INVESTIGATION OF RELEASE OF OSS DOCUMENTS TO NATIONAL ARCHIVES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP93B01194R001300100041-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 26, 2001
• Sequence Number: 41
• Publication Date: November 30, 1977
• Content Type: MF

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CRB-00111-77
30 November 1977
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Information Services Staff
FROM Chief, PIAG/CRB
SUBJECT Investigation of Release of OSS Documents to
National Archives
REFERENCE Your Memorandum Titled as above dated 31 October 1977
1. As requested in reference, a survey was made to determine what
security precautions are taken at National Archives (NARS) to protect class-
ified material in its custody and how effective are these procedures. Dis-
cussions with appropriate personnel at National Archives and in this Agency
lead this writer to the conclusion that the risk of possible exposure or
compromise of classified material at NARS is minimal.
2. Personnel at NARS are not overly enamored with the idea of handling
classified material even though they are set up to handle classified records.
Given the nature of the charter under which NARS operates, it is more appropri-
ate for that organization to receive and accession unclassified material which
can be made readily available to the public. Notwithstanding, when National
Archives does receive classified material, there is appropriate secure storage
space suitable to effect control and access to these records. Classified
storage areas at NARS are limited to security cleared NARS personnel and
these areas are inaccessible to the public. Any request made for records
in such a classified collection is serviced by cleared NARS personnel. The
system is not entirely fool proof since retrieval of records may in some
cases be done by GS-04's and CS-05's who may not always be fully cognizant of
security implications. However, overall the system does appear to provide
normal and reasonable protection and at an acceptable level of risk. NARS
personnel are most cooperative and are responsive to the security needs of
this Agency.
3. Conversations were initiated with Col. Raymond Tagge, document
Appraiser at NARS on 10 November 1977 concerning the possibility of "offering"
the OSS record collection to NARS. A second meeting took place on 23 November
in the office of Col. Tagpe has agreed to prepare a pre-
liminary draft o a memoran um proposing a conditional offering to MARS of
the OSS records. Col. Tagge will include in his draft a special section
entitled "restrictions" in which various conditions, caveats and limitations
may be spelled out. The draft should be returned to sometime in 25X1A
December for review and any changes or additions whi Is gency may wish
to make.
4. Col. Tagge anticipates that he will be able to schedule time for
-an-
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an appraisal of the "offering" by late winter or early spring. Col. Tagge
is currently involved in several other appraisal jobs and is also working
on five (5) Records Control Schedules for this Agency. He will not be
able to schedule the OSS appraisal until after completing those jobs. Col.
Tagge does not appear overly concerned about obtaining an early acquisition
of these records. In an off-hand remark he indicated that NARS had no real
claim to physical possession of these records until they were 50 years old.
It is obvious, however, that early possession of these records by NARS would
benefit the public and other researchers. Col. Tagge has no problem with
the manner in which the review of OSS documents is currently being handled
although he does recognize that based on his appraisal of these documents
that some small adjustments will be required in the future to bring the
declassification review and processing in line with such recommendations as
he may make after a detailed appraisal of these holdings.
5. Recommendations concerning the handling and disposition of the
OSS records would be somewhat premature at this time. Recommendations will be
made following further discussions with Col. Tagge and after he completes his
appraisal of the OSS records. The above action is being closely coordinated with
appropriate offices and officers in DDA and ISAS, 25X1A
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3 1 OCT 1977
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, PIAG/CRB
FROM: STATINTL
ie-, Information Services Staff
SUBJECT: Investigation of Release of OSS Documents
to National Archives. STATINTL
1. In the course of our discussion with
on Wednesday, 26 October, we referred to the growing volume
of OSS material which has been reviewed and the bulk of which
has been identified as declassifiable. We all agreed that we
should explore placing these reviewed materials in the custody
of the National Archives. The risk of possible exposure of
those materials which must remain classified was discussed,
you will recall, and it became apparent that we need more
information on the procedures which NARS would use to protect
such classified information in its custody.
2. I would like to ask you to undertake a formal
exploration of this problem both with ISAS and National
Archives personnel and to report on your findings by the end
of November. Depending on the results of this investigation,
we may wish to develop a set of recommendations to be presented
jointly by ISS and ISAS to the Acting DDA, the DDO and the
Acting DDCI.
STATINTL
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