RESTITUTION OF CAPTURED GERMAN DOCUMENTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-00706R000200010014-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 10, 2003
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: February 24, 1956
• Content Type: MEMO

F
Approved For Release 2004/01/15: CIA-RDP 0706R000200010014-1
Office Memorandum ? UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO : Acting Assistant Director for Operations
FROM : Chief, Foreign Documents Division
SUBJECT: Restitution of Captured German Documents
DATE: 224. February 1956
1. I attended a meeting at 1000 hours this date called by
Lt. Col. Scott-Smith, ACSI, in the Pentagon. Those attending in
addition to Lt. Col. Scott-Smith were of and Mr. Pomer-
anze of the AGO and of BR/OCR/CIA. 25X1
2. Mr. McCool speaking for the Adjutant General's Office
explained that they were concerned with an anticipated request
from the Germans in the near future for the restitution of the
German captured documents. In addition they were being pressed
vigorously by the American Committee for the Study of War
Documents, which is associated with the American Historical
Association, to tell them how many documents were going to be
reproduced prior to restitution and whether those documents being
returned without reproduction could be made available to the
Committee to reproduce prior to restitution.
3. Mr. McCool's staff had drawn up a preliminary restitution
schedule which shows that of the 20,000 feet of captured documents,
approximately 6,000 feet would be in prohibited categories not to
be returned, in accordance with established US policy, and of the
remaining 13,000 feet, 11,000 feet should, be microfilmed as of
interest or potential interest to the US Government.
a?. The crux of the problem is that they. would like to set up
a schedule to complete the microfilming in 6 years time. However,
this would, according to their estimates, call for an additional
13 clerks over and above their present T/O. Because CIA is the
primary user of these documents, they wish to determine whether
or not CIA would be willing to supplement their staff to the extent
of 13 clerks order to complete th crofilming within a 6 year
period.
In addition, CSI is interested in the possibility of
forming a joint ACSI-CIA team to perform a detailed screening of
the documents prior to microfilming, to determine their intelligence
value, their proper classification and whether they should be returned
or not. Such a team would have to be composed of linguists and
intelligence officers. Lt. Col. Scott-Smith suggested two from
ACSI and two from CIA.
Army Army review(s) completed.
Approved For Release 2004((1/15 :*CI 14RD(??1-00706R000200010014-1
 AT 1 E',
~
x ~~
1'CL31
Approved For Release 2004/01/15': CIA P$ - 0706R000200010014-1
6. Following the meeting I have reviewed the tentative
schedule with our people who know the documents well and have
come to the following conclusions:
a. That CIA's interests are well covered in the
6,000 plus feet of documents to be retained.
b. That CIA should be willing to concur generally
in the return of the remaining 13,000 feet without micro-
filming subject only to a prior fine screening of a few
groups of documents.
c. That as we do not anticipate a requirement for
microfilming of more than approximately 30 feet, instead
of 11,000 feet, no real microfilming problem exists.
d. That we should join with ACSI in reviewing at
least certain groups of documents prior to their restitution.
7. Recommendations:
a. That the conclusions in para 6 a-d be approved.
b. That I be authorized to inform Lt. Col. Scott-Smith
for the ACSI and Mr. McCool for the. AGO the CIA position as
approved above.
BAGNALL
Ct iPT 'n(~l i "AD /0 T)T RY W W mTTTTij. D_ Y, 1 March T (
25X1
Approved For Release 2004/01/15 : CIA-RDP81-00706R000200010014-1