HANDLING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE DOCUMENTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-00706R000200030015-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 30, 2003
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: November 24, 1948
• Content Type: MEMO

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Office Memorandum UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO : Assistant Director for Operations
FROM : Acting Chief, Foreign Documents Branch
SUBJECT: Handling of Foreign Language Documents
DATE: 24 November l948
1. Problem
To determine what procedures are necessary to e,:ffeot the most
efficient handling of foreign language documents in CIA.
Facts Bearing on the Problem
There must first be a clarification of the different types
a
,
of handling accorded to foreign language documents by CIA. There
are foreign language documents procured overtly and covertly. The
latter are, under present arrangements, the exclusive property of
OSO. However, FDB/OO does fit into the picture on these, in that
it performs translations of some of these documents upon the
specific request of OSO. When this is done the document and the
manuscript translation are both returned directly to OSO. No title
record or copy of these is maintained in FDB. What further dissemi-
nation such translations receive or the repository for such docu-
ments is not now known. Other SO documents receive a slightly
different handling. In this case the documents are forwarded to
ORE either on loan or for retention. ORE then may request FDB to
make translations of such documentsy anA ~
,.mss. The original document is then returned to ORE.
b. Secondly, there are what you may terra semi-overt documents
collected by Contacts Branch. These documents are, of course,
varied in nature and received erratically. Some of these are for-
warded to ORE for perusal. Others are forwarded to CIA Library
with-a covering report disseminated by Contacts Branch. Still
others are sent to FDB for translation. On completion of trans-
lation the original document and the translation are returned to
Contacts Branch for dissemination in report form.
o. Thirdly, we have overt foreign language documents which
because of present handling procedures will be discussed in two
groups, namely, those obtained through purchase, and those other-
wise obtained.
(1) Under present arrangements all requests for pur-
chase of documents must go through the CIA Library. Such
requests come from ORE, 00, OSO and OCD. OCD coordinates
the requests and endeavors to procure the item through the
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State Department (IAD), or by forwarding the request to
Services Branch for procurement in the United States.
Included in this are requests for purchase of individual
books of intelligence value or for reference use and sub-
soriptions to periodicals and newspapers.
(2) Overt foreign language documents not acquired
through purchase are received and handled in various ways.
It is believed the major portion of this material is re-
ceived directly by FDB on loan or for retention. This
material is received from all of the IAC agencies and
from a number of non-IAC agencies. FDB coordinates the
exploitation of this material to meet established intelli-
gence requirements. Other material of this type, such as
copies of enclosures to attache reports is received
directly by OCD/CIA Library. This material has received
a mixed handling. Some of it has been forwarded to ORE
for evaluation. Some has been placed in library files.
forwarded to FOB on short loan for return to CIA Library
and a few items have been forwarded to FOB on indefinite .
loan,
3. Discussion
a. Now, it is obvious that in the handling of all this foreign
language material linguists are needed in varying degrees. First,,
linguists are needed to record accurately the title, author, pub-
lisher and subject matter of the document. Secondly* linguists are
needed to screen or scan in order to determine the intelligence
value or to form an evaluation of the value of the document to
intelligence. Thirdly,i.linguists are needed to extract pertinent
and required information or to make translations of important
documents. The important fact, therefore, in the handling,of this
material, is that linguists are needed.
be It is perhaps trite to say that good linguists are far
from plentiful, but, nevertheless, it is a fact. It is important
then that a policy of conservation of linguist strength be
followed and that linguists be used in the most efficient manner.
There is a language factor which affects the degree of importance
to be attached to this matter. There are many people who can
handle a modicum of French or Spanish, and German and Italian to
a lesser degree. There is a relatively small number of people, on
the other hand, who can handle Slavic languages with any degree of
proficiency. Of these, a majority will only handle Russian.
