LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT FROM ALLEN W. DULLES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86B00269R000100130079-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 1, 2002
• Sequence Number: 79
• Content Type: LETTER

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June 9 RO draft
The President
The White House
Dear Mr. President:
About five years ago, the National Security Council set up a small
committee of persons outside government, but familiar with intelligence
operations, to review the work of the Central Intelligence Agency. That
Committee included Mr. William H. Jackson, Mr. Mathias Correa, and myself as
Chairman. The report which we submitted in January 1949 served as the basis
for certain organizational changes which my predecessor, General Walter
Bedell Smith, put into effect shortly after he became Director of Central
Intelligence.
The five years following this report have seen basic changes in the
problems which this Agency faces. The Soviets now have nuclear power. Their
scientific and technical skills are growing. They seek to spread their sway
throughout doubtful lands by a creeping subversion. The world has shrunk.
As intelligence targets change, our country's need is intensified
for two-way links with the intelligence sources in all free world countries.
What we can learn from them today may save for us tomorrow.
Under these circumstances, I feel impelled as the-,Statutory Intel-
ligence Adviser to the President to say that I would welcome your agreement
that the time was again suitable for a review by a competent Board of the
work of the Agency. The report of a Board of Consultants convened by you
could include a study of the Agency's programs, techniques and administrative
set-up, its progress in carrying out its statutory duties of coordinating
and making more effective the intell pence operations of government, and a
review of its personnel policies andontrol of the expenditure of funds
entrusted to the Agency by the Congress.
May I suggest that reviews of this nature might be carried out at
such periodic intervals as the National Security Council might determine to
be appropriate?
While I might constitute such a Board by my own action, I believe
that the high caliber of men required to carry out this mission can be
secured only by your taking the initiative to aprooint the Board, thus
emphasizing your interest in the subject-matter of its ina;siry.
Faithfully yours,
Allen W. Dulles
Director
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Dear Mr. Dulles:
Your letter of June 7th recalled our earlier discussions of the
most appropriate way to obtain an independent review of the work of the
Central Intelligence Agency.
Reliable intelligence, freshly received, is essential to survival
in our modern age. Your Agency, which fits together the bits and pieces,
coming from all quarters of the world, has a most precious function. Its
antennae receive secrets from every friendly government. The success of
your Agency's operations rests on trust and confidence in its dealings.
If that trust is shaken, if that confidence is betrayed, if those secrets
are not inviolate, the source of intelligence dries up. My experience has
abundantly taught me that there is only one way to get trustworthy intel-
ligence; - by keeping an open eye and an open ear and a shut mouth.
Accordingly, I welcome your suggestion that I take the initiative
to appoint a Board of Consultants to review your Agency's work and report to
me through the National Security Council.
The review of this Board, in addition to covering the important
objectives outlined in your letter, should deal with your obligation under
the National Security Act of 1947 to protect intelligence sources from
unauthorized disclosure, in the light of your duty to furnish to appropriate
Committees of the Congress such information with respect to the operations
of the Agency as may be reasonably required in the exercise of their legis-
lative and appropriative functions.
At my request, General Omar N. Bradley, Dr. Karl T. Compton, and
Mr. Robert C. Sprague (any Democrat?) have consented to serve as members of
the Board of Consultants. You are instructed to make available to them such
information as they may require in connection with their review. Other
intelligence agencies of the Government will be instructed to afford to the
Board like facilities, insofar as the Board may deem this necessary in
considering the function of the Central Intelligence Agency in coordinating
the intelligence activities of the Government.
I wish the Board to complete its study in time for my consideration
before your Agency's Budget for FT 155 is submitted to the Congress.
Sincerely,
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CGNGRESSIGNAL LEADI S (to be given out to the press.)
The President stated that for some time he had been disturbed by
reports that an attempt might be made to subject the Central Intelligence
Agency to a type of Congressional investigation which would inevitably dis-
close highly classified security matters to potential enemies of the United
States.
The President expressed to the Congressional leaders with whom he
consulted this morning his feeling that such an investigation would result
in serious harm to our national security.
The Congress, he said, had set u.p the Central Intelligence Agency
as a part of the National Security Council, advisory to him as President, and
provided that its Director should be the Intelligence Adviser to the Presi-
dent. He looked upon the Central Intelligence Agency as an integral part of
his executive equipment, intended by the Congress to be close and useful to
him in carrying out the manifold responsibilities of the Presidency.
The President made clear to the Congressional leaders that he
recognized that the Congress had the right to information necessary for the
exorcise of its legislative and appropriative functions. To that end, the
Director of Central Intelligence had kept in the closest touch with the
Armed Services and Appropriations Committees of the two Houses of the Congress
and had furnished these Committees with all information which they had sought.
The President emphasized that it was a good idea. for them to be
kept currently advised of the Agency's activities, in keeping with the wise
provision included by the Congress in the National Security Act of 1947 "that
the Director of Central Intelligence shall be responsible for protecting
intelligence sources and methods from unauthorized disclosure." The Presi-
dent expressed his firm conviction that the Executive and the Corp ress should
cooperate in carrying out this legislative mandate.
The President further expressed to the Congressional leaders his
view that the appropriate Committees of Congress should be satisfied as to
the integrity of the administration of the Central Intelligence Agency, the
handling of the funds intrusted to it, and the exercise of the rowers and
duties conferred upon it under the National Security Act of 1947 and directives
of the National Security Council thereunder.
He released to the Congressional leaders the correspondence which he
had had with the Director of Central Intelligence and of his decision, as
indicated in this correspondence and as requested by the Director of Central
Intelligence, to set up a "Board of Consultants", with duties and functions
outlined in that correspondence.
The Congressional leaders present expressed their unanimous con-
currence in the view that the legislative and appropriative functions should
be exercised by the Congress, insofar as the Central Intelligence Agency is
concerned, in a manner to protect intelligence sources and methods from
unauthorized disclosure and they welcomed the President's action in setting
up the high level Board of Consultants.
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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
June 9, 1954
MEMORANDUM FOR HONORABLE ALLEN W. DiJLLE$
Attached in duplicate are revisions
of the two letters and the Presidential
statement, which you gave me yesterday in
draft form,
Although I spent several hours on
them last night, they need a good deal more
work. This is particularly true of the
Presidential statement, which needs to be
sharpened and have put in it some of the
specific material in the letters.
ROBERT CUTLER
Special Assistant
to the President
9 r
Attachments
&a tue Irv. C-VAIL"
a j
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