REPORT OF TRIP BY CHIEF, DOMESTIC PROCUREMENT SECTION, PROCUREMENT BRANCH, MAP LIBRARY DIVISION, ORR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP63-00314R000200260016-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 8, 1998
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: October 18, 1956
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 1999/09/16 : CIA-RDP63-00314R000200260016-7
I8 OCT 1956
:, ORi...flD TM FORz Depute Director (Intelligence)
`T7iRQ CT[iH Assistant Director for Research and Rauorts
SUBJECTg Report of Trip by Chiefs, Domestic Procurement
Ssction,, Procurement Branchq Map Library Division, OR.R
le Purpose of Trip:
The procurement of :naps and related geographic publications from
the countries visited had steadily fallen off since a regularly assigned
State Department Geographic Attache covered the area in 1919-51, In
order that gaps in the holdings of the map libraries in Y;ashington
might be frilled, that existing exchanges ?"Light be revitalized, and new
contacts made in an attempt to insure a continuing flow of this material
into t"iashington, a special rassion to Chile, Argentinaa Uruguay and 25X1 C4C
25X1 C4d
no difficulty was experiencedo Procurement activity in Brazil was directed
primarily toward targets in the major state capitalso
20
Activitiest
The period 1-4 March was'spent,in Santiago; 429 March in Buenos
Aires; 29 March--8 April in Montevideo; and 8 April-21 June in Brazil.,
with periods of three days to two weeks in Porto Alegre, Florianopolis,
Curitiba, SRO Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Recifeq
Fortaleza, and Belem.
A stop at the Inter=American Geodetic Survey headquarters in Panama
was made on route to Santiago to discuss procurement activities of that
organization and to coordinate plans for procurement in those countries
visited in which LAGS has missionso
In all countries visited, all contacts and procurement activities
were carried on from State Department missions with the advice and
assistance of Foreign Service personnel and the military attacheso An
attempt was made, where possible, to assign follow-up responsibility to
these regularly assigned field personnel* Cooperation fro: mission
personnel was in all cases outstandingo
Contacts were made with federal, state, and municipal employeess
and with officials of mapping companies and various other commercial
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agencies dealing with power, communicaions, and research, Those contacts
were made at all levels, depending on protocol and existing eircumstaicess,
from chiefs of military mapping agencies (in all countries visited) and
"sub-cabinet" officials in federal and state governments, to "working
level" personnel, Reports on over 150 of these contacts were submitted
to the Special Assistant for Maps for distribution to interested persons
in CIA and other agencies, All material procured was itemized on transmittal
lists. Approximately 65 letters and 60 transmittals covered these ace.
tivities0
Approximately 11,100 map sheets and 600 publications were procured and
forwarded to ashington for the Special Assistant for 'Maps, Department
of State, and for other agencies,
3, Problems:
The only problem encountered was in attempting to coordinate procure-
ment activities with ZAGS personnel, In Brazil, this Agency maintains
liaison with the major federal mapping agencies in furtherance of its
geodetic activities, In response to directives from the TAGS SIC in
Panama, map procurement froLl these agencies has been included in their
responsibilities, Although this procurement is designed to reflect
the interests of other UaSo Government agencies, it.was carried out
with complete disregard for previously established map exchange
arrangements made in behalf of the Department of State, This
situation existed. in Chile also0 Duplication of requirements was
thus frequent and embarrassing,
Commitments for the provision of maps, publications, and other
material from the U0S. were made to scores oi` persons and organizations
in exchange for items procured.. There commitments are being systematically
met by the Special Assistant for Maps, No commitments were made in the
name of CIAO
Recommendations:
The major recommendation proposed from. the field was that the re-
sponsibility for man procurement in Latin America be assigned to a
Geographic Attache on -a fall-time basis, Since that time, this has been
accomplished, Assignment of a fully qualified, wel"riefed person to
this job is the only assurance of continuing procurement of maxikaum
effectivenesse The job cannot be done on a part-time basis by Fnnbassy
employees, nor can it be done by LAGS personnel, In this connec?Jion, it
was observed that there is a general lack of appreciation on the part
of Foreign Service employees of the need for maps-by intelligence
personnels The responsibility for map procurement is alsmot invariably
assigned at the clerical level, In spite of Foreign Service directives',
C-0-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-qV-L
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practically no spontaneous collection was being undertaken, and there
was a general lack of knowledge of the-sources and uses of maps, In
many missions, maps were discovered which had been collected aecidentallv
or incidentally., and had not been forwarded to ashington. It i.s bel.iev.xi
that this deficiency could be partially overcome if netirly assigned, and
reassigned, Foreign Service personnel could have a briefing in the Map
Library Division, including a short discussion with the Procurement Branch
Area Desk of.Ricerse
Many proposals revolving about the utilization of RIGS pereonne], in
map procurement have been put forth in recent y.arsd Observations during
this trip in Chile and Brazil point out the inadequacies of thin measurer
as TAGS officers have limited contacts outside one or two major mapping
agencies in each country; be other and more important responsihalittes
of these officers consume all of their time; ce they are not trained
in procurement., nor are they familiar with the requirements of the
Washington agencies3 ' In view of the above,, it is. felt that this
organization should not be burdened with the responsibility for map
procurement in the area, nor should their operational work with mapping
agencies interfere with existing nap exchanges0
6, General Comments:
It is believed that a mission of this sort is invaluable experience
for any person involved in headquarters support of field procurement
activities? In addition to the job v:hich'wwas accomplished in procurer nt:,
this reporter has considerably added to his understanding of the problem.
and machinery of field collection, and is thereby better qualified to
carry out -the duties of Deputy Branch Chief in the Procurement 3ranchfl
D/GL0
25X1A9a
CRR:D/GL:RCC mjc/2273
(28 September 1956)
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