(UNTITLED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000400460025-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 8, 1999
• Sequence Number: 25
• Content Type: OPEN

Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00149R000400460025-4
CPYRGHT CPYRGHT CPYRGHT
miring to ecace and a half since the
CIA was established to coordinate the
work of all governmental units which
gather and evaluate information about
what is going on all over the world.
'there has never been any controversy.
over the claim that there has to be a cer.
tain amount of cloak-and-dagger secrecy
about such an agency. Few ever ques-
tioned the contention that it could not
accomplish its task if it had to work in
the glare of Congressional revelation.
hence, there is acceptance that Con
gross as a whole shouldn't even know
,.how much money it is voting to the CIA.
The agency's funds are tucked into unex-'
plained items in appropriations for other
governmental departments. No effort is
made by most members of Congress, to
find out how many people CIA has
around the world. It is accepted by most
of them that the agency has more em-
ployes and spends more money than does
the State Department.
`iti.r?ank' 1irrrbassadors?
that agents of the CIA, through their
secret activities, are more influential in
many foreign countries than is the am-
bassador from the United States. It lends
support. to the charge that the CIA agents
have more influence on the formulation
of foreign policy than does the State'
Department.
For years, there has been a demand
for the establishment of a "watchdog
committee" of Congress to monitor the
CIA. A few years ago, such a move was
spearheaded by Mike Mansfield, now the
Senate majority leader. Like other such
efforts, the Mansfield move came to noth-
ing.
portant voice in formulating foreign poli-
cy disturbed many senators when John
Foster Dulles was secretary of state and
his brother, Allen W. Dulles, was director
of the intelligence agency.
Unhappiness over the power of the
agency reached a peak with.the Bay of
Pigs fiasco. Its critics charged that CIA
took the direction of foreign affairs out
of the hands of two presidents and' with
led the nation to the abortive Cuban ven
lure
.
Adverse criticism of the CIA is typified
by the title of a book written in 1964 by
David Wise and Thomas Ross, "The In-
visible Government."
Details of the current effort to give
plicated as they sound. Actually, there
already are three "watchdog" commit..
tees. One is the group, already mentioned,
composed of seven senators from the
Armed Services Committee and the Ap-
propriations Committee. There is a simi-
lar eight-nieniber committee in the House
of Reprc,,cntativcs.
In addition, there is a Citizens Ad-
visory Committee of eight members. It
Is headed by Clark Clifford, who, ever
since he was Harry S. Truman's White
House counsel, has been flitting between
a prosperous Washington law practice
and chores for whomever happens to be
president.
The current proposal which has stirred
up all the bitterness is sponsored by Min-
nesota's McCarthy. It proposes that the
current Senate watchdog committee be
revamped to give membership to three
senators from the Foreign Relations Com-
iittee, three from the Armed Services
ommitt.ee and three from the Appropri-
tions Committee.
McCarthy and his supporters won the`
irst round of their fight. They got the
Foreign Relations Committee to approve
he proposal by a vote. of 14 to 5. The
next and more perilous stage would be
when and if, the Senate gets a chance to
act on it.
The first danger facing the proposal
is that Sen. Russell will move to send the
neasure to the Armed Services Commit-
cc, of which he is chairman. The argu-
ent for such a referral is that because
he legislation creating ,the CIA, along
ith the Defense Department, was han-
led by the Armed Services Committee,
11 matters affecting, it must also go to
med Services. ..t I
Should the measure go to Russell's
mmittee, it wilt receive 'A,-prompt
CPYRGHT
irlal. If the Senate votes- with McCarthy
td Fuibright in refusing to send the bill
Armed Services, there still is the prob-..
in of getting the Democratic Policy,
In that connection, it.t 'worth noting-.
at one of the 14 members of the For.',
gn Relations Committee who voted toy
ring out the measure was Majority'.
Bader Mansfield. Another was Russell
iana senator Is classified among the 't
Charge Frain Lays n.
putting f their own committee on the watchdog
roup have been associated with the
awks. They were Democrats Frank J.
ausche of Ohio and Stuart Symington ra
ourke B. Hickenloopcr of -Iowa, Frank
arlson of Kansas and Karl E. Mundt of
Lausche backed up hie vote with an.
ssertion.-on the Senate finnr that while t
ess to;leak vital-data.
Her 'name' has been used. to support
per-
he contention that Sen. Russell has
around' 16 ' discriminate
PYRG; IT
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-001498000400460025-4