AGENCY POLICY ON DECLASSIFICATION AND PUBLICATION OF AGENCY DOCUMENTS IN DEPARTMENT OF STATE SERIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP72-00310R000200270023-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 1, 2004
• Sequence Number: 23
• Publication Date: February 24, 1970
• Content Type: MF

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24 February 1970
MEMORANDUM FOR: Executive Director-Comptroller
Agency Policy on Declassification
and Publication of Agency Documents
in Department of State Series
1. This memorandum is for your information and recommends
actions for your approval in paragraph 10.
2. The Department of State has a program of declassifying
and publishing documents which are considered of interest in the
history of this country's international relations. These documents
are published in a series entitled, "Foreign Relations of the United
States, Diplomatic Papers. " The Department's Historical Office
reviews documents in its possession for possible inclusion in the
series when they are about 20 years old. I understand that docu-
ments for 1945 and 1946 have been published and that those for
1947 are awaiting final selection.
3. Because CIA was created in 1947, the Agency will probably
soon be confronted with a growing number of requests for permission
to declassify and publish CIA documeni;s held by the Department of
State, which deal with significant international issues. Agency
papers dealing with the Communist takeover in. China, accusations
by Senator McCarthy, and the North Korean attack in 1950 are
possible examples.
4. Late at year Chuck Reichardt for of Intelli ence
for the AEC, handed General CDs jimaz pies of a? tter from the
State Department's Historical Of i tL, t1 Pf 'FTiGtori n of the
AEC requesting permission to clear several 1947 papers involving
nuclear energy matters for publication in the "Foreign Relations"
series. The AEC noted that two of these documents were of
primary concern to CIA and suggested that State seek the Agency's
consent to their publication.
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5. One of the papers is a Top Secret "Interdepartmental
Intelligence Study, " dated 15 December 1947, from DCI Hillenkoetter
entitled, "Status of Russian Atomic Energy Project. " This is
essentially a forerunner of an NIE on the Soviet Atomic Energy
Program. The second paper is a short memorandum dated
24 July 1947 from AEC Chairman Lilienthal to the Director of the
Central Intelligence Group. This merr..o expresses the AEC's
support for the establishment of a national system for long-range
detection of nuclear explosions.
6. Initially I requested the Director of Security to check
with appropriate Agency Offices and prepare an Agency position
on the question of declassification and :publication of the two
documents. ONE, DDI, OSI, Chief, C.:, and Chief, FI were con-
sulted and they either concurred in or expressed no objections to
release of the papers on security grounds. The Director of Security
then sent a letter to the chief of State's Historical Office informing
him of the Agency's position.
7. Shortly after this, I requested the Office of Security to
postpone final delivery of the letter to State in order to obtain a
determination from CIA's General Counsel whether the precedent
established by release of the two rather innocuous 1947 documents
would weaken the Director's ability to maintain control over access to
other Agency documents. I also felt that the decision to permit overt
publication of Agency papers in this series should have the Director's
personal approval.
8. It is Mr. Houston's judgment that release of the two Agency
documents for publication by State would not set a precedent which
would bind the Agency in the future. He is confident that if the Agency
had security or policy grounds for not wanting to authorize release
and publication of certain Agency documents there would be no difficulty
with State's Historical Office.
9. A remaining question is whether there might be adverse
reaction from our Congressional Committees, or the White House, if
release of Agency documents were highlighted in. the press. There
could be public criticism, too, on the grounds that the Agency could
influence the record through selective release of Agency papers.
These are additional reasons why the Drector should be briefed on
the case. '
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10. I recommend that the Director be briefed on this problem
and that he be requested to make a policy decision whether the Agency
will agree to consider release of its documents on a case-by-case
basis for publication in the "Foreign Relations" series. If his
decision is affirmative, then he should also be asked to approve
release and publication of the two 194'7 documents discussed in this
paper. I also recommend that the Dir.ector's approval be required
in all future cases involving the State "Foreign Relations" series,
and that the Agency establish contact with State's Historical Office
in order to keep abreast of their programs.
STAT
EA/DDCI
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