LETTER OF INFORMATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00586R000300220007-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 27, 2013
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: June 22, 1961
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/27: CIA-RDP83-00586R000300220007-0
S-E-C-R-E-T
22 June 1961
MFMDEARD114 FOR: Bureau Chiefs
FROM : Chief, IBIS
SUBJECT : Letter of Information
GEHEIAL
1. The Twelfth Meeting of the FICS-MC Monitoring Service Coordination
Committee was held on Thursday, 18 May 1961, it Headquarters. Present were:
Assistant Director for Operations (in the chair); Head 50X1
of Monitoring Service, BBC; Deputy Assistant Director for Operations; and
Chief, FBIS. The agenda included Chinese Regional Monitoring, Russian Regional
Monitoring, African Monitoring, Latin American Monitoring, IIMIS Requirements,
American visits to the BBC Monitoring Service, Kyrenia - Cavershms Coverage
Coordination, Dissemination of USSR Regional Material, and Installation of a
Lift at Caversham. 50X1
2. The following actions were taken to insure adequate coverage in
connection with the assassination of Dominican Dictator Trujillo, and to
follow political developments in the Republic:
(a) The West Coast Bureau was directed to provide fullest
possible coverage of Dominican radios between midnight and WOO.
(b) The East Coast Bureau was instructed to provide fullest
possible coverage at all other times.
(c) A Headquarters cruising monitor assisted the East Coast
Bureau in its efforts to locate Dominican transmissions.
3. FBIS support for the U.S. delegation to the Geneva conference on
Laos continued, with texts of key monitored items and roundups supplied from
the bureaus and RPB analyses of bloc propaganda forwarded by classified cable.
Thirty-one such analyses have been prepared to date, and a nuMber of requests
from the Agency representative on the delegation were filled in the field and
by RPB.
4. African Bureau
a. Actual signing of the construction contract has been delayed
until final from
plans are available Foreign Buildings Officer and from
the Axchitectual Engineering firm, and until arrangements for electric power
connections to the station are resolved. However, a letter of intent has been
given the contractor and construction is proceeding satisfactorily.
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information
b. Masonry work is up to the roof level on two of four houses being
built for lease by the Bureau. Although delay of approval of water connections
to the other two houses has held up work, problems are now resolved and work
should begin promptly on excavation for foundations and construction of
building blocks.
c. The bureau lost the services of its Cruising Monitor, When the
latter had to be discharged. Training of the two foreign language monitors
continues. The second monthly production report indicated a daily average
of 200 words of publishable wordage filed during May.
5. Puerto Rico Survey
a. Superb support arranged through the Department of Defense for
the FBIS Puerto Rico survey team provided almost all needed tech-
nical equipment and test facilities, resulting in a minimal shipment
of material from the Headquarters area. Logistic support for the
team during the survey was provided by the Signal Engineering
Agency (SEA) and the Strategic Army Ccumunications (STARCOM)
facility at Ft. Allen and at Salinas, both near the south central
coast of Puerto Rico. Special test antennas were set up for the
team by SEA, who also provided workspace. Through STARCOM, heli-
copter and light plane coverage at low altitude was provided the
team, greatly reducing time required for reconnaissance for sites.
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b. The survey team concluded its work and returned borrowed
equipment by the end of the month. Asst. Chief 50X1
ineer. ECB, departed from Puerto Rico on lb May.
Deputy Chief, Field Operations Staff, and 50X1
Cruising Monitor, departed from the test site on 28 May.
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c. Although test results have yet to be evaluated, tentative 50X1
evaluation indicates that such a station could provide good
.coverage of Brazil, Venezuela, ColoMbia, the Guianas, and the
Caribbean islands (excluding Cuba); fairly good coverage of
Peru; fair coverage of Ecuador; poor coverage (but improved
over present FBIS capability) of Argentina and Chile; and poor
but adequate coverage of Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay, Cuba,
Mexico or Central America. A test survey report, integrating
reception observations conducted at the Panama Post in March
1961, will be prepared and submitted in June.
d. One factor revealed during the survey, which may affect
midafternoon reception of certain target transmitters, is an
electrostatic cloud discharge noise. It is most prevalent
during the period of May through September. Its effect on
reception of FBIS target transmitters will be evaluated.
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/27: CIA-RDP83-00586R000300220007-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/27: CIA-RDP83-00586R000300220007-0
SUBJECT: Letter of Information
e. Between 28 and 31 May the survey team visited St. Croix,
Virgin Islands to determine the feasibility of the area as a site
for an PETS monitoring station. Although there would be logistic
support problems to resolve, the area has s le features,
which will be covered in the survey report.
