LETTER OF INSTRUCTION - PART I

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00586R000300160004-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 21, 2013
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: October 16, 1958
• Content Type: MEMO

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OFFICIAL USE ONLY
16 October 1958
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, FBIS Field Bureaus
FROM Chief, IBIS
SUBJECT Letter of Instruction - Part I
GETERAL
1. Supplement to Daily Report:
16 September - World Radio and Press Reaction to President Eisenhower's
Speech of September 11.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
1. London and Mediterranean Bureaus
a. The terms "Sudan" and "Lebanon" should be used and not "The Sudan"
and "The Lebanon."
b. There is a wide general interest in all statements by religious
leaders in the Soviet Union, and especially by Moslem spokesmen. Whenever
circumstances permit such statements should be texted.
2. Far East Bureaus
a. The Bureaus' coverage of the crisis in the Taiwan Strait has generally
been excellent, particularly during the early days of the month when they performed
with exemplary efficiency in covering the fast-moving events and in achieving
interbureau coordination. The numerous FYI's greatly facilitated wire service,
and roundups of comment related to the developments enabled the Daily Report to
reflect the full scope of Peking's propaganda beamed to domestic and external
audiences.
In a crisis of this sort, the Daily Report has a twofold objective:
one, to provide the intelligence community promptly with the major pronouncements
disetminated by the radio; and two, to publish an adequate sample of collateral
comment having a direct bearing on the political actions or currents which dominate
the news.
Adequate coverage must be given to Peking's comment on such a major
event as, for example, President Eisenhower's exchanges with Khrushchev on the
Taiwan issue. At the same time, however, such reportage must be balanced by
coverage of somewhat less dramatic events which may also have a direct bearing
cn the crisis: expressions of foreign support; calls for civilian or military
nbilization; military activities; formation of militia units; production appeals
linked to the crisis; completion of rail lines; and other reports of activities
OFFICIAL USE ONLY
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perhaps presaging possible courses of action by the country concerned. Our
ability to retain the proper perspective so essential for a true assessment of
events depends to a large degree on the editors' intelligent initiative and
imagination, on their ability to recognize the needs of consumers, and to perform
accordingly. Far East personnel in the past month have been markedly successful
and are to be cc:emended for their conscientious, professional work, accomplished
despite numerous critical developments, inordinate work loads, and staffing pro-
blems.
b. In order to minimize the possibility of confusion among sane readers
of the Daily Report, bureaus should insure a consistent style of translating
"hsien" as county and 'hsiang" as township, conforming to the general NCNA
English rendering of these terms.
3. Saigon Bureau
a. The Bureau's press scrutiny file continues to be well edited, fairly
current, and of about the right volume, but there seems to have been a gradual
shift of emphasis in the past few months in the direction of very heavy exploi-
tation of certain publications and a correspondingly light treatment of others.
While NEAR DAN and HOC TAP continue to be well represented, it is noted that the
number of items filed iron the army weekly QUAN DOI NEAR DAN has doubled since
a year ago, while the number filed from the daily THOI MOI has fallen to perhtAps
a third of the former figure. Recently there have been no items from the Catholic
CHINH NGHIA.
While it is recognized that local commitments and the difficulties
involved in procuring certain newspapers, as well as the nature of the news itself,
necessarily play a part in determining .the nature of the Bureau's scrutiny file,
there is a need for more material frail acme of the publications mentioned, and
fram others -- such as LAO DONG and CUU QUOC -- which speak for particular seg-
ments of DRV society. It is not suggested that the Bureau should increase the
total volume of its scrutiny file; it is assumed that in a more balanced selection
an increase in the file frcm one source would be counterbalanced by a reduction
in the file of material from others, including QUAN DOI and NHAN DAN.
FIELD SUPPORT OF THE RADIO PROPAGANDA BRANCH
1. 'Special roundups and FYIs fram the Okinawa, Tokyo and West Coast Bureaus
contributed materially to the daily analyses of bloc propaganda on the Taiwan
crisis disseminated on the FBIE Wire. An Austrian Bureau study of satellite news-
paper comment on the crisis formed the basis for a Radio Propaganda Report on
satellite statements of support for Communist China. STAT
2. All Bureaus are reminded of a requirement for prcmpt reportage when any
Moseow and Peking programs are dropped from commentary lists. This includes pro-
headquarters should have been informed prcmptly of the droppi4:211Moscov Persian
grams dropped temporarily during a monitor's illness or vacation or example,
language programs during the monitor's two-week leave.
