PSYCHOLOGICAL STRATEGY BOARD (PSB)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01731R003300130031-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 17, 2005
• Sequence Number: 31
• Publication Date: May 23, 1951
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Rely 2005/06/09: CIA-RDP80R01731 R00001300 -
S-E-C-R-E-T
DRAFT
23 May 1951
SUBJECT: Psychological Strategy Board (PSB)
1. Attached are two sets of papers which have been
prepared interdepartmentally and approved for presentation
to the Psychological Strategy Board (PSB) by the principal
advisers to the members of that Board.
2. It is our recommendation that you authorize the
distribution of these papers to the members of the PSB and
that you call the first meeting of the Board in the immediate
future.
3. It is suggested that the agenda for the first meet-
ing of the Board should be as follows:
a. To note the proposed functions and organization
of the Staff (TAB A, 1-5),
b. To discuss the relationship of the Psychological
Strategy Board to the National Security Council, and
c. To consider future business of the Board (TAB B).
ALLEN W. DULLES
Deputy Director, Plans
Central Intelligence Agency
NSC review(s) completed.
S-E-C-R-E-T
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP80RO1 731 R003300130031-2
 Approved For Relc 2005/06/09: CIA-RDP80R01731R00'1031-2
S-E-C-R-E-T
FUNCTIONS AND ORGANIZATION
1. It should be noted that only the first three papers appear-
ing as "TAB A" have been agreed to by the representatives of all
the agencies concerned. The agreed papers are:
a. TAB A-1, The Functions of the Director and Staff
b. TAB A-2, Interim Procedure - Phase I
c. TAB A-3, Proposed Organization - Phase II
2. TAB A-4, Possible Organization - Phase III, is an indication
of how some people believe the Staff might in time develop. This
outline envisages no new functions as such but is based on a much
broader interpretation of the agreed functions. While agreeing that
"the Board shall utilize to the maximum extent the facilities and
resources of the participating departments and agencies," the group
disagreed on what constituted the "maximum extent." Under one view
the PSB and its Staff would emphasize the function of coordination
among existing agencies. Under another view the PSB and its Staff
would itself systematically plan and direct the psychological strategy
of the Cold War. This involves a much larger independent planning
role and much more contact with the detailed operations of the agencies
than could be unanimously endorsed by the representatives. The group
agreed, however, that no action is immediately required with regard
to this problem. After the Director has been appointed, he should
consider the proposal in TAB A-4 together with such divergent views
as may arise and formulate the issue for the decision of the Board.
3. TAB A-5, Concept of Organization, is likewise not endorsed
by all the representatives. Like the Phase III organization chart,
with which it belongs, this paper is included for information and
because it sets forth the views of one of our number, General
Magruder. Rather than try to reach agreement on a philosophic paper
of this kind at the present time, it is suggested that it be referred
to the new Director and his Staff for discussion along with divergent
views on this subject at some future date.
S-E-C-R-E-T
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP80R01731R003300130031-2
 I S-E-C-R-E-T
Approved For JRNeCT NS OF/T DIRECTORPABNODR ST F 800 00130031-2
In order to give effect to the terms of the President's
Directive of April 4, 1951, the responsibilities of the Director
and the functions of the Staff, subject to the Board, should be:
a, to encourage the responsible agencies to produce
ideas in support of psychological operations;*
b. as necessary, to coordinate, expedite, and ensure
the expansion of the planning and implementing of psychological
policies and programs;
c. to initiate and formulate proposals, including pro-
posals for national psychological strategy, which would be
referred as appropriate to the Board or directly to the responsi-
ble operating departments or agencies for development and
execution;
d. to make a broad evaluation of current and proposed
operations in the light of national plans and to suggest
additional measures, changes in emphasis, and improvements in
execution;
e. to assure that in the determination, pronouncement
and implementation of political, economic and military policies,
adequate attention is given to their psychological effects and
to existing psychological programs;
f. to assure that the programs of psychological operat-
ing agencies will be furthered by U. S. Government official
pronouncements;
g. to encourage, receive, and review proposals and research
bearing on psychological operations from private and official
sources outside the operating departments and agencies and to
make these available as appropriate to such agencies;
h. to provide secretariat services, including:
(1) preparation of reports as directed by the Board;
(2) organization of the business of the Board and
expedition of decisions;
(3) promulgation of the decisions of the Board#
i. to assemble such intelligence and such policy and
operational information as necessary for the performance of
the above functions;
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP80R01731R003300130031-2
 Approved For Rel 2005/04A -C- P80R01731R00001 30031-2
J. to examine continually the functions of the Board
and staff in order to ensure that the facilities and resources
of the participating departments and agencies are utilized to
the maximum extent.
