UPDATE ON PROCESSING AND CLASSIFICATION REVIEW OF OSS PERMANENT RECORDS

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP93B01194R001300100049-4
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
C
Document Page Count: 
3
Document Creation Date: 
December 12, 2016
Document Release Date: 
October 26, 2001
Sequence Number: 
49
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
April 9, 1980
Content Type: 
MFR
File: 
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PDF icon CIA-RDP93B01194R001300100049-4.pdf185.21 KB
Body: 
~, Approved Foi~elease 2001/11/08: CIA-RDP93B011i~001300100049-4 9 Rpril 1980 N~EhtCiR}kNDUM EQR THE RECORD 25X1A FROM; e', ass ca on Review Division/IS5/DDA SUBJECT: Update on Processing and Classification Review of OSS Permanent Records 25X1A 25X1A 25X1A 1. On 15 January 19Ft~ a meeting was held tc~ discuss and update the situation in the systematic classification revie-~ of permanent OSS records. Th~cip~:nts, in addition to the members of the OSS Review Team, included "'~~S /~fPG, also of IPiS/I~PG, C/CRD/OPS, and 25X1A DC/CRD/ e o lowing comments a recur of the results ng. They are intended to serve as an aid to rocessi OSS p ng per- manent records and to serve as guidelines for handling certain categories of information. 2. We continue to have some problems identifying which records to tab for DO withdrawal (far verification of service, etc.) before these records ga to MARS. Some of the rules are: Rule 1: We .tab for DO withdrawal only whole folders or summary documents which would ordinarily represent a whole folder reporting individual events. I~F we discover an individual document in the middle of a general administrative file and that document would not be retrievable by the name of the individual, we do not tab it. We leave it for NABS or, if it must remain Classified, we withdraw it and process it into the DARE system as any other classified document. Rule 2: Except for payroll records, we da not tab any financial recur s. base, like other records, however, may be withheld to pro- tect sources and methods. One known example of a payroll record from OSS is in the form of yellowish cards a little less than x10 contain- ing the name and a series of entries showing the dates and amounts of payments made to that individual. These shou'id be tabbed for YMS removal, Such payroll records have been found in dub #61-934 described as "correspondence, memorandums, authorizations, budgets, vouchers, receipts, payments, salaries, and related material pertaining to the +exper{diture of special funds by the Washington office~? 2 5X1A arranged alphabetically; 1942-1947; with volume c feet.' This Job was declared Permanent by Coi. Tagge and was included in the second offering made to NP,RS. ;'e've"i'~Jt~F C:LE.'~ _... DC390~ __ ..__... _.o ~:;1? ~; -~~:~~~.'~~ Ct~ Rpri 1 200 ~,.. ,~r~~~~r'~ a9~~.a __ Approved For Release 2001/11/08: CIA-RDP93B01194R001300100049-4 Approved Fol~elease 2001/11/08: CIA-RDP93B011~iF001300100049-4 Ru1~ 3: We tab .for. ~0, withdrawal personnel material , i .A., material about an individual or gro~ip of individuals that contains substantive information on their service in or far the OSS and which would be respon- sive to inquiries from former OSS personnel about their service. The .presence of a large number of Chargeout Sheets and/ar Routing and Record Sheets will indicate some of those records which have been useful to CIA in answering requests and should ther?efiore receive strong consider- anon for tabbing so they can be withdrawn and held by the ?D0. ltgainst these CIA needs we must balance NABS interests to carefully document the rolb of the OSS in history, Same ex~lmples: We tab 201 files, official personnel files, soft files an individuals, files that document where and when people served, what operations nr activities they engaged in; i.e., personnel files which significantly document official relation- ships for which CIA might still retain a rrroral or iec~al responsibility. In the case of general cable files where individual I~iographical sheets are sometimes attached, we must use the balance test, Generally such files should be left-for NARS but judgment will be required in each case. Lists of OSS personnel would not normally be considered a per- sonnel file and can generally be released. Such a list, however, could name so many OSS personnel that we might consider it classified and withhold it of?er using the balance test. If the list includes the names of;foreign liaison officers or NOC officers we would exempt it. Concerning the written citations for awards and certificates, we tab them for (l0 withdrawal and ~ will check to see whether the p0 2 5X1A may want to initiate action o e ver these papers to the recipients. isle. also tab the field PNS's from with hoto and secrecy agree- 25X1A meat since most of those identif are itizens. 25X1A 3. Some boxes of records have been missing from certain jobs sent to 2 the Review Team. To explain this, Hated that he makes a '"broad Z 5X1'A~ r~~}It n~ +6,a rnrnv+rlc 9t AX~f` +n waM N ~..~~ ...ni+r..w.dw ,,,,,~ +w~.. ., ., .........L...J for the missing boxes. On this point, it was agreed that: will update the 'fisting of OSS material to include the numb which have been removed during his initial revie>-r; and (2) the OSS Review Team will continue to make the more refined cut of temporary records by tabbing those they: encounter as identified in this paper and other published guidelines. 4, aob 55-16 contains the records of the C:~S Headquarters Registry Chrano. Much. of this material remains classified and has to be withdrawn and held. Generally, chrono files are considered to be temporary records and based on this assumption plus-the high per?~cen~tage of material which must be withheld, IMS has appealed the ruling. by Cal. Tagge that this file is a permanent record. Na ruling has yet been receivf;d Pram NARS. 5, lobs 76-460 and 76-665 are the records for the OSS activity known as the Survey of Foreign Experts.. This involved OSS identifying, locating, and interviewing Americans and foreigners for information which: could con- tribute to the war effort. Since those persons interviewed were promised confidentiality, often in writing, SFE rer~ords w~i11 require close screening td ensure protection of sources., Information concerning the organization, Approved For Release 2001/11/08: CIA-RDP93B01194R001300100049-4 25X1A gpproved For Release 2001/11/08 :CIA-RDP93B01194R001300100049-4 Next 2 Page(s) In Document Exempt Approved For Release 2001/11/08 :CIA-RDP93B01194R001300100049-4