Foreign Relations of the United States, 1945–1950, Emergence of the Intelligence Establishment
From the Strategic Services Unit to the Office of Special Operations: Document List
Document 95: Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of War (McCloy) to the Director of the Strategic Services Unit of the Department of War (Magruder)
Washington, September 26, 1945.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-117. No classification marking.
Document 96: Memorandum From the Director of the Strategic Services Unit, Department of War (Magruder) to the Assistant Secretary of War (McCloy)
Washington, October 9, 1945.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/HC-265. No classification marking.
Document 97: Memorandum From the Director of the Strategic Services Unit, Department of War (Magruder) to the Assistant Secretary of War (McCloy)
Washington, October 25, 1945.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Records, Job 83-00036, Box 3, Folder 16. Secret; American Eyes.
Document 98: Memorandum From the Acting Director of the Office of Controls, Department of State (Lyon) to the Secretary of State's Special Assistant for Research and Intelligence (McCormack)
Washington, November 13, 1945.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Intelligence Files, Bureau of Administration, 1942-51: Lot 79 D 137, Office of Strategic Services, Box 1. No classification marking.
Document 99: Memorandum From the Director of the Strategic Services Unit, Department of War (Magruder) to the Assistant Secretary of War (McCloy)
Washington, November 15, 1945.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-579, Job 83-00036, Box 4, Folder 7. Secret; American Eyes.
Document 100: Minutes of the 171st Meeting of the Secretary of State's Staff Committee
Washington, November 29, 1945, 9:30 a.m.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 353, Records of Interdepartmental and Intradepartmental Committees—State Department, Lot File No. 122, Records of the Secretary's Staff Committee 1944-47. Top Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text. The meeting was held in the Secretary's office.
Document 101: Memorandum From the Interim Activities Director of the Strategic Services Unit, Department of War (Irwin) to the Assistant Secretary of War (McCloy)
Washington, January 28, 1946.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-1807, Job 83-00036, Box 12, Folder 11. No classification marking. The source text is a copy transcribed for the CIA Historian, presumably in the early 1950s.
Document 102: Memorandum From the Director of the Strategic Services Unit, Department of War (Magruder) to Secretary of War Patterson
Washington, February 4, 1946.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 263, Records of the Central Intelligence Agency, Troy Papers, SSU 1945. Secret. Sent through Assistant Secretary of War McCloy and Major General S. LeRoy Irwin, the Interim Director. Handwritten at the top of the source text is: “Magruder asks for survey.”
Document 103: Memorandum by the Director of the Strategic Services Unit, Department of War (Magruder)
Washington, February 14, 1946.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 263, Records of the Central Intelligence Agency, Troy Papers, Box 11, Folder 78. Secret. On the source text the address line is blank. At the top of the source text is handwritten “CIG should take over SSU.”
Document 104: Central Intelligence Group Directive No. 1
Washington, February 19, 1946.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, Records of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Leahy Papers, No. 130. Top Secret.
Document 105: Memorandum From the Fortier Committee to the Director of Central Intelligence (Souers)
Washington, March 14, 1946.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-1808, Job 83-00036, Box 12, Folder 11. Top Secret. The source text is undated; the date used is from Darling, The Central Intelligence Agency, p. 448, note 50. The report contains references to Tabs A-F, none of which was found with the source text.
Document 106: National Intelligence Directive No. 4
Washington, April 2, 1946.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, Records of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Leahy Papers, No. 132. Confidential. The draft version of the directive was discussed at the IAB meeting on March 26 (see Document 144) and at the NIA meeting on April 2 (see Document 145).
Document 107: Memorandum From Acting Secretary of War Petersen to the Director of the Strategic Services Unit, Department of War (Quinn)
Washington, April 3, 1946.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, Records of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Leahy Papers, No. 130. Confidential. The version printed was distributed as Enclosure A to CIG Directive No. 6 of April 8. See the Supplement. Colonel William W. Quinn had just succeeded Magruder as Director of the SSU. (SSU General Orders No. 11, April 4; Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/HC-601, Job 83-00036, Box 4, Folder 9) See the Supplement.