See definition in President's directive, which excludes
only overt economic warfare.
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 ?CIA-RDP80R01731R003300130031-2
 Approved For Rele1 2005/0"DP80RO1731R00 00130031-2
INTERIM PROCEDURE - PHASE I
In order to move ahead with the organization of the PSB three
meetings have been held with the representatives of the participating
agencies:
Mr. Dulles, CIA
General Magruder, Defense
Admiral Stevens, JCS
Mr. Barrett, State (or his representative)
This group with the help of staff assistants in each agency has
developed the set of papers of which this is a part,
This group is prepared to continue to sit and will deal with
any further preparatory measures that may be necessary pending the
appointment of a Director and his arrival on duty.
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP80R01731R003300130031-2
 Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP80R01731R003300130031-2
S E-C-R E-T PRO D ORG-ANIZATZON - SE n
SUCR ARIAT
and
ADMTIISTRATTVE
OPERATIONAL
COORDINATION
PROGRAM &
BVACZEATION
NOTE: (1) It is expected that each member of the Board will desi&aate a deputy tae respeesibilities
include all matters over which the Board itself has cognizance. In the absence of the three principal Board
members at any meeting,, the Director will act as chairmen. The Board may solicit the advice of non-
govern-mental consultants as required.
(2) No attempt has been made to specify which unit or units would perform each of the Staff functions
listed on the preceding page. In view of the small size of the proposed Staff this should be left to the
Director who will allocate them in accordance with the individual qualifications of his assistants. In per-
forming these functions, havever, the Staff will utilize to the maximiua extent the facilities and resources
of the participating departments and agencies.
TAB A-3
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP80R01731R003300130031-2
 Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP80R01731R003300130031-2
S B-C-R:E-T - POSSIBLE ( GAN~'LATY - PHASE III
BOARD I
Secretariat
and
administrative
Coordinators ?'
Regional &
Functional
Speech Co-
ordinator
DIRECTOR
Plans & Programs
Manageaa'nt
Current
I war
Strategy OEM
Director
Board Designees
Full and/or part time conaultauts
Division Chief's and Operational
Coordinators
Intelligence & Evaluation
Intelligence
Evaluation
Ideological is,
Ideology & Doctrine
Fron the Government or private ZSfe,.
MQaxim = use to be made of regional and functional specialists available in the operating
departments and agencies.
TAB A-4
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP80R01731R003300130031-2
 Approved For Rele6 2005/09/(9 AAegP8OR01731 R0033001
PROBLEMS FOR CONSIDERATION
1. The attached list contains substantive problems
which it is suggested the Board should consider. Although
work is already going forward to some extent on all these
items, the amount of progress varies considerably. It is
recommended that the Board select the most important and
urgent ones and direct their staffs to expedite the pre-
paration of papers for PSB consideration.
S-E-C-R-E-T
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP80RO1731R003300130031-2
 Approved For Rele 2005 -T:DP80R01731R00 33 00130031-2
I. Substantive Problems
25X1
II. Long-Term Projects (sec Annex to TAB B)
1. Psychological strategy in the Cold War
2. Campaign to improve the personnel situation in
psychological operations
3. Survey of policy planning and research in the field
of psychological operations
t+. Survey of activities evaluating the effectiveness
of psychological operations
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 CIA-RDP80R01731 R003300130031-2
 Approved For Rel6owe 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP80R01731R00 00130031-2
S -E -C -R-E -T
III. Administrative
1. National psychological warfare and special operations
personnel control and allocation
2. Measures to refine operational psychological warfare
techniques
3. Cover and deception in current national psychological
warfare toward USSR
25X1
-3-
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP80R01731R003300130031-2
 Approved For Rel 2005/06/09: CIA RDP80R01731R00M00130031-2
S-E-C-R-E-
SUGGESTED INITIAL PROJECTS FOR PSB
I, Psychological Strategy in the cold war
Many individuals working in the field of psychological operations
in the cold war have felt the absence of a "grand-strategy" -- a set of
objectives toward the attainment of which all efforts can be directed.
