NIS COMMITTEE MEETING NO. 155

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-05597A000400030046-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 31, 1998
• Sequence Number: 46
• Publication Date: October 6, 1953
• Content Type: MIN

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SECURITY 33~TFOd
NIS COMMITTEE ]MEETING NO. 3,55
6 October 1953
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10
The following were present s
Mr. Clinton.
Mr I Kain
Lt. Col. Pack
Major Kart
CLt, apt n Norgaard
Madden
Lt, Col. Rush
1 dm
State
State
Army
Array
Navy
May
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DOCUMENT NO.
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AUTH: HK 78.2
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Air Force
Air Force
CIA
CIA (Chairman)
2, Commendation on Air Attache Report
25X1X1 The Chairman informed the members that a recent report submitted
0 showed such outstanding interest in improving
the photographic coverage o the NIS that he was bringing it to the atten-
tion of the Commttee. Ecerpts from the report were read., which, in essenceo
outlined a plan for incorporating a program of collecting photographs for
NIS use with that officers regularly scheduled road and air trips. The first
of a series of photographs obtained under this program were submitted with
the report., and guidance was requested as to the types of photographs desired
so that collection efforts of that office cou2)tb?d3rected towards obtaining
the most wanted coverage. The Chairman said was to bo com-
mended for voluntarily undertaking to provide better photographic material
for use in the NIS and suggested that the members look into the possibility
of having ~in other areas undertake similar collection programs.
3. Department of Commmerce Requirements for NIS
A letter from the Department of Commerce concerning the need of that
Department for the continued receipt of NIS was presented to the Committee
for consideration. Thins letter was submitted in response to a request that
non-IAC agencies show justification for the continued receipt of NIS on a
'.,need tockaow ' basis. (Refer to NIS Committee Meeting Nos, 3.50 and 151&., dated
12 May 1953 and 16 September 1953., respectively.)
Members were requested to advise the Chairman if their respective
agencies had any questions concerning this letter of justification.
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Survey an Use of NIS
The Chairman referred to the proposed questionnaire to be used in
connectim with the survey of user reaction to the NIS Program, and said that
he questioned that a form requiring only yes or no answers such as the one
under consideration would provide the information needed for a true appraisal
of this program. He pointed out that the fundametntal, purpose of the NIS
Program is to provide the basic intelligence that would be required by this
Government in the event of war, and the questionnaire should., therefore, have
as its primary objective the obtaining of statements as to the anticipated,
value of the NIS in such an emergency, and secondari]..y, expressions as to its
present value to government departments and agencies. He referred to the
user survey of JANIS conducted in 19147, and caanentod that the form of ques- -
tins used in that survey brought in some very meaningful commits. He
sus, ;vested that a sitdlar type of questionnaire be used in the NIS survey,
:ae members indicated general agreement with the proposed change, and the
Chairman undertook to draft a questionnaire of the type he considered most
suitable and submit copies to the mmbers at the next meeting,
5. Proposed Revision of Outline Guide for Supplement IV
The Chairman stated that D/B had received and examined the proposed
revisions of the Outline and Outline Guide for Supplement 19 (Urban Areas)
which had been submitted by the Corps of Engineers, He stated that they
appeared to be an improvement over the present outlines but did not provide
coverage for all of the items in the list submitted by the Geographic Divi.-
aion (CIA)., which reflected the coverage desired by the OIL component having
the requirement for these Urban Area studies, The outlines had, therefore,
been referred to the Geographic Division for review, and further consideration
of the proposals would be deferred until their comments had been received.
He requested the members to study the copies of these proposed revisions which
they had received from Army, and be prepared to act upon them when the matter
is again brought up in Committee., which i pc~c ec to be at the nwct meeting,
6. Dissemination of NIS Sections 23 25X1 X7 ^
The Committee approved the request that
MIS Sections 23 (Weather and Climate) on 18 NIS areas be made available to
them. (Refer to NIS Committee Meeting No. 1514, 16 September 1953,)
7, NIS Chapter I (Brief)
The Chairman stressed the importance of NIS Chapter I (Brief),, and
thc, need for proceeding with the production of this chapter an NIS Area 33
(Iran) with the least possible delay. He pointed out that production was far
enough advanced now on at least ten of the NIS areas to permit production of
Chapters I, and he expressed the opinion that this production should be given
the highest priority, and the Committee agrreed.
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The Chairman stated that in order to expedite production of
Chapter I on Iran he had set up a task group in D/B to prepare drafts of
Sections 10 and 11, which will be submitted to the Committee for comment.
He asked the members for comment with respect to the production of Sections 12
thru 18, for which their respective agencies have production responsibility,
L members agreed to proceed immediately with this production, and a cutoff
date of 1 October 1953 was set for the information to be presented in these
elements. Further, it was agreed that these contributions would be wjbdtted
to D/B on,, or before 6 December 1953,
Further discussion was held with reference to the graphics for
Chapter Is and it was agreed that other problems -which might develop during
the production of this first Chapter I will be brought up for Committee con-
sideration from time to time as they arise,
8 0, NIS Standard Instructions
The Chairman informed the Committee that the demand for complete
editions of the NIS Standard Instructions has been greater than was anticipated,
He requested that the members examine their supply to determine whether or
not they have any excess copies which might be recalled if necessary, and
advise him of their respective positions as soon as possible,
9, Dissemination of Quarter Report
The Chairman asked the members for comments with regard to the
Quarterly Report, He noted that this report is being more widely distributed
than it had been in the past, and raised a question as to whether a more
simplified report with a lower classification would be desirable.
Follava3ng discussion it was agreed that the present form of this
report would be retained, However, the Committee approved downgrading the
present report from "Secret" to "Conf`idential", and restricting it to "U.S.
Officials Only", It was also agreed that these reports would carry a
destruction notice stat ng, "This supersedes all previous issues of the
Quarterly Report, which may be destroyed" ,
100 Controcl Warns g
The Chairman referred to the control warning regarding "Comments on
Principal Sources" which is now being included in all NIS Sections which are
not controlled in their entirety. He called attention to the fact that all
previously published Sections contain the same controlled subsection without
a yarning notice, He asked the members to take under study the question of
whether or not some warning notice should be sent out to users with respect
to these previously published Sections, and be prepared to discuss the matter
further at the next meeting,
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11, Treatment of Fissionable Material
41
The State member said that a problems had arisen in connection with
the treatment of fissionable material in section 63 for NITS.Area No. 5
(Be]gium)m The information involved is "Top Secret" whereae the balance of
the section is "Confidential",, and the question has been raised as to whether
this information should be omitted from Section 63 in order to retain the
lower classification' and give primary treatment of fissionable material for
this area in Chapter VII (Scientific),
The Chairman agreed to discuss the matter with the Chapter VII
Coordinator, and present recommendations to the Committee at a later meeting,
12. The next meeting will be held at the call of the Chairm n0
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Distributions
4 NIS Coiiittee
1 Sec a JIG
1 AD IW
I - AD/IC
1 - CH/C
1.- CH0
3- D
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