6. A review of the history of a pro-French clandestine radio broadcast
"The Algerian Renaissance Movement Radio" from 1957 to the present was map
in response to amemorandum from Department of State.
7. During the month 86 percent of Daily Report pages were devoted to
broadcast material and 14 percent to press scrutiny.
8. Of 246 items included in the Current Intelligence Digest during
May, 79 (32.1 percent) were based Wholly or in part on FBIS monitoring.
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9. Without any apparent prior coordination, either locally or at higher
commands, the Amy Broadcast and Visual Activities an Okinawa revealed ad- 50X1
vanced plans for the construction at Machinato of two 20 kilowatt transmitters,
beamed to Seoul, Korea, to transmit directly over Bolo Point, using frequencies
on or very near the Bureau's targets. Protest actions were immediately initiated
brtbe Bureau locally, and by headquarters through
to CINCPAC and to the Director for Intelligence, Joint Staff. Relocation 50X1
of the AMA facility and selection of frequencies which would not ems
ference with IBIS and other receiving activities have been requested. 50X1
10. Your allocated STAR= circuits between Headquarters and the London
Bureau, and two between Headquarters and the Tokyo Darwinism rerouted from
the Pentagon through the new STARDOM East Coast Relay Station at Fort Detrick,
Maryland during the month. Operations continued nomaly.
11. On 28 May, the leased teletype circuit, providing the primarY
facility for traffic to and from the West Coast Bureau, was interrupted at
1255 GMT by destruction of microwave and cable facilities in Utah and Nevada.
After rerouting, the circuit ies again functional at 1359 GMT.
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12. OCI has levied a White House requirement on FBIS to inform it daily
on the whereabouts of specified key world leaders. Bureaus already have been
instructed to keep track of top communist leaders. They are now alerted to
the urgent need for all pertinent personal intelligence in commetion with such
individuals as Castro and Guevara of Cuba, "Rant is" Trujillo of the Dominican
Republic, Nehru of India, Sukarno of Indonesia, the Shah of Iran, and Abd an-
Nasir of the TSAR. Any item filed exclusively to meet this requirement, rather
than for general use on the basis of normal selection criteria, Mould be
handled as an FYI with full logograph information to facilitate dissemination
on the FB/S Wire. 50X1
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information
13. Following an extensive period of preliminary exploration, the head-
quarters of the Strategic Air Force Command at Offttt Air Force Base ? Omaha
Nebraska, is now a fulltime subscriber to the FBIS Wire Service.
14. Substantial portions of the Lcinuca Bureau's wall done comparison of
Cairo Swahili and Voice of Free Africa broadcasts, originally prepared at the
request of USIA in Washington and printed in the Daily Report, were incor-
porated into a Cairo eehassy dispatch detailing CAR propaganda activities in
Black Africa.
PROPAGANDAANALYSIS COMMENT
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1. Radio Propaganda Reports
parentheses):
a. "Soviet Broadcasts
on a survey prepared
issued (Responsible analyst indicated in
in Kurdish to the Middle
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by the Mediterranean Bureau
b. "
's
KOMMUNIST Article on Literature and the
Arts"
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2.
RR Special
Services
a. Eighteen analyses of Soviet propaganda on the nuclear testing
issue were cabled
to the U.S. delegation at the Geneva nuclear
test-ban talks,
in a continuing service. (Analyst:
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b. At the invitation of the ORE Staff, analyst
attended the final meetings of the USIB Representatives on the
draft of NIE 11-8-61, SOVIET CAPABILITIES FOR LONG -RANGE ATTACK,
following his submission of a paper in support of the Estimate
in April.
c. RFD was asked by the ODE Staff for assistance in preparing a
memorandum for the Director on Chinese Communist intentions in
Southeast Asia.
d. A typescript report on "Propaganda lit/deuce
Military Rockets Launched From Outer Space" was
the Air Force System Command. (Analyst:
3. RPB Comment
Bearing on
prepared for
The following are among Radio Propaganda Reports and special studies
projected or under consideration for publication within the next few months
(Responsible analyst indicated in parentheses):
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/27 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300220007-0
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SUBJECT: Letter of Information
a. "The Bulgarian Purge of Pasty and State Leaders"
b. "Soviet Outer-Space Projects and Programming"
d. "political. Implications of Soviet Provincial Press Treat-
ment of Centrally Distributed Articles"
e. "Problems Encountered in the Administration of CPR
Communes"
4. Bureaus monitoring RCRA and Meow broadcasts in Mandarin are re-
minded of RPB's continuing need for material from these sources on major
East - West developments. Moscow Mandarin comment continues to be of
special interest to consumers as an indication of developments in the Bina -
Soviet dispute. RCM's "news" coverage of key world developments is studied
alongside Moscow's particularly to shed light on differences in propaganda
treatment that may reflect real differences in approach.