Document 108: Memorandum From the Director of Central Intelligence (Souers) to the Director of the Strategic Services Unit, Department of War (Quinn)
Washington, April 4, 1946.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, Records of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Leahy Papers, No. 130. Top Secret. The version printed was distributed as Enclosure B to CIG Directive No. 6, April 8. See the Supplement.
Document 109: Memorandum From the Director of Central Intelligence (Souers) to President Truman
Washington, April 17, 1946.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-2227, Job 83-00739R, Box 2, Folder 3. No classification marking.
Document 110: Letter From the Director of Central Intelligence (Souers) to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Hoover)
Washington, April 19, 1946.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-2227, Job 83-00739R, Box 2, Folder 3. Secret; Personal.
Document 111: Memorandum From the Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Ladd) to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Hoover)
Washington, May 14, 1946.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 263, Records of the Central Intelligence Agency, Troy Papers, FBI Documents. No classification marking.
Document 112: Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Controls (Lyon) to the Chief of the Division of Foreign Activity Correlation (Neal)
Washington, July 1, 1946.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Intelligence Files, Bureau of Administration, 1942-51: Lot 79 D 137, Folder SSU, Box 2. Secret.
Document 113: Letter From the Director of Central Intelligence (Vandenberg) to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Hoover)
Washington, July 3, 1946.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-2227, Job 83-00739R, Box 2, Folder 3. Top Secret.
Document 114: Memorandum by the Director of Central Intelligence's Executive (Wright)
Washington, July 11, 1946.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-2154, Job 83-00739R, Box 3, Folder 19. Secret. The memorandum is addressed to “All C.I.G. Personnel Concerned.”
Document 115: Letter From the Director of Central Intelligence (Vandenberg) to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Hoover)
Washington, July 19, 1946.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-2227, Job 83-00739R, Box 2, Folder 3. Top Secret. The letter is dated July 19, 1946, which has been changed by hand to July 22. The latter date, in turn, has been annotated by hand, “must be [July] 19.”
Document 116: Letter From the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Hoover) to the Assistant Secretary of State for American Republic Affairs (Braden)
Washington, July 22, 1946.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Decimal File 1945-49, 101.5/7-2246. Personal and Confidential.
Document 117: Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Acheson to the Members of the National Intelligence Authority
Washington, August 5, 1946.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-2227, Job 83-00739R, Box 2, Folder 3. Top Secret. Drafted by E.O. Briggs. Covered by an August 5 note signed with Acheson's typed initials, addressed to Secretaries Forrestal and Patterson and Admiral Leahy, asking that the memorandum be discussed at the NIA meeting on August 7. The covering note also contains a footnote stating that a copy of the memorandum was given to the CIG Assistant Director for Special Operations by Assistant Secretary Braden on August 6.
Document 118: Minutes of the Fifth Meeting of the National Intelligence Authority
Washington, August 7, 1946, 10:30 a.m.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, Records of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Leahy Papers, No. 132. Top Secret. The meeting was held at the Department of State.
Document 119: Draft Letter From President Truman to Attorney General Clark
Washington, August 7, 1946.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Records, Job 83-00764R, Box 1, Folder 5. No classification marking. According to Document 122, the letter was drafted by Secretary to the National Intelligence Authority Lay and approved by all members on the understanding that it would be sent if necessary. It appears that the draft was never used.
Document 120: Letter From the National Intelligence Authority to Attorney General Clark
Washington, August 8, 1946.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Records, Job 83-00764R, Box 1, Folder 5. Secret. According to Wright's August 8 memorandum (Document 122) the letter was drafted by the Central Intelligence Group.
Document 121: Memorandum From the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Hoover) to Attorney General Clark
Washington, August 8, 1946.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 263, Records of the Central Intelligence Agency, Troy Papers, FBI Documents, Box 8, Folder 18. No classification marking.
Document 122: Memorandum for the Record
Washington, August 8, 1946.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-2227, Job 83-00739R, Box 2, Folder 3. Top Secret. Although the memorandum is dated August 8, it was obviously amended later, since the postscript refers to developments on August 10.
