VOL. II-POLITICAL AFFAIRS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81S00991R000100280001-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 12, 2000
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 29, 1963
• Content Type: REPORT

Cl
? Approved For Release 20004K/0 , sL aNLY R000100280001-2
500 - BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
PROGRAM .
510 GENERAL
The biographic information program is
designated to provide for the Department and
other Federal agencies comprehensive,
current and accurate information concerning
the background, capabilities and basic atti-
tudes of foreign nationals, official or private,
who directly or indidrecti; infl=vc ncc domestic
and international policy of tlic
Biographic intelligence, systematically
organized, is an important aid in reporting,
negotiation and representation activities.
Accordingly, reporting in this'field is an in-
tegral part of the activities of overseas posts.
By interagency agreement, biographic
records and "finished biographic intelligence"
(collated and evaluated reports) are the re-
sponsibility of various intelligence agencies
insofar as operations within the headquarters
organizations as distinct from field collection
and reporting are concerned. There is pro-
vision for a full interchange of the information
reported regardless of its origin.
The Foreign Service is responsible pri-
marily for reporting biographic information
on persons in political, cultural, economic,
scientific, technical and social fields. The
Department of Defense is primarily responsi-
ble for biographic information on military
leaders and on scientific, technical, and
economic personalities associated with activi-
ties of primary interest to the Department of
Defense. However, the Foreign Service should
report information on all classes of persons
as may be appropriate, depending especially
on the degree to which other agencies may or
may not be represented at the post.
one officer at each post should
be assigned responsibility for coQ. dinating the
biographic information program,! Neverthe -
less, all officers should submit reports, or
contribute information for use in reports and
furnish their impressions of foreign person-
alities of actual or potential influence.
. *and. the name of the officer so
assigned should be reported to the
Department.
(typewritten notations to C. Snider,
11\R/CS, for forwarding. to RD 1O 29'6?
5Z0 CATEGORIES OF PERSONS
The Department desires information on
persons, regardless of profession or occu-
pation, who are active in national or inter-
national developments or who are of poten-
tial significance, Listed below are some of
the categories of persons which biographic
reporting should cover:
a. Heads of state, members of their
familities and leading executive assistants.
b. The heads and most important sub-
ordinate officials of ministries or depart-
ments, especially Foreign Relations.
c. Justices of the high courts.
d. Governors and other high officials
in political dependencies.
e. Chief delegates to important inter-
national or regional conferences and
representatives of international organi-
zations.
f. Foreign chiefs of mission. New
reports should be prepared at the time
their transfers to other duties become
known.
g. Officers of the host country's
diplomatic and consular services.
h. Leaders and influential members
of political parties, movements and groups,
whether of a national character or composed
of refugees or emigres.
i. Presiding officers, heads of corn-
mittees and other influential members' of
the legislative bodies.
j. Labor leaders, including (1) the
elected or appointed officers of intcrr..ational
and national confederations, as well as the
officers of their affiliates; (2) key officers
of local unions; (3) trade union leaders
visiting the United States and other countries,
particularly if from the Soviet orbit; (4) labor
trainees participating in the United States
Information Agency training program; and
(5) trade union leaders in exile.
k. Influential members of business,
-finance and other groups active and import-
ant in economic affairs.
1. Influential newspaper, radio, tele-
vision and motion picture editors, owners
and operators.
M. Leading educators, including presi-
dents and outstanding faculty members of
universities, officers of national associa-
tions of teachers, professors, etc.
n. Leaders in the cultural fields, in-
cluding outstanding writers, artists,
musicians and officers of important organi-e
zations representing such groups. N
Approved For Release 2000/ci9/08iiRF848991 R0001 00280001-2
Slate Dept. declassification & release instructions on file
 Ap roved For Release 2000/09/01 ?lFA D 1eM91 R000100280001-2
VOL. 1.1 - POLITICAL AFFAIRS
a, Leaders and influential members of
scientific and technical organizations?
p. Leaders and influential member of
significant national or international frater?
nal and social organizations.
h. Immediate family.
i. Relatives (including in-laws) promi-
nent in national life.
