DCI MEETING WITH SENATOR JOHN L. MCCLELLAN, CHAIRMAN, SENATE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP65B00383R000100290006-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 2, 2004
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: July 25, 1963
• Content Type: MFR

CDTO,. 9
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25 July 1963
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: DCI Meeting with Senator John L. McClellan, Chairman,
Senate Government Operations Committee
1. At 9:45 a. m. this morning the Director briefed Senator
McClellan, Chairman, Senate Government Operations Committee,
on the problem involving Secretary Zuckert's testimony about the
use of titanium in air frames. He noted the public statement made
by Dr. Charyk. at a public interview with the McClellan Committee
investigators on March 18, 1963. Dr. Charyk's answer to a question
was "Concerning the use of titanium, I thought it was attractive
from the weight-saving point of view but that it should be looked
at with care since there is no other plane in which titanium has
been used in the same fashion, that is, in major structural members
of large thicknesses at high stress levels. There is little experience
in such cases insofar as fatigue problems are concerned. Careful
engineering and testing would be required to rule out the unknowns.
Secretary Zuckert's statement, referring to the fact that Boeing
had switched from more proven material to titanium, quoted this
statement of Dr. Charyk's.
0-
2. The Director briefed Chairman McClellan on OXCART,
pointing out that titanium had been used extensively although not in
exactly the same fashion as in the TFX. Therefore, that part of
Dr. Charyk's statement which reads "that is, in major structural
members of large thicknesses at high stress levels" is not accurate.
The Director said he hoped the Chairman would find some way of
preventing Secretary Zuckert from being asked a direct question
during the Committee hearings as to whether there was another
plane in which titanium had been used. The Chairman said he
certainly did not want to impair the security of the country but that
he would have to go through with the TFX hearings to the end and
he could not entirely control the question by the members of his
Committee. He said in effect that he understood the security problem
and would do all he could to protect the security of the OXCART
project.
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3. The Director asked me to see Secretary Zuckert and ask
him if he could change his statement to read "there is no other plane
in which titanium has been used in exactly the same fashion" (the
word "exactly" being inserted) and leave out the inaccurate phrase
about major structural members. I talked to Mr. Zuckert after he
had had an initial private meeting with the Chairman and discussed
this. Mr. Zuckert said that not only had Dr. Charykfs statement had
wide distribution but his own stat ement had been distributed to the
Committee and any change at this late date would cause intense
scrutiny and promote questions directly on the point. He said there-
fore he would leave it in although he appreciated our concern of his
position in not being exactly accurate. I told him the Director had
briefed the Chairman, and thereupon Secretary Zuckert said he
would discuss the situation with the Chairman, indicating he proposed
to go ahead with his statement as it stood. He returned in a few
minutes and said that the Chairman had agreed with this position.
Secretary Zuckert also said that in the event he was questioned
directly on whether there was another plane using titanium he saw
no alternative but to answer no, and he would do so even though
testifying under oath. He appreciated very much the fact that the
Director had briefed Senator McClellan.
25X1
LAWRENCE R. HOUSTON
General Counsel
Distribution:
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