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/27 : CIA-RDP83-00586R000300220007-0
U-N -C -L-A -S -S -I -7 -I -E -D
SUBJECT: Letter of Information
EMOR/AL BRANCH CONDM
GENERAL
1. Because of the confusion resulting from some =datelined items,
field editors are requested to retain the dateline when given by the broad-
cast source.
2. The umlaut in German and Scandinavian proper names should be handled
inaccordancewithinstructionsgiven in the Editorial Handbook, section D,
paragraph III c.
3. 'literals on the 40th anniversary of the Czechoslovak Communist
Party were collated and published 26 Nay in a 97-page Daily Report supplement.
4. Editors should avoid such double articles as "The Rome Il Nessagero"
or "The CairoAl-Jbahuriyah." In cases where the foreign article forms part
of the name the English article can be dispensed with by use of the possessive
fora for the place: "Cairo's Al-Jtmhuriyeh.
Mediterranean Bureau
In handling items of a purely cerenonial nature such as the victory
monument dedication on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Soviet Armenia,
an FYI is sufficient, so long as the speakers' names are given and head-
quarters is assured that no reference was made to top CSU or regional person-
alities or that no aspect of foreign or domestic policy was touched upon.
West Coast Bureau
EXamination of the Capetown SAPS discards for the period 22 Rey - 5 amet
revealed a nuMber of publishable items. Comparison with the Daily Report
Showed that some items available from SARA were printed from other sources.
ERG I1=13 AND PIKED OPERATIONS
1. The Shop and parts storage addition to the Okinawa Bureau operations
building is completed.
2. Headquarters has authorized expansion of the OkimmesBuresu's edi-
torial and teletype rooms from pr 61 funds The Air Force Purchasing and
Contracting Office handled bidding and contracting routines for FT/S. The
low bid at 0,400 has been accepted and the contract signed.
3.
Puerto Rico reception survey,
tenence support for the post.
Asst. Chief Engineer, ma, returning from the STAT
stopped in Key West to provide essential main-
He improved TV reception; repaired and adjusted
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U-N-C-L-A-S-S-I-F-I-E-D
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/27: CIA-RDP83-00586R000300220007-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/27: CIA-RDP83-00586R000300220007-0
U-N-C-L-A-S-S-I-F-I-E-D
SUBJECT: Letter of Information
receivers and dictaphone equipment; and instructed the Post Chief,
in the operation of photographic equipment in support of TV monitoring.
4. The Pioneer Electric and Research Corporation has designed a long
and medium wave Interference Suppressor to meet specific FBIS radio frequency
interference problems. A prototype of this suppressor has been turned over
to FB/S for test and evaluation. Tests conducted at both the East Coast and
Okinawa Bureaus indicate excellent results in eliminating unwanted stations
on the same or adjacent frequency. Procurement of this device has been
budgeted for FY 62 for all bureaus where it was determined to be of value in
dealing with common or near channel interference cases, which heretofore
could not be resolved.
5. Arrangements were completed for the indefinite loan from the Navy
of a CGS Morse Code-to-teletype converter for use at the East Coast Bureau.
Delivery was effected, and the Bureau succeeded in placing the unit in opera-
tion by the endlof the month.
ADMINISTRATION
1. Long-range budget estimates for Fiscal Years 1962-1966, inclusive,
were completed.
2. The position of "Chief Monitor" in the overseas field has been re-
titled "Operations Officer."
3. The following FBIS regulatory issuances were released during the
month of May:
Subject Date
Standardized Accounting System 21 April 1961
Foreign Press Services 5 May 1961
Allotment Numbers - Fiscal Year 1962 18 May 1961
PERSONNEL NOTES
1. New Employees
Assignment
Editor, Far East Section
Editorial Branch
Editor, ME, AF, WE, LA
Section, Editorial Branch
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/27: CIA-RDP83-00586R000300220007-0
Declassified in Part Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/27 : CIA4DP83-00586R000300220007-0
U-N-C-L-A-S-S-I-F-I-E-D
SUBJECT: Letter of Information
2. Separations
Teletypist
Editorial Branch
Clerk Typist
Radio Propaganda Branch
Editor, Fir East Section,
Editorial Brandh
Editor, USSR & EE Section,
Editorial Branch
Editor, USSR & KE Section,
Editorial Branch
Watch Officer
East Coast Bureau
Propaganda Analysis Officer
Radio Propaganda Branch
Intelligence Assistant
Radio Propaganda Branch
Watch Officer
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STAT
STAT
STAT
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