SCHLESINGER TO GET HELMS' POST AT CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00161R000400210036-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 20, 2014
• Sequence Number: 36
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release @50-Yr 2014/02/21 : CIA-RDP84-00161R000400210036-8
Schlesinger to Get
'Helms' Post at CIA
By Carroll Kilpatrick'
Wnshilurton Post Sari Writer
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla., Dec.! hints, predictions or specula-
21?President Nixon today; Dons from White House offi-
confirmed reports that he willi cials on what may happen in
nominate James R. -Schle-I the future. However, Ziegler
singer, chairman of the At-I has repeated almost daily that
omic Energy Commission, to the United States is prepared
be the next director of the. to resume the talks at any
Central Intelligence Agency.
Richard M. Helms, who has time. The United States ,be-
been director since 1966 and1lieves a settlement .can be
an official of the agency since reached if Hanoi adopts a con-
1947, will be nominated ambas- struetive attitude, he has said.
sador to Iran.
The President worked his -
? I - The administration is: pursu-
residence here today and con_ ing "every avenue" 'to reach.
'erred with aides, including an accord, Ziegler said.
national security adviser In ,other announcements, ,
Henry A. Kissinger, by tele- Ziegler said that the President
phone, White House press sec-
retary Ronald L. Ziegler said, had accepted the resignation
In Washington, it was . of David M. Abshire as assist.
learned that Mr. Nixon is ex- ant secretary of state for con-
pected to nominate Under See- gressional relations. -He ! re-
rotary Joseph N. Irwin, the.
signed to .return. to., George-
No. 2 man at the State Depart- -
ment, as ambassador to
France.
It was understood that nom-
ination of the 59-year-old
win will be made this week. Ziegler said no decision had
He would replace Arthur K.1 been made as to whether act-
town University as director of
its Center for International
Studies, Ziegler said.
Watson, former IBM executive
who has resigned.
The White House already
.has announced- that Irwin?
previously described as slated
for "a high-level ambassado-
rial post"?will be succeeded
at State by Kenneth Rush, Ziegler vigorously denied I,
.
who now is deputydefense Published reports that Helms
secretary. was leaving under pressure
and that the White House was
Early Friday the President
t
and Kissinger will meet here dissatisfied With some of
with. Gen. Alexander M. Haig Helms' work.
-
Jr., deputy national security Presi-
Helms informed the
adviser and designated to be dont Nov. 20 that CIA re-
vice chief of staff of the' quilted all senior officials to
Army, .who will report on his;
retire at age 60 and that he be-
brief trip this week to South ilieved no exception should be
Vietnam, Cambodia. Laos, and made for him, Ziegler said.
Thailand. , Helms will be GO on March 30.
Ziegler refused to comment Mr. Nixon is "totally satis-
lied" with Helms' work, Zieg-
on reports from Saigon that
the President. had in effect dc ler said.
livered an ultimatum to both The President requested'
Saigon and Hanoi.
,Helms to stay in the govern-
The' reports said that the
ment and offered him the am-
!
bassadorship to Iran, Ziegler
President warned Hanoi it 1
!
could expect continued and in-
said. Joseph S. Farland, who
tgosified bombing if it refused has been ambassador to Iran
!
to accept a negetiated settle-1 since May, will be reassigned
ment and told Saigon tO stop Ito "another important post,"
making peace proposals that I Ziegler said.
Helms is a native of St.
make it. more difficult to
reach a settlement. Davids, Pa., and a graduate of
Significantly, Ziegler did Williams College. After a brief.
!
not deny the reports. Rather, time in. newspapers, he en-
he branded them a "rumor"
tered the Navy shortly after
and said he would not corn-
Pearl Harbor and served with
mcnt on rumors,
the wartime - predecessor of
When a reporter asked if it CIA, the Office of Strategic
was the word "ultimatum" Services. President Johnson
that bothered him, he again
promoted him from CIA's dep-
declined to comment. If the uty directorship to director in
reports . had been entirely 1966-
Schlesinger, who will be 44
without foundation he almost;
certainly would have said so. in February, is regarded as
Haig left Bangkok today. one of the more able adminis-
Kissinger flew here with the trators in the government. He
President on Wednesday and is a native of New York City
is scheduled to leave some_ and was graduated from Har-
time this weekend to spend yard in 1950 summa cum
laude. He also received his
Christmas with his children.
Reporters have repeatedly master's and doctorate de.
asked Ziegler this week why grees from Harvard.
the President has not deliv- He taught for eight years at
ered a report to the nation on the University of Virginia and
the breakdown of the peace then joined the Rand,Corp. as
negotiations. The report Kis- director of strategic studies.
singer gave last Saturday is Schlesinger is a Republican
all the administration has to and no relation of Arthur M.
say about the failure at Paris, Schelsinger Jr., who set?ved in
Ziegler said. the White House during the
There have been no public Kennedy Administration.
ing FBI Director L. Patrick
Gray III would be nominated ?
to be :director. He also said no
decision had been made on a ,
replacement for Schlesinger
at the Atomic Energy Commis- ?
Declassified and Approved For Release @50-Yr 2014/02/21 : CIA-RDP84-00161R000400210036-8