LETTER TO HONORABLE J. EDGAR HOOVER FROM WALTER B. SMITH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01731R002900430059-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 24, 2003
• Sequence Number: 59
• Publication Date: May 21, 1951
• Content Type: LETTER

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Honorable 4. i4gsr
Chairman; Interdertmental
Intelligence Conference
Federal Bureau of Inveati on
Department of Justice
ashinGton
?
iioover;
This will titcknowledge your r ot r 2 you
describe your liaison policy on matters concernini counterespionago.-
four position is diesppointing to me,-for feel very
strOnuly that there are important steps wnich should be taken to
$trek.then the relationship in counterespionage activities at horns
and abroad. / believe that your Bureau eni and "V office Pf
Special Operations are complementary to each 'other. Togetner; they
should Mike a team to insure- counterespionaGe coverage throuLhout
? the world. I alio believe that. a team of Late nature must function
with the utmost -confidence. or these -reasons 1 am oing to 3k you
to review our metnod of liaison in the hope that unt4er'appropriatoi:
over-all, supervision we can bring eur respective functional dee*. in .
closer proximity. 1 do not believe that a sine liaison channel
will foster the close relationship necessary between two organizations
prisiarily rekionsible for t;.. counterespionage activities. against.
boviet aussia..
1 understand fully your ftesi neyin permittik, the uee _
with certain foreign services of information developed by your,i4ireah,
but I as convinced that this question snould be explored fUrther.
U. security requires counterespionaLe infor.44tion from every area.
The intelligence services of those nations disilosod to cooperate with
us recoolse that the princip41 target of the L;oviet Union is the
United otates, and that the,00viet Union's principal effort is focused
on this country. At the fiale time, their med for information which
will? assist them in their local problems is very great, and because
of this we stand in a very good position to acquire from ter inforfta-
tion vital to our own eecurity. it is a matter of ut-ost urcency that
we elevolop methods Omen union wa can gain inflreasing cenerosity
from them in information of critical value to us. This is not barter,
but reasonable cooperation for a common purpose.
FBI REVIEW COMPLETED
RETVX1.11/ fi??1:7.1';T:712,17Z ,
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1 11 Amderetand you.r c mein with r?ard to the security- _
of information. I share it completely. kOlitaVar, I.ats certain will
not achieve the desired objective utilise we, can work Qut closer co-
opez'ation between our respective offices and With lie and establish
re freedom in the 4.,:xchano of-counteriritel.lionce inforation with
weU disposed nations. CIA will, of emir* Provide you in aceordenei .
.tthyour request with all the pertinent information from foreign.
+purees outside the jurisdiction of LIC that we are o.ble to obtain,
bit unless -a 1:asis of rec4rocitrand a creeper neasure of Contidenee
? is established I doubt very; mum if the flow from abroad of? such,
infornation, iici yot. describe as neeeeeary and vital, iU be either
continuos or adequate.
OSO - 12 May 1951
Rewritten 0/DCI LBK:rak
Distribution:
Orig &1 - Addressee
2 - Signing Official i,?-? ?
1 -
? 1 - LBK
WALTER .0, sem
on ?
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10.
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
FEDERAL BUREAU BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
WASHINGTON 25, D. C.
May 2, 1951
CONFIDENTIAL
VIA LIAISON
Lieutenant General Walter Bedell Smith
Director
Central Intelligence Agency
2430 E Street, R.W.
Washington, D.C.
Dear General Smith:
Your memorandum oflApril 171 1951,'con.cerning'the
IIC need for specific intelligence and counterintelligence
information, has been received and considered by the
Interdepartmental Intelligence Conference.
It will not be possible for the IIC agencies to
furnish to you on a regular basis information of a confidential
nature, or that developed from confidential sources, for use
in bartering with foreign intelligence and security organizations.
Where there is a specific problem or special circumstances
existing, we will, of course, be glad to consider any specific
requests or suggestions, and, where possible, information in
such cases will be made available for your use in this manner.
When the IIC or its Subcommittee is considering a
specific problem concerning the coordination V domestic
intelligence with foreign intelligence matters, you will,
of course, be invited to designate a representative to attend,
as contemplated in the IIC Charter. Generally, however, it is
felt that the appropriate media for the coordination of the
intelligence on Soviet-controlled espionage activities abroad
and the intelligence on such activities in this country exists
in the Intelligence Advisory Committee and in the close liaison
facilities which are maintained with CIA.
The IIC agencies desire to cooperate with you in any
manner possible in connection with the obtaining of this vital
information, which can for the most part only be obtained in the
foreign field. As previously indicated, it is most urgent Oi-dt
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this type of information be developed as its receipt could,
when considered in the light of domestic problems, possibly
be the means of averting serious Communist-controlled Fifth
Column or sabotage operations within our borders. It will be
appreciated if you will furnish at your earliest convenience
any studies or information which you may presently have in
connection with the type of information listed in the IIC
memorandum of February 28, 1951.
Sincerely yours,
/
Chat n
Interdepart ntal Int-'11igence Conference
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