J. Business affiliations.
k.' Membership in professional, social,
or fraternal societies and clubs.
1. Honors and decorations.
m. Civil or criminal records.
532. 2 Personal Data
a. Behavior in negotiation and tactics
most likely to succeed with subject.
b. Character and personal habits, in-
cluding weaknesses and points of strength.
c. Intelligence and particular talents.
d. Points of sensitivity and prejudices.
e. Appearance and physical character-
istics.
f. Mannerisms and idiosyncrasies.
g. Interests and hobbies.
530 SCOPE OF BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
531 General
Useful biographic information is far more
than curriculum vitae. It involves all data
which will permit better evaluation of the iin-
fluence and capabilities of the subjects. Of
first importance are the reporting officers'
observations and appraisals. The confidences
of reporting officers will be scrupulously
respected.
532 Type- of Data Desired
532. 1 Factual Data
The principal topics for inclusion in bio-
graphic data reports are listed below. Form
FS-438 (see section 552), can be used con-
veniently for fragmentary data in this sate-
gory. Officers are urged to include, when-
ever possible, indication as to how the per-
son being reported on pronounces his name.
The "Key to the Symbols Used in the Respell-
ing for Prounciation" which appears in
Webster's Dictionary may be helpful in this
connection, but officers may devise systems
of their own. (See Exhibit 552. )
a. Date and place of birth.
b. Race and religion.
c. Education and knowledge of foreign
languages,
d. Positions held, with dates (approxi-
mate, if exact information is not easily ob-
tainable).
C. Political and party affiliations.
f. Labor affiliations.
g. Service or travel in the United States
and other countries.
TL:POL-1
Approved For Release 2686
532. 3 Personal Analysis and Remarks of the
Reporting Officer
The reporting officer's personal analysis
and remarks are indispensable to the bio-
graphic information program. Consequently,
an evaluation of a person's character, views
and effectiveness (based on careful investi-
gation, personal interviews and objective ap-
praisal) is desired. In making such evaluations,
reporting officers should take the following
points into consideration:
a. Influence and reputation.
b. Social and economic status of family.
c. Attitude toward the United States and
other countries.
d. Activities in national and international.
affairs.
e. Connection with significant movements,
developments, ano personalities.
f. Views on significant issues, including
the influence of past and present factors,
events, and persons.
g. Estimates of future career and effective-
ness.
h. Executive and professional or technical
abilities,
532. 4 Special Data Regarding Personalities at
International Conferences and
In addition to the subjects listed in the pre-
ceding sections, reporting officers when possible
shall cover thq following points in reporting on
foreign delegates to l ternatipnal conferences
and organizations., '
'+ 00991 R0001 00280001 X1.1-62
 OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Approved For Release 2000/09&1 1iC1AP-dJ 8ABOLMi1R000100280001-2 532? 5
a, Ability, skill and effectiveness of foreign
conference officers and committee officials.
b. Positions, views and actions of individual
delegates which might indicate their indepen-
dence or divergence from official instructions
and general positions of their governments on
international and domestic issues.
c. Cooperation of individual delegates with
the representatives of the United States and
other countries.
532. 5 Photographs of Fo;:,.ngn Parsons (See
Section 942. 2)
Posts shall include photographs of the for-
eign persons covered in biographic information
reports whenever possible. A recent glossy-type
photograph is preferred; if none is available, a
newspaper or magazine picture may be: submitted.
Each post shall maintain a biographic
file which will serve as a focal point for the
information and for the contributions of all
officers at the post. These files shall be
separate from the central files. They shall
be located in one place and arranged
alphabetically by name and, optionally, also
in a category index file (see below). File
numbers are unnecessary and files need not
be arranged by years. The files may con-
sist of one or more of the following:
a. Dossier:
A depository for source material such
as post memoranda, documents, newspaper
clippings and "long form" (FS-405) reports.
