LETTER TO MR. H. D. NEELEY FROM JOHN H. WRIGHT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP93B01194R001000040008-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 23, 2014
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: August 1, 1989
• Content Type: LETTER

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Wash ington, D. C. 20505
OIT #0139-89
1 August 1989
Mr. H. D. Neeley
OSD Records Administrator
Washington Headquarters Services
Department of Defense
Washington, D.C. 20301-1/55
Attention: Mr. Brian V. Kinney
Dear Mr. Neeley:
This is in response to your 10 April 1989 memorandum
concerning classified records from the personal collection of
the late Major General Edward G. Lansdale, USAF (Ret.). You
requested the concurrence of this agency in the transfer of
approximately three cubic feet of classified records, currently
in the custody of the Department of Defense, to the Hoover
Institution on War, Revolution and Peace at Stanford
University, Stanford, California.
It is the opinion of this agency that the transfer of
classified documents to the Hoover Institution cannot be
reconciled with the responsibilities imposed upon the
government by Executive Order 12356 for the protection of
classified information. The donation of classified materials
to a private party, such as the Hoover Institution, would be
inconsistent with the government's obligation to protect
national security information.
Accordingly, we cannot concur with the transfer of the
Lansdale papers to the Hoover Institution without a
declassification review to ensure that all classified
information will continue to receive the protection provided by
Executive Order 12356. If you have any questions or if we can
be of assistance, please contact
Infor dinator
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OIT/MSG/IPD/CRB/EME/taj/18July89
Distribution:
Orig ? Addressee
1 ? OGC/Chief, Litigation Div.
1 ? D/Security Attn:
1 ? DO/IRO,
1 ? C/MSG/OIT
3 ? OIT Registry
1 ? OIT/MSG/ISD chrono
1 ? OIT/MSG/ISD/CRB chrono
1 ? OIT/MSG/ISD/CRB Subj: Libraries/Presidential & Other
OIT/MSG/ISD/CRB Subi: Liaiso7 w/DOD
1 ? OIT/MSG/ISD/CRB,
1 ? OIT/MSG/ISD/CRB Reading VIA C/CRB
ID#41
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301-1155
it 0 AP R 1959
MEMORANDUM FOR THE INFORMATION AND PRIVACY COORDINATOR,
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
SUBJECT: The Lansdale Papers
In 1981 the late Major General Edward G. Lansdale, USAF (Retired),
sought to donate a personal collection of his papers, consisting
of classified and unclassified material, to the Hoover Institution
on War, Revolution and Peace. The Hoover Institution contacted
the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which in turn notified
the CIA and the Department of State. A meeting was held
which resulted in a letter, of July 31, 1981, signed by the
Director, Security Plans and Programs, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Policy), being sent to the Hoover
Institution stating, among other things, that government agencies
would review material from the Lansdale Papers deemed sensitive,
with the intention of forwarding all declassifiable material
to the Hoover Institution, and retaining still sensitive material
in government files as a unit. The letter stated further that
the nonreleasable material would be reviewed again periodically
by DOD, State, and CIA. The review of the material began after
the dispatch of the letter, and lasted until 1983. The
releasable material was sent in three installments, the last
being sent on July 18, 1983. It was stated in the cover letter
that approximately 3. cubic feet of material were deemed too
sensitive for declassification and release by the interagency
task force that reviewed the material, but that this material
would be reviewed again in 5 years. The nonreleasable material
was retained in the secure spaces of the Declassification and
Historical Research Branch of my Division. Your action officer
for this case in 1981-83 was who retired and
now resides in Hawaii.
As it is time for another review of the Lansdale material,
which would involve considerable time and resources of DOD,
State, and CIA, I propose that the nonreleasable material be
transferred to the Hoover Institution. My reasons are as
follows:
All of the Lansdale Papers should be in one place.
The Hoover Institution is a cleared Top Secret
facility and can properly safeguard material which
is not releasable to the public. Ample precedent
exists where policy makers have donated their papers
to Presidential Libraries, cleared Government or
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other facilities, such as the Hoover Institution or .
Library of Congress. I know of no case where the
donated material such as this is not homogenous.
It is expected that should they wish to do so, the
Hoover Institution will have much less trouble sending
the material out for review than would the government
agencies concerned. When the nonreleasable material
was retained, the integrity of the files from which
it was removed was maintained and would have to continue
to be maintained for another government review, which
would prove logistically burdensome. Hoover, on the
other hand, would have the luxury of putting the
material in chronological order which will provide
the added benefit of quickly identifying duplicate
copies of documents.
Finally, since the Lansdale material was involved in
a fire, a large number of the nonreleasable documents
are charred around the edges, and smell strongly of
mildew. It is expected that the Hoover Institution
would make better copies of the documents and the
collection would be enhanced thereby.
Your views as to the transfer of this material are requested
as soon as possible. My action officer in this matter is
Mr. Brian V. Kinney, 695-5154/5155 for any questions.
H. D. Neele
OSD Records Administrator
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