Document 123: Memorandum From the Director's Assistant (Tamm) to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Hoover)
Washington, August 10, 1946.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 263, Records of the Central Intelligence Agency, Troy Papers, FBI Documents. No classification marking.
Document 124: Memorandum From the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Hoover) to Attorney General Clark
Washington, August 12, 1946.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 263, Records of the Central Intelligence Agency, Troy Papers, FBI Documents. No classification marking. A typed note on the source text indicates that it was sent at 5 p.m. on August 12. This memorandum from Hoover is based on a longer August 12 memorandum from Tamm to Hoover. (Ibid.) See the Supplement.
Document 125: Memorandum From the President's Chief of Staff (Leahy) to the Director of Central Intelligence (Vandenberg)
Washington, August 12, 1946.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 218, Records of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Leahy Papers, No. 131. Secret.
Document 126: Memorandum for Record
Washington, August 19, 1946.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-2227, Job 83-00739R, Box 2, Folder 3. Secret.
Document 127: Letter From the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Hoover) to the Director of Central Intelligence (Vandenberg)
Washington, August 19, 1946.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-2227, Job 83-00739R, Box 2, Folder 3. Strictly Confidential.
Document 128: Memorandum From the Director of Central Intelligence (Vandenberg) to Secretary of State Byrnes
Washington, September 12, 1946.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Decimal File 1945-49, 101.5/9-1246. Top Secret. Similar memoranda were sent to the other NIA principals.
Document 129: Letter From the Director of Central Intelligence (Vandenberg) to the Assistant Secretary of State for American Republic Affairs (Braden)
Washington, October 9, 1946.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-2461, Job 83-00764R, Box 4, Folder 7. Secret. The date is handwritten on the source text. No drafting information appears on the source text but the tone of the letter suggests that it was written by Vandenberg.
Document 130: Strategic Services Unit General Orders No. 16
Washington, October 19, 1946.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-601, Job 83-00036, Box 4, Folder 9. Restricted. Draft copies (dated September 5) of SSU Headquarters' message to its field stations closing down operations and Vandenberg's parallel message are ibid. Colonel Quinn's October 16 memorandum to Penrose and others outlines administrative arrangements concerning the transfer. (Ibid.)
Document 131: Instruction From the Assistant Secretary of State for Administration (Russell) to the Minister in Tangier (Alling)
Washington, January 3, 1947.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Decimal File 1945-49, 101.5/1-347. Top Secret. More or less identical instructions presumably were sent to other posts, but no other instructions or list of other addresses has been found.
Document 132: Letter From the Director of Central Intelligence (Vandenberg) to Secretary of State Byrnes
Washington, January 3, 1947.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-2227, Job 83-00739R, Box 2, Folder 3. No classification marking.
Document 133: Letter From Secretary of State Byrnes to the Director of Central Intelligence (Vandenberg)
Washington, January 8, 1947.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/CSG-2227, Job 83-00739R, Box 2, Folder 3. Secret.
Document 134: Memorandum From the Director of the Strategic Services Unit, Department of War (Quinn) to the Assistant Secretary of War (Petersen)
Washington, April 11, 1947.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Historical Files, HS/HC-804, Item 7. Confidential. The source text may be a transcript prepared for the CIA Historian in the early 1950s.
Document 135: Letter From the National Intelligence Authority to Representative Clare E. Hoffman
Washington, June 26, 1947.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency Records, Job 90-00610R, Box 1, Folder 3. Top Secret. Representative Hoffman (Republican, Michigan) was Chairman of the House Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments. At the time the letter was written, the committee was considering the legislation on armed forces unification, which included provisions establishing the Central Intelligence Agency on a statutory basis. The question of clandestine operations arose in the committee as a result of press stories and press criticism about the efforts to centralize all clandestine intelligence operations in CIG. See Document 319, which records the NIA's discussion of the letter, which was proposed to the Authority by Hillenkoetter.
Document 136: Memorandum of Conversation
Washington, April 16, 1948.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Records of the Department of State, Records of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration— Subject Files, 1944-47: Lot 53 D 28, Special Assistant for Research and Intelligence, Box 19. Secret. Drafted by Humelsine and Armstrong.