Dossiers should be filed alphabetically, with
contents arranged chronologically. The most
recent Form FS-405 Biographic Report should
be attached to the side of the folders opposite
the source material. i
b. Information Card File:
Recording miscellaneous and fragmen-
tary information.
c. Category Index File
Classifying persons by occupation,
position, activity or title. Copies of infor-
mation cards (FS-438) may be used for the
category file. Posts which use category
files should consult the Department in order
to coordinate their index with that maintained
in Washington.
TL:POL-l FOREIGN AFFAIRS MANUAL
OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Approved For Release 2000/09/0-1 : 0991 R000100280001-2
 OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Approved For Release 2000/0M111 C VIEDBA ,0 9.9tR000100280001-2
550 REPORTING
551 General
551.1 Any approved means of communication,
formal or informal, except operations memo-
randa, may be used to report biographic infor-
mation. However, for the transmission solely
of such information (as distinct from broader
reports containing biographic data inter alia),
FS-405, Biographic Data Form, or FS-5k38,
Biographic Information Card, are preferred
551.2 Important data, no rite ;- now frag-
mentary, shall be submitted as received at a
post in whatever form is convenient rather than
held for incorporation in a complete and formal
report at a later date.
551.3 Operations memoranda, subject:
BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION, shall be used
to report and discuss the administration of the
program at a post, the setting up of files, and
other matters concerning the reporting of bio-
graphic information. Operations memoranda
shall not be used for the transmission of bio-
graphic.information itself.
55Z Forms
a. Fragmentary and miscellaneous bio-
graphic information or changes in earlier
data submitted shall ordinarily be submitted
on Form FS-438, Biographic Information
Card. (See sample form below) Two copies
shall be sent to the Department marked for
INR/CS/DR and one or more copies shall be
retained for the post biographic files.
Copies should be forwarded to other posts
as appropriate. Consular posts should send
a copy to the supervisory mission.
b. Form FS-405, the Biographic Data
Form, generally shall be used by Foreign
Service posts to transmit more lengthy bio-
graphic information. Plain sheets may be
used for the continuation of remarks.
c. Form FS-405 shall be submitted to the
Department in triplicate with a fourth copy
retained for the post biographic files, and
copies sent to other posts as appropriate.
Consular posts should send a copy to the
supervisory mission.
EXAMPLE OF FORM FS?-438, BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION CARD
SHOWING TYPICAL ENTRIES
SUMITRO DJOJOIiADIKUSUMO (pronounced:
hah-dee-coo-sue-moe)
Minister of Finance, resigned March 1956. is now
Minister of Trade in the Revolutionary Government estab-
lished in Sumatra on February X195 8.
('c) Exhibit
purposes Size of Cardr
only Source 4x6 inches
FOREIGN AFFAIRS MANUAL
TL:1'OL-1
Approved For Release 20001091A17F-'!''RvraV'Xe
0991 R000100280001-2
 OFFICIAL USE ONLY 553
Approved For Release 2000/00&1 i J OO991rR00010028nnn1
TL:POL-1 FOREIGN AFFAIRS MANUAL
O~' CAL USE ONLY
Approved For Release 2000/09/01: 91 R000100280001-2
One copy of each of the following publica-
tions shall regularly be procured by the post
and forwarded to the Department by trans-
mittal slip (Form DS-4) marked "Attention:
INR/CS/BR".
553 Submission of Published Biographic 554 Transfer of riles on Foreign Diplomats
Materials (See also Section 52Z)
Who's Who publications.
Foreign office lists.
Diplomatic and consular service lists.
Government direc:{:::.?ies and registers.
Other publication, _ad n-iscclianeous
printed material (e. g. Clippings)
which the responsible officer considers are
relevant and contain valuable biographic
information.
In the event it is necessary to puvchasc
particular biographic publications the cost of
such items shall be charged to the allotment
for post operating expenses.
When a foreign diplomat is moved from one
country to another, the post in the country from
which he has departed shall forward the bio-
graphic material which has been collected con-
cerning him to the appropriate post.
5-1-62