OFFICIAL USE ONLY
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16 Octdbelfe958
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chiefs, IBIS Field Bureaus
FROM : Chief, IBIS
SUBJECT : Letter of Instruction - Part II
GENERAL
1. During September, requests for IBIS Wire Service were received from
OSI, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Department of Defense, and the Executive
Secretariat, Department of State. Service will be initiated in the near future.
2. Other special services rendered by IBIS:
At the request of the Consulate General at Geneva, Bern was added as
wire recipient for material sent to Geneva to service the U.S. representative
at the meetings with the Chinese Communist representative in Warsaw. A copy of
the file, which averaged 1000 words daily, was also requested by the Department
of State for possible incorporation in departmental instructions and background
information sent daily to the U.S. representative in Warsaw.
3. Radio Propaganda Reports:
a. "Satellite Statements of Support for the CPR in the Taiwan Strait
Crisis," incorporating research done at the Austrian Bureau.
b. "Soviet Propaganda Hints at Nuclear Tests During Northern Fleet
Maneuvers," updating and expanding data reported in three analysis
items on the Wire.
4. Special propaganda analysis services:
a. Twenty-four analyses of bloc propaganda on the Taiwan Strait crisis
were disseminated on the IBIS Wire as part of the continuing service. Report No.
43 on the crisis was issued on 30 September. The Chief, China Branch, State
Department OIRA/DRF indicated that FBIS' Wire analyses are being used as the main
basis for cabled reviews of bloc propaganda for Ambassador Beam in Warsaw.
Expressions of appreciation for this service have been received from the Chief,
National Indications Center, the Deputy Assistant Director for Current Intelligence,
Operations Coordination Board and State Department OIRA/DRF.
b. A chronology of events relating to the Taiwan Strait situation, as
broadcast by Soviet and Chinese Communist radios, was prepared at the request of
State Department OIRA/DES for the Secretary of State.
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c. In addition to the 24 reports on the Taiwan Strait crisis, propa-
ganda-analysis items on the Wire discussed:
(1) Background on the Soviet announcement of Northern Fleet
maneuvers, together with a review of Moscow comment on the impending NATO
maneuvers;
(2) Radio Moscow's reiteration, the day after the Northern Fleet
maneuvers announcement, of Khrushchev's statement that the USSR considered
itself relieved of its obligation to suspend nuclear testing;
(3) Moscow anent on the Northern Fleet maneuvers, hinting at
resumed Soviet nuclear testing;
(4) Harsher criticism of President Eisenhower in Soviet caament
following Kbrushchev's 19 September letter to the President.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
1. General
a. It must again be pointed out that editors are not fully availing
themselves of the latitude extended to them by the Editorial Handbook to revise
noncritical material intercepted in the English language. Within the limitations
prescribed in the Handbook, failure to smooth out faulty, unidiomatic English
in the field inevitably poses a difficult time-consuming problem in headquarters
in the preparation of copy for the Wire and Daily Report. In many cases, the
need for headquarters wire and report personnel to work independently with sub-
standard copy means that wire and book consumers will eventually be presented
with alternative versions of the same item. Most appropriately, all questions
concerning the adequacy of the original rendering of items should be resolved in
the field, where editors have the opportunity to consult with monitors and cross-
check with other transmissions, possibly in other languages, to establish the
permissible limits of the changes that can be made.
b. Speeches of sufficient importance to merit preliminary FYI's or
editorial reports almost without exception merit textual filing with priority
precedence. Consumers alerted to the existence of such important items invariably
anticipate that the text will be forthcoming without much delay. Failure to
provide such texts within a reasonable time elicits repeated inquiries of the
wire. In same cases, the expanded versions are distributed by local press services
before the texts are available fram our own sources, even though the initial FYI
was filed substantially in advance of the first local press report.
c. It would be extremely useful if editors would clearly label as such,
expansions of items which have been sent previously so as to prevent undesirable
duplication in cases where Daily Report editors do not handle the same sections
from day to day. Occasionally expanded versirns of important items published
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previously merit republication; just as frequently the longer versions are
prepared for specific consumers, including the BBC, and do not contain sufficient
new material to warrant republication.
d. All those bureaus preparing daily roundups should make an effort to
keep their reviews in perspective by highlighting the major themes or developments
and giving less emphasis to secondary items. On occasion, the single most
important ccmmentary is relegated to a subordinate position in favor of several
others containing "juicy quotes", but which emanate from a relatively unimportant
unauthoritative source.
