REPORT ON FIELD TRIP TO SOUTHEAST ASIA (BURMA, THAILAND, INDOCHINA, MALAYA, SINGAPORE AND INDONESIA)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP63-00314R000200260042-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 8, 1998
• Sequence Number: 42
• Publication Date: August 2, 1954
• Content Type: MF

Approved Far Re1ea a : /Q9ti6--,: CIA-RDP63-0031AR0002002 *8& 1 y_
M3 4DPJWU i F(R:. Deputy Director/Irate)-li.gence DATE: 2 August 1954
THRU :.. Assistant Director/Research and Reports
SUBJECT Report on; field trip to Southeast Asia (Burma, Thailand,
Indochina; Malaya, Singapore and Indonesia)
1. Purnoae of trip, The twtp had three pri1 r objectives:
A. To discuss the inter-agency ma)? procurement program with
State Depart ient officials in the respective embassies and cone
sulates, and to develop plans for future procurement of maps and
related cartographic materials
B. Procurement of maps and relaters cartographic materials by
the reportee.
0, Preparation of 7rta on mapping agencies in the countries
visited.
Ac tieso
2.
A,. The map procurement program Was disused with an individual.
in each mission.. Upon allotment of necessary funds and the receipt
of specific instructigns from the Special.Assistant for ]Maps (OLI/M)
State Departre3nt, this im ividua1 will procure or arrange to procure
the. desired materials. The individuals and posts are listed belo :
10 . Mr.' 0. Lee Blaine
20 Mr, William Thor>as
3. Mr. Randolph A. Kidder
4. Hr. Richard Olson
5 Mr. Phillip Clock
6. Mr John 0. Sutter
Rangoon
RW cok
Saigon
Y=lh lu r
Singapore
Djakarta
B. Map procurement 1,200 maps
from the countries visited.
G. Organization Reports o brief reports were submitted on
eleven mapping agencies.
D. Miscellaneous - inte:z li gene inf ox ation urgently needed
for a specific study on Indochina was corkoi3,ed and telegraphed for
the use of analysts in Fears .wancne, ( grap " Division (D/(O/F).n
Approved For Release 1999/09/16 : CIA-RDP63-00314R000200260042-8
 Approved For Relee 1999/6A4'CIA-RDP63-003,48000200260042-8
scale coverage be included in Chapter IX of the HIS without delay.
Daring the reportee's stay in Saigon, he was asked to brief a
U. S. Airforce General on map coverage of Indochina0 This was done
orally, and an attempt was made to use the graphics of Chapter IX
of the NIS on Indochina to present a visual conception of map cover-
age at various scales, i.e., 1:25,000, 1:100,000, ate. However, in
its present form, Chapter IX contains only an index showing selected
map coverage. This incident In Saigon demonstrates concretely the
need for individual indexes for the different scale naps.
C. It is recommended that a Geographer (analyst) be assigned
for a definite period of time to the American Consulate, at the
strategically located town of Chiengmai in northern Thailand.
Chiefigmal"s relative prcnfraity to northeastern Surma, Yunnan
and Laos would seem to make it an important reporting post in an
area which is of vital interest to the United States and Red China.
However, it appears that the: American Consul is the single man in
this area who is transmLttinj the oe of reports needed by D/GG/F.
25X1 A5a 1 This recommendation is enlarged upon in a separate report.
7, Equation.: The reportee believes that the trip greatly en,
hanced his knowledge of the area and that the "Intelligence Community"
benefitted from materials and information transn&tted by him. _
25X1A9a
M
Approved For Release 1999/09/16 : CIA-RDP63-00314R000200260042-8