COMMENTS RE EPB NOTICE NO. 3-50

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP67-00059A000300080009-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 8, 2004
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: January 25, 1950
• Content Type: SUMMARY

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JAN 2 5 1950
CO itAENTS RE EPB NOTICE NO 0 3-50
Consideration is being given to another of the recurrent
efforts to phrase definitions applicable to ORE publications*
It is submitted that this has been attempted many times in the
past, without notable results except in unprintable terms*
The merits of this particular effort are as questionable
as most of the previous ones* The specific argunents against it
lie mainly, as usual, in that it can mean all things to all men
and is, therefore, valueless as a guide to determine whether a
publication should be called an estimate or a report, or whether
it is "significant" enough to warrant publication.
The effort is described in EPB Notice No. 3-50 as an attempt
at a "workable approach to resolving the questions of what types
of reports and estimates this office should produce".
It seems curious that the assigned mission of ORE is not
considered to be the obvious standard for such a determination.
ORE, it is believed, is supposed to produce estimates consistent
with its mission of advising higher authority of matters affecting
US security, and to do so in sufficient time to permit any
necessary action. Certain clearly identified sections of ORE
are charged with examining intelligence,either technical, or basic.
of "common concern",, and are ordered to conduct research as a
service to estimating and research components. No great ambiguity
appears here0
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The criterion for publication of an estimate would aomaear
to be either the extent of damage done to US security or the
extent to which specialized research commitments would not be met
if the estimate were not made available to appropriate authority..
in sufficient time to permit action* fist such an estimate or
research paper is called is as much a matter of academic
interest as is the elegance of its literary style, Timeliness,
in both senses of the word, accuracy,, and clarity are the only
qualities which need or should be considered; whether the paper
is called an estimate, a report, a study, or a saga is
immaterial&
At present a committee is studiously engaged in an effort
to formulate a production plan for ORE. The past several years
have seen floundering and fruitless attempts to ascertain how
ORE should carry out its mission* it is hoped that this caomm.tttes
will arrive at a solution, Pending the final report of that
committee it is most strongly urged that the EPB refrain completely
from concerning itself with rhetorical exercises to define
intelligence trade words, and begin to ooncorn itself with what is,
perhaps, the unpleasant but pnevertheless, essential task of
determining whether the - ?
present ORE publications 4o11ectively, and,
if necessary, Individually, are consistent with the mission of ORE.
It is, therefore, recommended that the proposal to establish
the ORE Reports Series be rejected as an unsatisfactory half-way
measures and that no further time or effort be expended in attempts
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to avoid hard work by indulging in over-simplification or to
find a short out to the acaompliat ent of ORE's mission by
inventing categories of publication and disregarding their
contento
The time has come for the EPB to: (a) abandm the belief
that when it has said something it has done somot aingp (b) atop
appointing oa mittees to say something; (a) start constructive
Criticism of ORE publications and other activities at the risk
of injured feelings; and (d) go to work0
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