HISTORY OF JANIS (FOR G-2)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-01147A000100010024-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 8, 2005
• Sequence Number: 24
• Publication Date: September 1, 1945
• Content Type: REPORT

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COCUMINT NO, . Z2
KU *?.diCE IN CLASS, ^
HISTORY OF JANIS (for G-2) ( LICLASSIFIED
CL SS. CHANCIED TOt TS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATSI 25X1
SECTION I. Introduction. AUTH HR 10.2
2 V JUL 1980
DATEI _....-__-.__ REVIEWERI
All evidence points to the success of JANIS in the war effort.
Some twenty studies have been produced which have been distributed widely in
Washington and throughout the Theaters of Operation. Numerous letters of
commendation have been received, including such statements from Admiral Forrest
Sherman, Chief of Staff, Pacific Ocean Areas, that "JANIS has become the indis-
pensable reference work for the shore based planners", as well as commendation
from OPD and others.
SECTION II. Name and Mission.
The Joint Intelligence Study Publishing Board is a joint organiza-
tion composed of G-2, ONI, OSS, A-2, and OCE. It receives contributions from
some twenty agencies of the U. S. Government to produce a fifteen chapter basic
topographical study of foreign areas. The name of the study is JANIS (Joint
Army Navy Intelligence Study) (See Appendix I for list of chapters and contri-
butors).
The mission of JANIS is to make available one publication contain-
ing all the necessary detailed information upon which may be based a war plan
for Military or Naval operations in a given area. As indicated in I above,
this mission has been successfully accomplished through publication of a series
of studies in advance of operations in Pacific areas.
SECTION III. History of Organization.
The Joint Intelligence Study Publishing Board (JISPB) was not af-
fected by the reorganization of MIS in June 1944, inasmuch as the Board was
fully organized, had established operating procedures, and was producing be-
fore that time. (See Appendix II, list of JANIS publications with dates of
publication).
Early in 1943, it became apparent that G-2, ONI, and OSS were
duplicating each others efforts, particularly in the preparation of detailed
geographic studies of foreign areas. G-2 had Strategic Surveys, ONI had
Monographs, and OSS had Topographic Intelligence Studies. In addition to the
duplication of studies, there were many conflicting statements. For this
reason, General Strong, Admiral Train, and later General Donovan decided that
some joint effort should be substituted for the previously duplicating publi-STATINTL
cations. A Steering committee was appointed composed of Col. Joseph Evans,
G-2, Lt. Col. Richard Cutts, ONI, and F_ I OSS. The com-
mittee recommended formation of JISPB to publish JANIS. They had prepared for
them, largely by OSS, an excellent outline guide for the studies. In May 1943,
ONI appointed Comdr. Vau hn Bailey.. G-2 appointed Major George Kountz, and OSS STATINTL
appointed to be members of the JANIS board. Additional staff
were added only slowly; a major handicap was the policy of the strictly Military
agencies in assigning staff not qualified for the task. A priority list of
studies was given the board, which was primarily the old G-2 list of projected
Strategic Surveys and bore little relation to operational needs inasmuch as it
contained countries already occupied by the Allies and oitted other countries
in which operations were obviously going to take place. In spite of these STATINTL
handicaps, the board arranged for contributors to start work on Bulgaria, Al-
bania, Yugoslavia, and France. Later, arrangements were made tion
As a result of this agreement
work
,
was stopped on Albania, Yugoslavia and prance. Bulgaria was completed the
JANIS program moved into the Far East
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At the end of 1943, most of JANIS 38, Bulgaria, was printed and
was favorably received by the Joint War Plans Committee, which requested that
JANIS be continued. A new priority list in the Far East was given JISPB.
A-2 became a member of the board and as a result of General Bissell's insis-
tence and other aid, adequate staff was assigned to JISPB. Shortly after this
time, the board began to produce effectively. The major handicap of the board
in early 1944 was the lateness of the priority list which required JANIS to be
produced on Netherlands New Guinea, the Carolines, Marianas, and Palau Islands,
against all of which operations were either proceeding or imminent. For this
reason, JANIS was not produced in time to be of great value in planning these
operations. The board on its own initiative tried to be relieved of the re-
sponsibility of doing the studies in order to insure prompt publication of
JAANIS; when requests for this relief were turned down, the board produced these
studies as rapidly as possible in order to get to more important areas well in
advance of operations. With the completion of JANIS 155, Celebes Sea area, in
June 1944, JANIS got ahead of operations and continued to produce in time to
be of use after that date.
On 21 January 1944, Col. George W. Bicknell relieved Major Kountz
as G-2 member of the board and became Chairman, replacing Col. Mundell of A-2
who had held the position for about a month. Prior to that time, Comdr. Vaughn
of ONI was the senior member and Chairman of JISPB. At the end of Decem-
ber 1944-' replaced as OSS representative and
later served as secretary. Late in 1943, the Joint Topographical Subcommittee
(JTS) was established to aid JANIS in obtaining suitable priority lists and to
give general direction to Joint Topographical work. Col. Sidman Poole has been
the G-2 member of this committee.
