LETTER TO ALLEN W. DULLES, ESQUIRE FROM DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86B00269R000300010020-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 5, 2005
• Sequence Number: 20
• Publication Date: July 26, 1954
• Content Type: LETTER

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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
26 July 1954
Allen W. Dulles, Esquire
Director of Central Intelligence
Washington, D. C.
Dear Mr. Dulles:
I am sending you herewith a copy of my letter of today's
date to U. Gen. James H. Doolittle, USAFR, requesting him to
act as Chairman of a panel of consultants to review the covert
activities of the Central Intelligence Agency under the conditions
and for the purposes set forth in that letter. You will kindly
extend to General Doolittle the facilities necessary to enable
him and his associates to carry out this study including access
to any and all information relating to the covert activities of
CIA.
Sincerely,
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Incl .
NSC review(s) completed.
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nit; WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
iy
t. Gen. James H. ooLittle, USAFR
,ashi gton, D. C.
t.anel of Consultants on Covert Activities
1 the Central Intelligence Agency
ar General DooIjtt1e:
4
I have requested you, and you have agreed, to act as Chairman
oia panel of consultants to conduct a study of the covert activities of
the Central Intelligence Agency. With your concurrence I have invited
Messrs. William B. Franke, Morris Hadley, and William Pawley to
act with you as members of the panel. Mr. S. Paul Johnston has kind-
ly agreed to serve as Executive Director of the panel.
It is my desire that the e WIG i of Consultants should undertake a
comprehensive study of the covert activities of the Central Intelligence
gency, in particular those carried out under the terms of NSCID
.1 August 28, 1951, and NSC 5412 of March IS, 1954. You will consider
the personnel factors, the security, the adequacy, the efficacy and the
relative costs of these operations and, as fax as possible, equate the
cost of the over.all efforts to the results achieved. You will make any
recommendations calculated to improve the conduct of these operations.
To the extent that agencies of the Government, other than the Central
Intelligence Agency, are engaged in covert operations which may
duplicate, or supplement the operations of CLA, you may
investigate such other operatione conducted by any other departmem
-.)r agency of the Government in order to insure, insofar as practice,le,
',:hat the field of foreign clandestine operations is adequately covered
and that there is no imne r ssary duplication of effort or extrense.
In view of die particularly sensitive nature of these covert operations,
their relation to the conduct of our foreign policy, and the fact that these
oensitive oaerations are carried on pursuant to National Security Council
action aoproved by me, I desire that your re.00rt be made to me personally
and classified TOP SECRET. I will determine whether or not the reoort
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or any part thereof should have any further dissemination. I should
appreciate it if your report could be available to me prior to October I,
1954.
As you know, the Commission on Organisation of the Executive
Branch of the Government, generally known as the Hoover Commission,
is constituting a Task Force to study and make recommendations with
respect to the organisation and methods of operations of the CIA. General
Mark W. Clark has been designated by Mr. Hoover to head this Task
Force which, I understand, will probably be organised and start its work
sometime in September next. Under the low constituting the Hoover
Commission, the Task Force shall study and investigate the present
rganination and methods of operation of the Agency to determine what
changes therein are necessary to accomplish the policy of Congress to
promote economy, efficiency, and improved service by:
a. recommending methods and procedures for reducing
expenditures to the lowest amount consistent with the efficient
performance of essential services, activities and functions;
b. eliminating duplication and overlapping of services,
activities, and functions;
c, consolidating services, activities, and functions of a
similarx nature;
d. abolishing services, activities, and functions not
necessary to the efficient conduct of Government;
e, eliminating nonessential services, functions, and
activities which are competitive with private enterprise;
defining responsibilities of officials; and
relocating agencies now responsible directly to
resident in departments or other agencies.
As the work of the Hoover Task Force will get under way shortly.
I suggest that you and General Clark confer in order to avoid any un-
necessary duplication of work as between you. The distinction between
the work of your Study Group and of the Hoover Task Force is this:
Z
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You will deal with the covert activities of the CIA
as indicated in paragraph (2) above, and your
report will be submitted to me. General Clark's
Task Force will deal largely with the organisation
and methods of operation of tho CIA and other
related agencies within tho limits prescribed in
the law as outlined in paragraph (4) above. Reports
of the Hoover Commission are made to the Congress.