One cannot be so sanguine as to hope that such a strategy can be clearly
outlined by any one agency or in a short period of time. Furthermore, it
is a matter which clearly goes far beyond the competence of psychological
operations specialists. These difficulties, however, do not excuse
psychological operations planners from making what contribution they can
toward the grand strategy, and the establishment of a Psychological
Strategy Board gives them a better opportunity of doing so than they have
had heretofore, It is believed, therefore, that one of the first tasks
of the new board should be to set in motion a major effort to formulate
a broad, worldwide psychological strategy for the cold war.
A suggested procedure for accomplishing this is as follows:
1, Appointment of a working group composed of the nation's very
best brains in the field of psychological operations and making
provision to see that they have facilities for concentrated
work.
some such membership as the following is suggested. Since it
is not possible to be sure that the individuals named will be
able to serve, this list represents more the type of composition
recommended, rather than the actual composition.
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP80R01731R003300130031-2
 Approved For ReldhWO 2005/0&&:C A
P80R01731R00 00130031-2
Mr. Alfred Loomis, Chairman
Dr.
Hans Speier
Dr. Philip Mosley
Mr.
C. D. Jackson
Admiral Stevens
Mr.
George Kennan
General Magruder
Mr. Wallace Carroll
General McClure
Dr. Bernard Brodie -
Mr. Edward. Barrett
Mr. Wisner
Mr. Paul Nitze
General Donovan
Mr. Joseph Phillips
2. A working place outside Washington should be designated for
meetings. It has been noted in previous similar cases that it
is much simpler to enable top quality men to work on problems of
this sort personally (rather than delegating them to subordinates)
if they can be insulated from the pressure of routine duties.
This insulation procedure is commonly adopted by such agencies
as Brookings and RAND with a considerable measure of success.
3. The group should be asked to work on such very broad problems
as the following:
a. What psychological and other measures can be taken to
restrain Soviet aggression?
b. What psychological and other measures can be taken to
strengthen our allies and potential allies?
c. How may the best statement of U. S. ideology be arrived
at?
d. How can our cold war aims be defined?
4. The temporary staff of the PSB should be asked to take the
following measures in preparation for this working group:
a. Make necessary arrangements for meeting place, secretarial
help, security, etc.
Approved For Release 2005/06/09-231A-RDP80R01731 R003300130031-2
 Approved For Rele 2005/06/09: CIA-RDP80R01731R0000130031-2
S -E -C -R-E -T
b. Prepare briefing papers. (For example, an analysis of
NSC papers and Presidential statements having a bearing
on psychological operations.)
c. Arrange for oral briefings by governmental experts, as
needed.
5. The full group should be asked to meet for a three or four
day period at the beginning of the summer and for a three or
four day period toward the end of the summer. In between the
two full meetings sub-groups should be asked to work on
specific phases of the overall problem.
6. It should be emphasized that this is not to be viewed as an
effort to work out a national policy binding on all agencies.
It is rather an attempt to answer two questions:
a. From the point of view of psychological operations, what
should our national policy be?
b. How may existing national policy be exploited more
effectively through psychological operations?
II. A Long-Term Campaign to Improve the Personnel Situation in
Psychological Operations
This campaign might be divided'into two parts: (1) an effort to
improve and coordinate training programs, and (2) an effort to induce
superior personnel who already have the available qualifications to
enter government service in the field of psychological operations. A
considerable amount of basic work on the first part has already been
accomplished, but coordination is still lacking. An approach to the
second part might be as follows:
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 ~-CitA-RDP80R01731R003300130031-2
 Approved For Releet 2005'DP80R01731 R003300130031-2
(1) Ascertain through interviews with leading experts outside
the government what their principal objections to entering
government service are.
(2) Work out, with all agencies affected, a long-term publicity
program designed to attract first-rate personnel.
(3) Approach key members of Congress with a view to obtaining
their support in this campaign.
III. Policy Planning and Research Survey
This survey, which would be undertaken primarily by the temporary
PSB with outside advice solicited as needed, should attempt to answer
the following questions:
1. What policy planning for the cold war and hot war in the
field of psychological operations is currently going on?
2. What basic research for psychological operations in the cold
war and hot war is currently going on?
3. What additional planning and research is needed, and what
agencies should undertake it?
IV. Survey of Evaluation Activities
This survey should be undertaken along the same lines as the
PCB: with
5121/51
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP80R01731R003300130031-2