Economic Intelligence

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00662R000100170014-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 29, 1998
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: February 1, 1950
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 20
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44
MEMORANDUM FOR: Assistant Director, ORE
SUBJECT: Economic Intelligence
1 February 1950
1. Attached hereto is an advanced copy of the memorandum
which Mr. Steelman, Chairman of the NSRB,, proposes to submit to the
NSC on the above subject. He is a member of the NSC so naturally
has the privilege of doing this in the manner in which he prefers.
25X1A9a 2. 'When left this copy with the Director onzl
January, the Director said that he thought the same result could
be accomplished in a few words by the NSRB requesting intelligence
25X1A9a support of CIA with regard to foreign economic intelligence.
preferred to use a page and a half to say this.
3. The Director thinks it is a good idea to have this come
to us through the NSC from the NSRB as it will allay some of the
habitual fears of the other IAC agencies (if it really does get through
the NSC1).
4. However, you will note that this calls for only a stu of
requirements and facilities and then a plan to be prepared for the
NSC.
5. This, of course, means no ready solution of the economic
intelligence problem during the next year or two judging from past
experiences. The last plan we prepared under NSC direction was on a
much simpler subject than this and was completed by CIA last August.
No action so far as we know has been taken on that plan to date, so
I am not at all optimistic that this "study" and l1plan" will ever
solve the economic intelligence problem.
6. In this connection, see page 23 of the Report on the 4
Papers submitted to the DCI by State Department enclosed with the
DCI1s circular memorandum of December 30 to the IAC members. We
might best set up such an interdepartmental economic intelligence
committee along the lines of the Interdepartmental Scientific Intelli-
gence Committee and have part of its early work devoted to the study
and plan to be called for by the NSRB. In this connection, see DCI
3/3 on scientific intelligence.
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The other people in CQAPS think I'm too pessimistic.
7. When this is more definite and you have thought this over
for a while, get in touch with CQAPS for a meeting before taking
any interdepartmental action whatsoever.
25X1A9a
25X1A9a
Approved For Release 2000/0
Coordination, Operations
and Policy Staff
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