There are still fewer who can handle the other European languages
and the Far Eastern languages, and it is a recognized fact
throughout the United States that the people who can handle with
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any proficiency whatsoever the Near Eastern or Middle Eastern
languages are extremely scarce. Thus, any measures to be adopted
for the conservation and efficient use of linguists must be
effected, for maximum efficacy, in a sliding scale program in
accordance with the general factors mentioned above. In the
application of this point to the present problem we must first
discount covert foreign language documents and corresponding
linguists strength as a special problem. If we work out the
application of the aforementioned sliding scale for linguists
to the other documents, we could then say that documents in
French, Spanish, German and Italian might be about as easily
handled by one office as another, for the procurement of lin-
guists who handle these languages would probably not seriously
endanger the needs of any other office*
o. However, for all other languages, 'because of the
scarcity of linguists, it becomes important that such linguists
be centrally employed as far as possible. Among the linguists
in this category there are at least three differing types of
ability which will determine their employment. First, there is
the linguists with aural ability who can hear and understand a
foreign language readily but does not read it with ease-, This
ability is obviously of maximum use to the FBIB. Secondly,
there is the linguist who has an extensive background and a
professional specialty, whose knowledge of the foreign language
is of secondary consideration and who can be best used as a con-
sultant, researcher or analyst in ORE. Thirdly, there is the
individual who has real linguistic visual ability in either one
or more foreign languages and English. This type of individual
is of utmost value to FDB9
d. Accordingly, aside from the linguists needed for the
work in OSO, it would seem highly inadvisable that any further
breakdown of linguist strength should be considered. Even at
this time, due to the scarcity of linguists, close cooperation
between FDB and ORE is required. It is believed that the same
is the case for FBIB and ORE. There are virtually no cases of
conflict on personnel between FBIB and FDB.
e. For the procurement of linguist personnel CIA must
compete with the Civil Service Commission and nearly all other
Federal agencies. Difficulties of procurement plus diffi-
culties in clearance impress, even more, the utmost need for
the efficient use of this type of personnel. How does this
then apply to the handling of foreign language material?
f. We have already discounted OSO material. Accordingly,
there remains so-termed semi-overt material and overt foreign
language publications. Inasmuch as FBIB does not handle docu-
mentary material they can then be excluded from further
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discussion. The remaining breakdown of linguits is between ORE
and FDB. However, as we indicated in Paragraph 2 above, CIA
Library handles several types of foreign language documents.
It is then obvious that the CIA Library will (1) require lin-
guists to process this and to handle it properly, or, (2) if
this is not done they will have to rely on linguist strength in
some other branch to do this work for them, or, (3) let it go
undone or not done properly. The latter course is, on the face
,
of it, out of the question. The second course is in large part
what CIA Library is endeavoring to do at the present time, If
the decision is that the CIA Library should handle the foreign
language material it receives properly then they must have quali-
fied linguists in a number of languages, If this is done it will
place CIA Library in competition primarily with FDB for linguist
personnel. This would run contrary to a program of linguist con-
servation.
g. Let us meanwhile consider the overall problems of hand-
ling foreign language material. Any does foreign language
material come to the Agency, to what use is it put and why
should it be retained if it is? Material in a foreign language,
classified or unclassified, is a source for the Agency of in-
formation which will go to make up intelligence. From it is
extracted the information needed for specific projects and basic
or current intelligence. It may be scanned by an analyst for
his own information, scanned by a document scanner for general
or specific intelligence value, extracted, abstracted, trans-
lated, or listed, filed and cross-indexed. If exploited, it may
therm be filed arohivally for possible future reference. If
partially exploited, it may be held for further exploitation in
the reasonably near future, filed archivally or otherwise dis-
posed of. 'Tf there isi no exploitation it may simply be listed,
filed and cross-indexed, For the first two steps, full exploi-
tation or partial exploitation, a document must normally be pro-
cessed by FDB. Of those documents not exploited, some presently
go to FDB, some to CIA Library. For these, there is at present
no central scanning control to determine (1) whether the document
should be retained by the Agency, or (2) whether the document
should be exploited to meet outstanding requirements. For
efficient handling of this type of material a control is
necessary. For this type of control, linguists are needed. If
the handling of foreign language material were viewed from this
standpoint it would seem that FDB, which at present exercises
this type of control over its own documents, would be most
capable of handling all of the documents,
h. However, there are some other factors to consider.
Let us take each type of foreign language document, other than
covert, that is presently being handled by CIA Library and see
what is involved. First, there are those documents sent to CIA
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Library with a covering report disseminated by Contacts Branch.
