THE FAILURE OF THE INTELLIGENCE STAFF IN RESPECT TO THE PRODUCTION OF CIG SITUATION REPORTS TOGETHER WITH SUGGESTED CORRECTIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00022R000200120003-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 10, 2004
• Sequence Number: 3
• Content Type: MEMO

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MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
ENCLoS } .5: (A) ORE moralidum No. 111-47, 4 April,
Subject: ORE Production Program with
attachments:
h
T
t failure of the Intelligence Staff in
respect to-the production of CI
Situation Reports together with suggested
corrections.
1. Memorandum L or Chief,. ICAPS,
Assf.stant Director, O E signed
E. K. Wright, :.Brigadier General,
25 March 1947.
2. Memorandum Director, CIS, Chicef,
ICAPS, 2 April 1947, signed J.
Klahr Huddle.
3. Memorandum for Assistant Director
R ~x E, 26 February 1947, ICA?S
DRAFT PROPOSAL
Memorandum for Assistant Director
,
P & E, undated, 011E DRAFT PROGRAM.
(B) Memorandum from Chief`., Intelligence
Staff, ORE forwarding check list as guide
in preparation of Situation Reports dated
11+ February 1943.
(C) Intelligence Staf`f' "Critique" on
St
rategic 6urvey of gar ay,
SUMMARY
Although the Intelligence Staff ~a; alerted as
early as 26 February 194'7 (See Enclosure A, 3) to the
fact that ORE would be required to produce Situation
n
de
i
d
-
+-
vwa.7Ap
ne
, Ya!
Situation Report is for, (b) how, it i to be used,
place It is
product
or 'idu aon (C) dated 3 April 1947.
Revision of (B received in Western
peon branch, 23 April 1947.
(F) Comment on (C) dated- I Aril 1947
(G) Memorandum for the Assistant Di ector
R & E from Chief of Intelligence Staff
hold in the Int.e'l1igerice
scheme of ORE, or
(d) what for=.ua it should
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'Mwr
assume-. This statement is made
of related documents and p!-.,longed
Lions with
the Chief, Special Projects Divisio1j, int lli ;.ice
Staff, ORE.
Since it
primary duty of an executive
editor to predetermine the type,, and nw.ture of his
publications on the basis of a c
not
their prospective readers and the requirements of such
readers it is apparent that a basic function
utive editor is not being performed by the
Intelligence Staff. The immediate r s .tits of tin
failure, are (a) to confuse those
are charged
pith the task of preparing the original manuscripts
(b) to waste countless ho s
both in the d g branches a n . its the lntekligence
Staff (c) to further injure the morale o the
geographic branches d) to further block p:oduction
in ORE.
NARRATIVE
The Intelligence Staff was ale ed, at least as
early as February 1947, to the fact that it would be
required to produce Situation Reports
covering the
nations of the world. This fact is contained in
Enclosure (A), item 1. In early Jiarch, the Northern
Branch, which was at that time a component of the
Western Europe Brarich, was assigned its first Fituation
Report; the ~
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This country had been selected by agree
between the Chief, Western Europe and the Chief, Spr cis
Projects Division, I.S. because of the apparent
by the
security.
plicity
country which exerts
No indication was received
arch f r=)m the 1.8. either through conversation
or in writing as to the form
.Purpose of a Situation Report
Lyle, con
Quest
matters elicited the reply: We dontt ivnow.
have to work it out as we go along."
Enclosure (B), dated 14 February was the only
Indication of overall thinking on the part of the IS
that was available at the beginning of the work on
this manuscript. It is a check list s` g essting a
range of subjects
might deal
:n s.
uation Report: The covering memorandum states that
on this list which are not applicable to a given
country should be disregarded.
Before the work on t}e
Survey was
begun, 25X1
consideration was given by the WE Branch to this check
and to the eonversa ti ns that had been k--:id with
the 16. It was decided in WE that the oineck list might
be regarded as suggesting tie form in w
manuscript could be p=: epared, t f-:t this
become standard for all such surveys, t
such a form vould make possible the use
11
presumably,
loos
folders or file cards. It was also assumed that
SUMMARY section, which is the first item on the check
, would contain a brief narrative acco
foreign nation as it might affect, alone or in com-
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bin z; Lion, the see.;ri.ty or th# US . The fact
cheakk_ list began with S`J iIBY or precis f'or which no
specifications were offered .save: that it would be on
"(2 single-spaced 8 x 10 pages)," cori:-irmed the WE Branch
in.' the opinion that the b :lance of thie lip
sidered, as stated above, as idicsti_n
which the evidence supporting the Summary
cast.
st be
Although the Desk had not been activated
in February 1947 the writing was begun immediately. by
only person available: a young, Rom=an who had- never
and who had no special ;ualif'ic tions
for the, t,a s? . She r s later rein: arced by another
woman of equal
was somewhat
knowledge.
than h l ' complete;
these yoiwn women was reassigned o
arrival of the present head of the
25X1
Desk. 25X1
He was able to work for .b ut two weeks on the Survey
before it was submitted on, the predetermined de?adlire.
Before leaving the E Branch the ms:,ntstr
extensively edited for meaning and construction by
the Chief' and an edito_Y wh regarded the work as
necessarily incomplete, but the best that :-o.4ld be
expected in view of (a) !_ ck of experiended personnel
sufficient staff (c) total failure of the
its desires.
Enclosure (C) is a written
in the Special Projects Division
of the
to the
Survey. Enclosure (D) is
dum
wtitten in resporise in WE. i.mm_diately after the receipt
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5 - "?
of Enclosure (C .
In the early _:)art of April, ~ ; "ie?
Enc
(C) had been by res;
in WE, the Chief) Special. ?ro,
Brach to 11E Buss ts..w
Survey
the course of this C"o 1F7'erY :.?`tion, it was 7i?nt(.'..d
out to him that change. pr+:opc red In t.
revealed even les o ~e wr`
in the draft of t',e Si.urvey,:
looser t3'ouht outLs to ;zrrikno
in Effecting r. final
leave doubt of the professional edito3?i.a L
of its author. It was
to respond
osure
nnei
on
ton o ?. le manuscript, and
querf c -ald
ities
1,so pointed , . t to the
not be productive heca.se of its vagu:ene ss, slip-
shod chi:: ra .:.?ter . In o.rcc
e r to avoit.. tl very consider
able wastage of tanpover? th t world
manuscript were to be revised,
again, on so s1ad':
ly
^is, ~-he C1ri~:'f a>s_ s
c?rit t1 such r=s ni:,i