GUIDELINES FOR THE REVIEW OF RECORDS FOR THE PERIOD FROM THE END OF OSS TO THE BEGINNING OF CIA 1 OCTOBER 1945 - 30 SEPTEMBER 1947

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85B00236R000200130008-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 18, 2001
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: July 2, 1979
• Content Type: REGULATION

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Review Procedure CRP 79-32 and
C 111 L:.7 ' Cssfi1 11 a: l~la I INc A _..'
On 20 September 1:145 I'i eside,it I,tri Cr .rz,ll si t;itccl ati Lxecutive order
breaking up the OSS as of I October 194.7) w ! directing the Secretary of
State to take the lead in de.eveloping the program for a comprehensive and
coordinate foreign intelligence sy .t('m. Ilse l:e'earch and Analysis (R&.%)
and,Ptesentat~on Brunches of the t)SS c,ent intact to the State Department.
The remaining activities of the OSS mostly elaindce,tine services) were
assi to the War Lk'partacnt which vas to keol, them separate in the
Strategic Services Unit (SStI) establ fished by the hxecutive Order for that
purpose and to keep those aWtivit ies t,' serve ;a- a nucleus for a possible
central intelligence service.
On 22 January 1940 President Irtunan issued a Presidential Directive
which established the Central Intel I it;ence Group ((:I(_;) functioning directly
FNati tial Intelligence .ltrthori ty (NIA). 11ic NIA consisted of
representatives of the Secretaries et State, hail and Navy and a personal
rv present tthve' of the President. file t U rec tor u l' GIG was appointed by the
President:. Nis, duties included platuitug to coordinate departmental intel-
ligence activities; recommendini; 1'1 icies and ohiectives of the "national
intelligence mission;" correlating :ir.d e'valuat iris; intelligence for strategic
and tat rnal policy and di ssemillat irl., t within the Government; performing
functions related to i:itel l igence ,ia the Presnlt nt and NIA might direct;
and performing services of cor.ux-)n c ol...'tli wale ro those services could be
performed more efficient?), by a celit,;d org,nt-,itiaii, Significantly, the
Director of CIG was not gi\en the duty o1 dire. ly collecting intelligence.
The CIG was dehcribed as "ai coe'e'.it! iatt iJcl>,iItnK~ntal activity." Since
the SSU had been exp.'ct.,d only' to t i :111 i;tl f i Ir,, function, the Executive
Order of 20 September 19,4.; directt !l; Sok ret,ii-' of hQr to discontinue the
SSU as soon as its fun, t ions and i',i, i 1 t i es could he; 1) placed in a new
central intelligence organi:;ition; ,1;t,:(~..1 in the War I)epartnlent; cr 3)
dropped entirely. General ~L-igriid_~i , Chief et- tI SSU, was to sul)erintend
the liquidation of those SSt1 act i1 ; to b,' Liioppc'd entirely during
peacetime. On 29 .J:lnunr, 1946 th, at ai ,, t,f War directed that the SS11
S1101 41d be liquidated by 3i) ,Dime 1`+1(,. 'flu. Ili rector of CIG was to take what
records he wanted ftorn Still t hrclilt.h tit. ~,, c re t r r , of War and retain operational
control over them. l itle the re"~t.l i.,is to he settled later. Magruder
felt that SSU plans, properties and lu.r-onnel ilea I,c maint,iined because
they were indi?:per;:;ihh1a' for the prtu.i,rcci'K'irt a'aI iritelIigence in peacetime.
On 14 February 19-1(1 he Iirized that tIa' tiS11 he pi:i,.ed colder the Director of CIC;.
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0lA-i ' tm15V0236ROO Q11 99% 3 t1t for the opinion
s was, ought not gn to file (:It.. Ilf(F c(,rrenitte( hrT(1 tlcarcl that
t?Ie bulk of intelligence infix -T~nat inn e urx i
I
r?uI
r 101101)' g0Verim-ints; that
mph material came from other S0t1r_,?, t han ,. t col ltet iun` that S,;t1
personnel had not been ade(jUr1tety' :t t r( It 'l1; 'lilt] tII:Tt nt:,n)' c1 andcsti-lc' ,c?T'S1
had become exposed during f'rh' 11. I11l,l1ri1; t t,', I orlnc~
thnti} Itt th:(t the, S;;l! :.h ,1114
be reorganized and the dcsircJ art :(
i
to
;I, .,. lll(Ic ' the (:IG as it ff1"0ir,
ConCern. The COTnmittcc tIlOut}lit t!- !r I'll
operations, concentrate on th 1;,,s!; 11 I'llW-i t c0(11'(l i nrlte l:l,,,-lc it i r3(.
