis. The languages where this has been done are
French, German, Greek, and Turkish (thanks to
and Chinese under the rogram. As for other languages:
(a) Japanese: Enrollment goes up and down and rarely
finishes as a class.
(b) Russian: There has been some problem between SR
Division and LAS in the past concerning content, standards,
and methods of teaching, but~elieves these difficulties
are now reconciled. However, there is some current criticism
that the Russian familiarization course doesn't give sufficient
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skill and as a result students are withdrawing from these classes.
(c) German: During the past four or five months, various
criticisms have been made b Chief of tht
EE Training Officer. In essence,
they feel that the language and area management and administration
of German language training leaves something to be desired. At
times the EE demands for German language training have exceeded
the OTR instructional capabilities. -cited the case of a
memorandum from EE to Chief, LAS, requesting German training.
She found this procedure unusual and did not believe it was
necessary. She was told had insisted on the written
25X1A Y, I
t~ !`~-/Cpjik !
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c~S
af/ere[[
u it d~+r a
concerning their differences with LAS if PPS has not advised
of what is going on. as quite blunt
in her opinions of _ She says he is "dragging his feet and
memorandum when procedurally all that is required was f
and then submit the usual training request.
felt ~s being bureaucratic and went to see
and worked the problem out with him. According tM
always cuts through the red tape and gives wonderful
service to the area divisions. lays that
25X1A9a
25X1A9a
25X1A9a
and 're reluctant to talk to OTR/PPS representatives 25X1A9a
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25X1A9a
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is lacking in supervisory and administrative talent. "-seems 25X1A9a
to have a personal grievance here concerning her wish to take some
language tapes home for study last fall. At that time, she called
the language lab technician and was asked why she needed the
tapes, was she going overseas, and finally claims she was told
by the technician "We can't be bothered with individual requests
of this nature." - took her problem to
25X1A9a to
(a) She did say that Romance language instruction had been
somewhat handicapped by the absence o I ventured
the comment tha as a good teacher, having taken
Italian from him in 1953. =disagreed. She had taken
French and didn't think much of him.
memorandum. Finally, -wanted to copy the language
tapes in question and had unpleasantries with the language lab
technician. I don't recall whether she told me if she ever got the
tapes or not.
25X1A9a 3. had a number of other miscellaneous incidents and
suggestions to make.
. Accordinci 25X1A9a
said he was busy and told her to write a
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25X1A2g
(b) Project-involves a JOT training in
(his health did not permit him to stay in Washington). It is
contemplated he will be assigned to a nonofficial cover position
in Africa. According to ~ there was some duplication of
requests for funding the language training for this officer, some
funds to be provided by OTR, other funds to be provided by the
project. In at least one instance, it involved two $500 allocations
for the same three months language training period.
(c) is aware of a senior official now studying
Arabic Payment is to be made out of project
funds. doesn't know if this officer has taken a language
aptitude test or if his training has been in any way coordinated
with OTR.
(d) She told a long story about wife
wanting tutorial language instruction at home. It seems the
wife was too busy to attend Agency language courses, although
ays she later found out the girl was selling real estate.
The request for the wife's language training by tutor at home was
referred through to
the training subject to the Division's having exhausted OTR's
capabilities to train called 25X1A9a
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25X1A9a - and asked the leading question, "You have exhausted
OTR capabilities, haven't you?" - said no and refused to
25X1A9a
approve this transaction. esn't know if
ever received any language training or not.
25X1A9a
25X1A9a (e)-is an enthusiastic booster of the Voluntary
Language Training Program. She feels theinstructors should
be paid by OTR rather than by the area divisions for overtime.
25X1A9a
_ also believes a three or four day seminar in teaching
methods during the working week (possibly away from Washington)
would improve the instruction and be a fitting reward for the
volunteer teachers.
(f) Some of the area division branch chiefs think the
Qualifications Review Panel is a waste-of time. According
to they feel the decisions are made ahead of time and
even if it is negative, the area division will give the individual
language training anyway if it wants to. In this connection,
says EE Division is fussing hardest, with WH and SR
complaining a little bit.
(g) - feels that some OTR procedures are a bit
cumbersome and strained. For example, she asked why
couldn't anyone go into the lab and listen to tapes after being
checked out on the machine by the lab technician. PPS pointed
out several reasons why some control here might be desirable.
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4. -feels the real problem now would favor OTR in that DD/P
is not putting enough people into the language program.
also25X1A9a
volunteered her opinion that the Agency is overstaffed in the wrong
places and a lot of people are trying to hang on to their jobs by
creating work to make them appear important.
25X1A9a 5.- had an additional complaint concerning the clerical
training school and Registrar. The PPS representative entered~X1A9a
office at 1:30 p.m. After the conversation was going good around 2:30,
25X1A9a -volunteered the information that two hours ago she had been the
maddest she had ever been in CIA. It seems she had spent twenty or
more minutes of the noon hour trying to arrange clerical testing for a
25X1A9a FI/RQM RQN'! h d 5X1A9a
a called
had called extension 2100, the Clerical Training School and talked to
someone she couldn't identify. ( The next day through is 25X1A9a
identified this individual as who, according to the 25X1A9a
grapevine, had been given a hard time by the preceding day.) 25X1A9a
said that the girl that she talked to did not know how to answer
the phone and had told her that clerical training did not arrange testin:r;,
but this was done by the Registrar and suggested that 25X1A9a
call there.
M called Registrar and the girl she talked to there also didn't
know enough about our procedures. As a result, -still didn't 25X1A9a
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25X1A9a know i
ould or would not be tested on Thursday, the
twenty-third. PPS took this matter up with It seems ther;5X1A9a
had been some delay in the forwarding of the testing request to the
clerical school. However, did receive her typing
test the morning of the twenty-third and was to receive her stenographic
test that same afternoon. PPS called and advised 25X1A9a
her of the status of the case about 12 noon on the twenty-
third. This seemed to make -feel better about the case.
6. Attached is a chart drawn up by of external 25X1A9a
language training known to her to have been conducted since January
1959.
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