LETTER TO CHARLES J. V. MURPHY FROM STANELY J. GROGAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP74-00297R001001300007-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 14, 2013
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: April 30, 1959
• Content Type: LETTER

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/11/14
CIA-RDP74-00297R001001300007-3
30 April 1959
Charlie,
On page 830 of Part I, Policy Statements, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
APPROPRIATION FOR 19600 Hearings before the Subcommittee of the Committee
on Appropriations, House of Representatives, Eighty-Sixth Congress, First
Session, appears the following:
"Secretary Douglas, As to the lunar probe, we believe they had tvo
failures and possibly three failures before the successful lunar probe.
"They have also had failures in satellite launchings.
Nig.. Mahon. That is very interesting.
"(Discussion off the record.)
"Mr. Mahon. Anyone in his right mind knomt there have been a lot
of failures. Regardless of what you said I would know' they have had a
lot of failures. You cannot repeal the law of nature and physics.
Nobody can do these things without having a lot of failuree.
"Secretary Douglas. That is our experience.
"Mt. Mahon. I have said that all the time and I will continue to
say it. That is based not only on intelligence, but based on common
sense."
* * *
"Mr. Ford. I noticed here this afternoon for the first time a will-
ingness to teak about and disclose vith more accuracy your information
about failures. A year ago you were quite specific about the nueser of
successes that they bad.
"Is this a new an of detection that reveals their failures more
accurately than before?
"Secretary Douglas. This, Mr. Congressman, is information which is
given on my own responsibility. I think it is important that we know
pretty well everything that seems to be material of what we have on the
books. It is only vith this kind of background that we can have sensible
judgments with respect to the whole program.
Nr. Ford. I agree but I never heard the failures discussed in this
light before."
Stanley 4. Grogan
Mr. Charles J. V. Murphy
TIME Magazine
1000 Vermont Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D. C.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/11/14
CIA-RDP74-00297R001001300007-3