2. East and West Coast Bureaus
a. While the use of FYI's to alert the wire and Projects Staff is
to be encouraged, editors handling Latin American copy should remember that such
FYI's cannot be readily processed for Daily Report use when they concern materials
intercepted from broadcasts of more than one country. There is considerable con-
sumer interest in Latin American coverage of major American pronouncements, such
as a speech by President Eisenhower, even when the coverage consists merely of
the broadcast of summaries or excerpts of the pronouncements without independent
comment. The bureaus should increase the number of their FYI's reporting the
scope and volume of such coverage, camposed in such a manner that they can readily
be incorporated in the appropriate country segments of the Daily Report.
3. West Coast Bureau
a. On several recent occasions, newsbreaks of major significance have
been filed as briefs. Three specific cases in point were Japanese Foreim
Minister FUjiyama's press conference on the Taiwan Strait crisis (CENTRAL NEWS,
Aug. 29); Ftjiyama's statement to the Diet on the same issue (CENTRAL NEWS, Aug.
29); and Prime Minister Kishi's invitation to President Nasir to visit Japan
(PANASIA, Sept 3). Editors are referred in this connection to the September 1957
Letter of Instruction, which states that "by virtue of its rapid communications
facilities ( the West Coast Bureau) often provides the first report of significant
nevabreaka affecting Asian areas. It should not be taken for granted, therefore,
that important items originating in Asian areas covered by other bureaus have
already been received in Washington and necessitate only cursory treatment at WCB."
b. In items dealing with Japan, care should be taken to render names in
the Western order, with the surname coming last -- thus, Hisanari Yamada, not
Yamada HiFanari.
ADMINISTRATION
1. Personnel are reminded that hospitalization as a result of injury in line
of duty is not payable by GERA Insurance. All accidents should therefore be immediately
reported on Form CA 1 and LA k to insure elegibility for Government compensation.
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2. Bureaus are again requested to inform headquarters of all shipments of
household effects, surface freight, air freight and autamobile immediately upon
shipment. Since such messages are used by the Transportation Division and
the U.S. Despatch Agent in clearing shipments through customs, it is also
necessary that each message contain the employee's name, dnte of shipment,
method of shipment, name of ship, weight, measurement, estimated time of arrival,
and complete consignee address. Nonreceipt of advance shipping information
results in delay and inconvenience for the traveler.
3. The Chief and Chief Engineer, FBIS left on 28 September for Panama
on an inspection visit to the Panama Post.
4, The Chief, Administrative Staff, left on 27 September for a tour to
include all field bureaus.
5. The following FBIS regulatory issuances were released during the
month of August:
PERSONNEL CHANGES
1. New Employees in FBIS
Name
2. Reassignments
Name
Assignment
Cruising Monitor
ECB
Editor
WCB
Editor
Ed. Br.
Analyst
RPB
Analyst
RPB
Clerk-typist
Ed. Br.
Librarian
Ed. Br.
Pr=
Editor, ECB
To
Editor, Ed. Br.
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Reassignments Cont'd
Name Fran
3. Transfers from FBIS
Name
4. Separations
Name
To
Editor Editor
Ed. Br. ECB
Chief, W.E., L.A. &
N.E. Sec., Ed. Br.
Senior Editor
Ed. Br.
Deputy Chief
London Bureau
Senior Editor
London Bureau
Senior Editor RPB
London Bureau
Editor Chief Monitor
Ed. Br. Hokkaido Bureau
Elec. Spec. Elec. Spec.
MedBureau Okinawa Bureau
Admin. Asst.
Tokyo Bureau
Admin. Asst.
ECB
Teletypist Teletypist
Ed. Br. WCB
Fran
Teletypist
WCB
From
Analyst
RFS
Monitor
WCB
Teletypist
WCB
Clerk Typist
Ed. Br.
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