Lions to aid possible 11.5. m' 1 it, t":ti It 't'I 11t( l'_'rlc`traltc i:c Ii;titu-
1.!1 !? t~`c1 1, ,~lisori wIIt11 f(`ruin
intelligence agencies and devt?101) It g
overt collection of intell igcne_~ I, it it; (;('ratan}' ;1,ltl .1:~i rlrt ltihilc'
Government aSencics, till r(rltlin ait11 the ,tics U.S.
'Die corrrr:lI tr( (I ,? ,i ,,l tl,c? nterrclati(?n:illll
between the SSU and the Rt;A Br;(1111. r i l I
and urged that their acti> iti s 1>c ir.tt. :li,'1 ltin th(-' ~t8tc' I)cnatMelI
frt (1:,(' thr. RFrA ltr:(nt l: l:,tti
"'closely geared to the secret int 1 i it( ii i? t11:. hc?S I The h
The committee also felt that the !Ti rcet Ii I t~1(~ir nut ho ~uic+._.
responsibility for liquidatiolt of ti;' liolll(I t:il\( rn,t 1(1ri tti ,,;;,1
On 3 April 1946 the final I iauid.tt ion of was pustp;)ned from
30,June 1946 to 30 June 1947. ;`luantiiile, the ('hit'f of SSII was directe(1 to
obey the instructions from the I)irt',:tor of t:I{-. his made it i,lossiLie' for
Fortier, Assistant Director and :'\ct tag ('fl i('f of t)i,drational Services of
CIG, to take over such SSU assets a, the UirtLtilt' (If (:lt; wanted while ur1w;ulted
assets would be absorbed into the h:i l i . ' f , : l r t : u , f i t ,"I ai,:rnclotrc (t . The :i r r;,n i e -
ments for the transfer of SSU to the (:Its thiou,;h the, war Ikpartmcllt were
cc licated but it enabled the CIG to t.tl.,. lcs.llly i,hat it wanted while
Magruder, Chief of the SSJ, got rid rf lint, 111t -,i iaci lit ies through the -?:r
Department. Although no ~peci l l,. It': 11 t ,i,il l?.,1 T4.(:11, the assa
19 t1J :i
and the inferential approval of he tt i, 1,.11 t tlri tv Act of 1"
,f)earstto~
have vested title of SSII property t,) tht'
In June 194h Gon.: ra l \'andc nht.?, ;, hoc ,, r 1i, 1 i rc c't{ t c f C R; (rei, l a( i n);
Admiral Souers). t'aildenbcrg felt ti,:It t I It,-t(oi of r I(; rnt,;t ho the
executive offjcer and he illyicdl,ttt 1i'tl, ear i(II Oht1111 11',?;itl'r atltll,tt'it
and independence for the CiG. l hi- 4.'?, ~, t re_ i :Lance {Loin the rlxmiu:r
agencies of NIA, Vandenberg did ,, i ; i
wanted the CIG to conduct a i l l ~' : t (. , I r (fit (~ +RIi' I t", 1-:,rl the t't tulttl ('tii;i ,t;t!;C l~(ar life ~~(~11,'?,~-
tion of foreign .intelligence t11}tl It,` !~, I I*-V?n
7r :1 I wa~~ r,K),1~ 1 fist! to rl I_+,, t h(;
Director of CIG to Conduct on l}' t' :il li!I : t (l Ie`der.Il" ()I ei'al. I(it], 1%111ch
were outside the U.S. ;lad i t, left (:1C with th!c
authority to collect intell igert.' ulit,('?rl't it ~'',rl. 111 ' 'pul'p s' of tfl(' t?( ,'t:ti1U,I
was to permit the r : I it;rt,' Serc't.'. - , ,I1(t-t ?tc 1:1 i (TO' f
purposes and it has meant to Pr,.'t t,L t i i!t ii ii or ofi i a 1 l
I01l
I i;, iu'rCc3(Trlirtt.; its (lllt'.. 1-:10111
,the U.S. Vandenberg then estal,i, thr ,if I Its. (If S1 e )(',:1;I1 I c
r:lt 1011:, t;,
collect foreign irntel l igelr,c, ~ktt i;1;' Ifir (o;ant r :111.1 fall ,f 0
arranged to take OVL'r the 1, 1 file ( of the S. i c'r't,,1r~~ Ir,(i t~nr(?il;n ion By trod-e tote 19 lt., till.' i itill IJ it i arI Of Stile) w_t-, complete`. f`i:;U is
a bonaflde organizatloil never ;tc'tttlll I'. t+t'r!t ,!It ,)f I,tlslnt The {'/I\''-/hIIx)
1S current chief t
of -S-91 and t- itOIt(>1 ,_t J to s('nJtjCt tt'1Ia o busnte (_or
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tests from '1 X-SSU or Ot,S pcrsoline I It 1 ~.1 1,: t ;1'tl wc`i'~' nut i f i ed tl,:lt
eeff ect ve 19 October 1940 ' ' S c1 i ( , I l l I r l l . ' .I 1
Office of Special ration, of ll,iIItw for t.ondtic:tIfit',
ft)rcit;n intcl
espionage and counterespion:r,;c In th(. 1 i( 1.' ! I !+ s t;(,It of
ligencc information required for nail -11.11 1
As noted above, the CIC tAKL"% '1 t!' tr~'tcl:c'.l 1_Nli' ;I 1)e'i')tl t;f
several months in l9-1to. litlri[it tl.i pt'1 I'" Ii'. took i'c'r ttiiiln jai tl
personnel, instal lat 1.ons, f is i 1 I t i .ii , r.u s;t rllt:'l,t'; ;tt,c! tui i t s . ; i,4 l 1
