MONTHLY LETTERS FROM THE FIELD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R003100280015-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 13, 2002
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: July 30, 1959
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2002/08/21 ' CiA!RE)P80B01676R003100280015-4
30 July 1959
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT : Monthly Letters from the Field
1. At a recent Staff meeting you expressed the thought that you
might send a letter of appreciation to Field Chiefs for their monthly
letters to you.
2. In reviewing these letters each month I find a tendency on the
part of a number of Field Chiefs to devote two or more pages to a
roundup of political or economic situations which have already been
thoroughly reported; in effect summarizing the information reports
submitted during the preceeding month while adding nothing of interest
or value to their correspondence to you. Another fairly common fault
is the excessive and frequently unnecessary use of cryptonyms and
pseudonyms which require decryption before the messages become
intelligible.
3. I suggest a letter to the Field Chiefs which would combine a
note of appreciation from you with guidance for improving the quality
and usefulness of the Monthly Letters. There is attached a proposed
draft of such letter for your consideration.
25X1
Acting Inspector General
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Chiefs, All Field Stations and Bases
SUBJECT : Monthly Letters from the Field
REFERENCE
I wish I could write directly to thank each of you for the
monthly letters you send me from the field. These letters are most
helpful because they present your problems and activities in a
personal light which could not be matched through regular channels.
Even though you seldom get individual replies, I want you to know
that each letter comes straight to my office and is read with care
and interest.
So long as these letters remain clear, timely, and informal, I
hesitate to suggest a format or in any way limit their content.
However, please remember that significant developments all over the
world are covered with great speed and detail by KUBARK, by our
intelligence colleagues, and often by the press, and that general
political and economic situation reports usually are out-dated by
the time your monthly letters reach me. Also, bearing in mind the
very restricted handling of the monthly letters, please simplify my
reading by keeping pseudonyms and cryptonyms down to the minimum
consistent with security.
I value the personal relationships established by these
letters, and hope you will continue using them to give me an inside
look at your problems and activities.
25X1
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 Approved For Release 2002/08/21 : CIA-RDP80BO1676R003100280015-4
SUBJECT: Monthly Letters
1. From time to time, a number of you have elected in your monthly
letters to me-to philosophize, comment, or present views on non-operational
political and economic matters in your areas. These views or comments
do not contain new intelligence and their inclusion in the letter is
However, because these first-
hand viewpoints are generally most constructive and informative, it has
been desirable at times to make them known to other Agency officers,
particularly those responsible for the production of intelligence in
which an assessment of local pol.it3'cal and economic situations is an
essential ingredient.
2. Accordingly, those of yoz"who elect to include in your monthly
letters, observations of the natre referred to above, should place them
on a separate page or within a ~aragraph clearly apart from the operational
or private content of the letter. This kill facilitate desirable
You should not interpret this dispatch as a solicitation for
an expression of views, for the concept of the'monthly letters is in no
way altered.. The letter continues to be a medium in which you can include
information or views at your own discretion, consistent with
and it is hoped, briefly and 4oncisely.
Allen W. Dulles
Director
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 Approved For Release 2002/08/21 : CIA-RDP80B01676R0031002800150 Jul y 59
GENERAL CABELL:
I. disagree that much of the economic and political information
has been reported previously and therefore need not be commented
on in the monthly field letters.
It is my opinion that one of the values of the letters is indeed
the personal commentary of our man on the spot to the political
events. The facts that come forward in the normal course of
intelligence reporting often do not contain the personal evalua-
tion of the Chief of Station, and it seems to me that, in the
Director's responsibility to report to the NSC, it is not a bad
idea for him to have available his field chiefs' personalized
viewpoints on the happenings around the world.
Therefore, I would suggest letting well enough alone and knocking
out the admonition included in the second s t f
en ence o the second
paragraph of the proposed memorandum.
T_
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 Approved For Release 2002/08/21 : CIA-RDP80BO1676R003100280015-4
Please file this original for background purposes,
FYI: I understand the ltr to field chiefs was
redrafted and passed out at Deps. Mtg on 8/11.
No action on this paper taken,
mfb
11/4/59
Approved For Release 2002/08/21 : CIA-RDP80BO1676R003100280015-4