MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD FROM MARSHALL S. CARTER
Document Type:
Collection:
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):
CIA-RDP80B01676R001400030010-5
Release Decision:
RIPPUB
Original Classification:
S
Document Page Count:
2
Document Creation Date:
December 14, 2016
Document Release Date:
February 13, 2003
Sequence Number:
10
Case Number:
Publication Date:
April 5, 1965
Content Type:
MFR
File:
Attachment | Size |
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Body:
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5 April 1965
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
1. On Friday afternoon, 2 April, at my request, I met
with the Honorable Robert Murphy. During the course of the
conversation, Mr. Murphy asked me what I knew about Mr.
McCone's plans and a replacement for him. I told Mr. Murphy
that I knew Mr. McCone would be leaving very shortly and that,
to the best of my knowledge, no replacement had yet been selected.
I told him that I had been Acting Director for an appreciable part
of the time during the past three years, and that there would really
be no problem in maintaining continuity if a Director was not
selected prior to Mr. McCone's departure although this would
create a sizable morale problem within the Agency because of
uncertainties, and certainly would present the President with
more problems than it would solve. I told him that I had made
my position abundantly clear to Mr. McCone and to others (specifi-
cally Mr. McGeorge Bundy) that it would be a grave error to put
a military man in as Director, either retired or active, regardless
of his competence and regardless of his stature. I told him that
the Agency was more than 17 years old and that if it had not by now
developed an in-house competence to provide a Director from its
own resources, then they had best close up the place and turn it
back to the Indians. I told him that there was within the Agency
a competence for the position greater than in any of the names I
had heard mentioned from outside. I told him that if the President
had to have a name which would light up public lights, then the
Agency would certainly be prepared to fall in line and support this
selection, and live with it regardless of the competence of the
individual chosen. I reiterated, however, that any selection from
the Washington community (unless it were of the stature of Cy
Vance or George Ball or McGeorge Bundy) would be a disaster,
and particularly if it were someone who had been formerly employed
by the CIA or the FBI or the military services. Upon questioning,
I stated that there were at least three people in the Agency whom I
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considered qualified to perform the job in an outstanding manner
and for whom I would be perfectly prepared to stay on as Deputy
for as long as they might wish. Specifically, I listed Mr. Kirk-
patrick, Mr. Helms, and Mr. Bross.
2. Mr. Murphy commented that Mr. Kirkpatrick had probably
been around the world more times as Inspector General of the
Agency for eight years than any other officer in the Agency, and
had probably visited more Stations and Bases on these trips than
anyone in the entire history of the Agency.
3. There was no substantive discussion of qualifications of
any of the officers mentioned, nor did Mr. Murphy express any
views other than as indicated. He did, however, seem to be
sympathetic to the proposition that the selection criteria enumer-
ated above were the best in the long run for the Agency and the
national interest.
Marshall Carter
Lieutenant General, USA
Deputy Director
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