The purpose of these studies, both that of the Hoover Task Force
and that of your Group. is to insure that the 'United States Government
develops an appropriate mechanism for carrying out its over-all
intelligence responsibilities and the related covert operations. I
consider these operations are essential to our national security in
these days when international Communism is aggressively pressing
Its world-wide subversive program.
Sincerely.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
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UM MTh ROUEN
VABIBIRMIN
26 Jury 1954
I ea sending you herewith a eery of ay latter of os
dote to Lt. Gee. Aimee R. Doolittle, IRM" requesting td to
set se Ghairesn of panel of eessultants to review the covert
setivittse of the Central Intelligence Agency coder the conditions
and for the purposes set forth is thst letter. You will kindly
extend to General Doolittle the facilities necessary to enable
hissed his associates to carry emt this study including access
to any entail infonation relating ts the corert activities et
CIA.
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James H.
n, 14 C.
He:
WASHINGTON
ti
of Consultants on Covert Mtivitiee
central InteLINpnew Agency
I have reqpested you, aad you have weed, to act as Chairman
of a panel of consultants to condect a study of the covert activities of
the Central Intelligence :Agency. With your concurrence I have invited
Messrs. William S. hemhe, Morris Miodloy, *ad William Piewley to
act with you es members of the psnel. Mr. S. Peel Johnston has 10110.-
ly agreed to servo as Locative Director of the panel.
It is my desire that the Panel of Consultants should undertake a
apprehensive study of the covert activities alba Central Intelligence
Agency, in earticular thosecarried out under the terms of =CID 0
of Augustae 1951, emit MEC 5412 of March 15, 1954. You eill consider
the personnel. teeters, the security, the adequacy, the efficacy and the
relative costs of these operations end, as fir as possible, equate the
cost of the oversell sabres to the results achieved. You will mike any
recommendations calculated to improve the conduct of these operetions.
Tb the extent that agnates of the Government, other than the Central
Intelligence Agency, are engaged in covert operations which:my
parallel, duplicate, or supplement the operations of CIA, you may
investigate such other operations conducted by any other department
or agency or the Government in order to insure, insofhr as practicable,
that the field of fareigneleedestime operations is adequately covered
and that there is no unnecessary duplication ore:tort or expense.
In view of the particularly sensitive nature of these covert
their relation to the cooduct *tour fereign volley, and the feet that th
sensitive operations are carried on pursuant to National Security Council
action approved by me1 desire that your report he made to me personally
end classified 1010 SikeeT. I will determine whether or not the. report
or any part thereof Should have any further dissemination. I should
opreciste it if your report could be available to me prior to October 1
1954.
Commission on Organisation of the Mocutive
, generally known, as the &over Commission,
Three to study and make recommendations with
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roapt to- the o and methods of
Mark W. Clark has been ignated by Mt. Hoover to head.
Force ieh, I understand, will probably be organised and
sometime in Septeeber aext. Ueder the law constituting the
Commission,
he Task Irby= Shall Study end investigate the present
organization nod methods of operation of the Agency to determine *mat
chanuen therein are necessary to accomplieh the policy of Cengress to
promote nconany, efficiency, and improved service by:
a. recommending rethods and procedures for rethciig
Peeditercs to the lowest amount consistent with the efficient
pertbkreance of essential services, activities and fenctions;
6.. eliminating duplication and overlapping of services
*vtiYitie$, and reactions:
C. consolidating services, activities, and functions of a
nimilar nature;
d, aboliIhiYE services, activities, and functions not
ary to the efficient conduct of Government;
e
Iminating nonessential services, filmset-loos, and
which are competitive with private enterprise;
fining responsibilities of officials, and
e. relocating agencies now responsible directly to
the President in deportment* or other agencies.
As the work of the hoover Task Ybrce will get under 'way aborti
ughest that you sod General Clark confer in order to avoid any uo-
neceasary duplication of work as between you. The distinction betwoen
the work of your Study Croep and of the hoover Task Ybrce is this:
You will deal with the covert activities of the CIA
as indicated it paragraph (a) above, and your
report will be submitted to me. General CIares
Tnsk Farce viii deal largely with the orgenisation
taxi methods of operation of the CIA and other
related. agencies within the limits prescribed in
the law as outlined in wag's& (4) above. he-
ports 9f the Hoover Commission ere made to the
(;oneress.
purpose of these stud-ies, both that of
of your Croi is to insure that the United
an appropriate mechanism for carrying out Its over-
sponsibilities and the related covert operations. I consider
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is
eatione3. *security in these &ye
ively priming its vorld-vide
31 merely
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