MEMORANDUM FOR COL. GROGAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030039-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 8, 2013
• Sequence Number: 39
• Publication Date: December 17, 1958
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @50-Yr2013M1/08:
CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030039-8
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STAT
17 December 1958
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MEMORANDUM FOR-glillffRECTOR"
1. This memorandum is for information only.
2. Hanson W. Baldwin's recent book, THE GREAT ARMS RACE (Praeger,
116 pp.) was written in May 1958 and based on nine articles appearing
in the NEW YORK TIMES during February and March. It is a summary of Mr.
Baldwin's views on the balance sheet of American military assets and
liabilities in comparison with those of the Soviet Union. While he
holds that the preponderance of military power rests at present with the
American, not the Soviet side, he warns this is no cause for complacency.
He describes on p. 51 the balance as follows: "The Soviet long-range
air armies and the missile commands would have to plan and carry out
almost simultaneous surprise attacks against all of these dispersed
(Western) bases ins:order to reduce our nuclear offensive power so that
the losses we could inflict upon Russia in retaliation would be small--
or acceptable -- to Moscow . . . This would represent a split-second
miracle of timing."
3. Mr. Baldwin contends that to hold or improve our position in a
rapidly changing world of technology, it is necessary to spend much more
money on offensive missiles, anti-missile missiles, missile-firing sub-
marines, lighter missile-firing aircraft, anti-submarine devices, ground
equipment for limited warfare, and man 'bower development. He holds that
man is probably the weakest element in the American formula for security
and he urges a better quality of education, longer enlistments, more
stability, and the elimination of the short-term officer.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/11/08:
CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030039-8
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Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @50-Yr2013M1/08:
CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030039-8
4. He refutes the contention that inter-servic rivalries are
the cause of most of our military deficiencies and places the blame
on the reluctance of civilian officials to make difficult decisions,
the unwieldy civilian bureaucracy in the Pentagon, and the placing
of fiscal considerations above military requirements.
5. Baldwin makes tone specific reference to CIA. On pages 109-110,
says: "To insure swift and realistic impact upon our policies of
he
(sic) Soviet technological or military progress, it has been suggested
that the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency be included in a
*
policy coordinating group. This suggestion has some organizational merit,
but it also bodes some political danger, for it is unwritten law that no
head of a secret intelligence agency should ever be put in the position
of framing',or of executing broad national policies: The streamlining of
existing agencies and the selection of better executives should expedite
implementation of decisions already made."
cc: DDCI (w/o attach.)
Acting Assistant to the Director
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/11/08:
'CIA-RDP74-00297R000200030039-8
STAT