THE HONORABLE MELVIN R. LAIRD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79B00972A000100440004-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 24, 1998
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: February 26, 1969
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2007/02/23: CIA-RDP79B00972AO00100440004-9
26 February 1969
MEMORANDUM FOR: The Honorable Melvin R. Laird
Secretary of Defense
1. During testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee this morning, I was asked to comment on comparative
United States and Soviet military expenditures. Since one
inevitably has some difficulty in answering this question in
various forms and with different ingredients, T read to the
Committee the specific piece of paper which is attached here-
to.
2. Z am sending this to you, so that you will know
exactly what I said. One word of explanations The dollar
figures used-for the United States derive from official Depart-
ment of Defense documents. Iri6entally, the attached state-
ment reflects the same figures my people sent to DDR,F on
23 January 1969 at their request.
3. If you have any questions about these breakdowns, I
would be glad to send over an officer to talk with you who is
thoroughly familiar with Soviet military economic matters.
Richard Helms
Director
Attachment - 1
Approved For Release 2007/02/23: CIA-RDP79B00972A000100440004-9