as administrative pr;act icu' (,; t;111 "'. 1 ?- l l ? ,n'i CI(;, :II"ter
19 October 1946, using S-,` hh ((,\':i lIilll 1 11 l IAl It ttrilead st;ttit'nry.
from such units making it dif I I, III T I( 1:f ?. l !' Ir,ttllriillt f rain :1111 N. :Ir;lllt
alone. It could be argued t11,1t II tt'.'r:s~_~.l is ',I1 tl,t`rt it is an
doct..rmcnt. Be that a1_~ it m:t:', iw,i , i,ii 'alit itt rl;is i fl~';,t I )11 r(", it1.
consider all records rcatc'he Colt )II :Irld a I I I12c:a;111~
created after that (ite as Ll(;.
GJIDELINES
For our general USe in the c 1.o' 11 1~;1t t,ll it'\ icw 111th- :;:;, the Clatu' t4
19 October -1'-xbe9446- will he considered the pivi tat 'lit(. rtlal-king the trend" c,1 the
'Ue ginning" of the C1i.. t;('nei:ill: records dated 1 ricer
to 19 October 19.10 will he 1:oni;id(eiu 1 (11'. a 'it:; ;Ind tin-,e created :1!-tci
that date will be considered (..Ili
The methods of (7r,;uni:at ion i:,l t,1,(r?r . li 11 t''I h~ tl `;`;il t(ere v( r
similar to those deveiopied ;uid 1,;((1 1? t1i Ilhi SA) wa-; C:titcliti:illy .t
military unit, staffed mostly by ,I I 1 it.ir 1' i 1,1u'! :II7'1 ~,(ntsed in the l?;.ii
ticpartancrit under [^l lli'lt1' cor[Lrr:11,11, It I 11W'. 1!'ii petrt lnclit for us to r1_Vi1(_1%
SSU documents udder those t;'It~lt'I11''' 1_',1'i !' ?! it,r and iKtie(1 ill OW 1;1';: l l i
cation review of (iSS i't.'cl`rck. lli'. lit o ii tlw !i('r.h;ilid, C,t:ry 'a :if tilt it,;
creation began to t.)\on an liltils_"x':~I''1?t I !t' ,!'1d .i1'tll'Nli;1l lrl:lny' ', Irr liar~a:in( 1
continued to he military it (lui.1' It. .ittt i, t1.11 ate and it was nut
under direct milit'ity coran;ind, ni l I , t!. it. i_, r(', loaf. ;1t l:l(i (](acre"~ r1r ;,.
relating clo:+ely to the ho iIinrrii i+. (II den' Th ulit'
tinder those guidelInt.'s deve4'1p.,I !( Ii'(l ll l 11 iho cI'I I kilt hill i't'l'Ien ('1
CIA recprds. A a t('rlc'ral rut( 11,t r it tilt ail l I c' '1,c~n:;ihl( t1 r
rF'it'iewing C ocuiieiits o1 i 1; l n:l t t'11 ht t A r 1910 And the oilier' CM,
reviewers will be 1'L ~,1K)ns ihli 1,,,i 1 i 1 `.lUir nt I)r gin;ited after 19 ('it t ohei
1946. This date is not intended 1 1'1 ;Iii ;':te rule; :t` in ;ill rt.'vtc''.
woi , individual itlclt;er,.ent tiitr;t d',c'rijnciit (ril;inatcd
after 19 October 1'9 Th plight ri
should be reviewed :i I Llh (liltllt?tt.'t't t-: 1111' III(- II 1 Oltld('(ii''w.
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 ILLEGIB Approved For Release 2002/01/24: CIA-RDP85B00236R000200130008-1
Approved For Release 2002/01/24: CIA-RDP85B00236R000200130008-1