To disseminate the report covering the document Contacts Branch
must first either have obtained a translation from FDB, ~ j-
l4A n w:i.th tie document from the source, or a general idea of
the document from the source. In the first two cases no further
exploitation is necessary. In the third case, however, a more
accurate determination of the value of the information therein
may well be necessary, At the present time such a report calls
for the attention of an analyst. He must scan it if he can read
the language or request FDB to summarize or translate it for him.
This method has some advantage in that the particular information
contained in the document may not be required immediately and its
temporary mission is fulfilled by the covering report and by
filing. However, with the volume of material processed by the
analyst the report and the document may be overlooked either be-
cause the analyst feels ire has not time to read it, or cannot
read it. If it is filed for future reference the cross-indexing,
if not done by linguists, nay be done incorrectly and a piece o
valuable information lost perhaps forever. This points to at 1_.___
least accurate indexing of foreign language documents which must
be done by linguists.
I. Secondly, there is overt foreign language material re-
ceived by CIA Library from various sources other than through
purchase. This material definitely needs to be scanned so that
its intelligence value may be determined and such of it that has
value should at least be listed and indexed, if not exploited.
Such listing and scanning aside from its exploitation again re-
quires linguists plus a knowledge of intelligence requirements.
As FDB is performing such a service on large quantities of foreign
language material at the present time it seems only logical that
it should do so for this material. CIA Library has already indi
cated that it believes also that this type of material should go
to FDB and says it has taken steps to forward all such material
In the future to FDB on 'M}=4osn.
j. Thirdly? there are all the foreign language documents
acquired through purchase. At present all requests for pur-
chases of documents go through the CIA Library. This was estab-
lished with the aim of coordinating all such. requests and
avoiding duplication, so that, if the document was already
available in the Agency, needless purchases and expenditures
could be avoided, This phase of it is good. There are, how-
ever, two or three phases which are not adequately taken into
account. First, lacking linguists, the CIA Library cannot
adequately handle requests for material in a script other than
Roman. Further, it cannot accurately, therefore, determine
whether the transliteration, if provided by the requestor, is
accurate or not. Again it likewise cannot determine if the
translation in English is accurate or whether there may not be
two or three ways of correctly translating the title. Secondly,
ar fir
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coordination with FDB is erratic, failing to take into account
the vast volume of material held by FDB or available to it
through its various sources. Thirdly, upon procurement of the
actual material, lacking linguists again, the CIA. Library
cannot accurately determine if the material received is actually
that requested.
k. The CIA Library is.striving hard to do a good job with
this material and has asked and received much help from FDB and
OEE. However, for the job to be done properly, the CIA Library
should have linguists or the requests should be processed
through FDB. Further, if requests of this nature are processed
by CIA Library they should all be coordinated with FDB. This
A letes the three categories of documents in question which
P
are presently being handled by the CIA Library. On one category
there is mutual agreement that FDB should handle, The other two
categories are open to question at the present time. For each
category the need for linguists is the crucial point.
40 Conclusions
Tt is nnnnluded with reference to the problem that linguists
form a oruclai pu .n6. iu i um a~~~~~~..
ndling non-covert foreign language material could be adequately
h
a
a^laaA in nnA of the following waYS:
a. By providing the
material it receives is U& p
b, By splitting the pr
Library on a language ba
Spanish, could continue
Library with its presen
in the most widely Imown
ibrary with linguists so
ng of foreign language
operly.
X.cess between FDB and CIA
whereby that material written
.guages, such as French and
processed by the CIA
persnel while other foreign
language material wouldbe processed by FDB.
c. By having FDB p"c8wa all et foreign language
material for the CIA Library
d. By having
process all the foreign language
material as an inhen functions
0 K'
5. Recommendations
It is recommended in reference to the problem that the simplest
and most practicable solution is to have FDB process all non-covert
foreign language material for the Agency ?-iMhe '?nt function.
It is, therefore* requested that the attached draft agreement be
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approved and that concurrence be obtained from OCD and A&M.
Encl: Draft agreement
'011E]
ULM
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