On 24 August 1944, the JISPB was reestablished by the Joint Intel-
ligence Committee as a subordinate agency under the general direction of the
Joint Topographical Subcommittee. (J.I.C. 76/16/D). Later the Office of Chief
of Engineers was added as a member of JISPB but did not contribute as much per-
sonnel as the four prior agencies.
SECTION IV. Organization.
See attached charts.
SECTION V. Personnel.
See attached chart.
SECTION VI. Sources.
Inasmuch as all JANIS material is prepared for the board by con-
tributing organizations, the board itself does not normally use source material.
It has, however, been found necessary to check closely the contributions with
each other in order to avoid discrepancies. Checks have also been made with
original sources by editors of this board to incorporate much additional materi-
al in inadequate contributions. Some contributors have not been as careful as
they should be in collecting all available information and particularly in re-
solving conflicts and in evaluating sources to determine the most reliable one.
In many cases, for example, a statement from some old report is submitted but
is in direct conflict with a recent aerial photograph. The board has repeatedly
called sources to the attention of contributors and works closely with them to
insure that the best available information is incorporated in JANIS. Some
months prior to each study, a detailed list of sources on the study is circula-
ted to all contributors. In addition, the board itself publishes a quarterly
bibliography of topographical intelligence publications on the Far East.
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SECTION VII. Research Techniques.
Research techniques on this board have been confined largely to
those of critical editing of text and maps. Use of sources has already been
treated in VI above. Critical editing of JANIS involves not only resolving
conflicts in information but also in pointing up the material to give proper
emphasis and in cutting down verbosity. All of these functions are highly im-
portant and are a regular part of JANIS techniques. Particular attention is
paid to making maps and text agree and numerous corrections are made on JANIS
maps before they are printed. Considerable attention is given to planning and
outlining each. JANIS in advance as well as preparing a uniform base map.
SECTION VIII. Liaison and Coordination.
In a joint enterprise such as JNIS, liaison and coordination
have been all important and are practiced constantly by all board and staff
members. Our experience has shown that few intelligence activities in 'ash-
ington take the trouble to find out what other people are doing in their own
lines. As a result, needless duplication of work and conflicting information
results. Chapter editors and other JANIS staff are in constant consultation
with contributors to insure close check. Several standard procedures have
been put into effect to cut down duplication. G-2 and OSS, for example, syste-
matically get together under JANIS auspices to prepare joint strip maps of
roads and other transportation data. Duplicating sections of JANIS have been
eliminated such as limiting the port chapters to discussion of port facilities.
Where one contributor is obviously the authority on a topic, he is given full
responsibility for that subject, and other contributors are asked to check
with the responsible agency (climatic statistics for example are always obtained
from the weather and climate contributors who have access to vast weather bureau
records with better information than the secondary sources used by many other
contributors.) Speed of production and press of work has prevented as much
liaison and coordination as this board would desire but great steps forward
have been made in affecting coordination. One of the obstacles in the past has
been the unwillingness of many agencies to give information to.other agencies.
Such inter-agency jealously has made the task of producing JANIS more difficult
than it should be. 'y and large, however, whenever information is desired for
JAN TS, it has been made available. In the process, the various agencies have
discovered that they are composed of human beings and that each has some com-
petent personnel.
SECTION IX.
A. Reproduction,
The board has had to produce large quantities of printed and
graphic material in a short time. Inasmuch as GPO was filled, it was neces-
sary to obtain a waiver of GPO printing rights in order to have private
printers print JAMS. Printing has been done under Navy contract, costs to
be apportioned by Navy to signatory agencies in accordance with number of
copies taken by each.
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Originally a Philadelphia printer was used but proved unsatisfac-
tory for the high grade, rush work required for JAN IS. Consequently, printing
was shifted to ith several subcontractors
in the same area. Excellent and fast reproduction resulted. Staff members
frequently went to the printer to process material through the plants to meet
extraordinary rush requests.
Equally important with printing of text and photos was reproduc-
tion of maps, most of them multi-color special maps for JANIS. Speedy repro-
duction of these maps would have been impossible without the use of OS:S and
Army Map Service Reproduction facilities, inasmuch as private printers had
neither the time, equipment, nor personnel to handle this large volume of
technical reproduction.
B. Dissemination.
2,500 copies of each JANIS study are produced. These are dissemi-
nated by G-2, ONI, A-2, OSS, and OCE to staff and theater organizations, as
well as to some civilian organizations engaged in the war effort such as
State Department. On most JANIS studies, all requests cannot be fulfilled.
(See attached list of War Department JANIS distributions).
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