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Hon. Frank ChurchU.S. SenateWashington, D.C.Dear Sen. Church:By way of background, I served honorably with both the Federal Bureau of Inve- igation and the Central Intelligence Agency for a combined total of over 33 years. I am proud of my service with each agency and I feel that my activities were quite worthwhile and in the national interest. I am a graduate of George Washington University Law School and a member of the bar. I am now retired.As an interested and intellectually curious citizen, I have been reading accounts in the public press concerning the activities of the committee which you happen to chair and of the House Committee which Rep. Otis Pike happens to chair, both dealing with the U.S. investigative and intelligence programs.Brief- ly stated, I am totally nauseated by the irresponsible way in which both of you demand highly sensitive and classified data which seems to be publicized soon after you get it. It is my opinion and that of many friends that your committees are effectively destroying the credibility of these agencies and making impos- sible their effective performance in the future.Before going further, let me state that I do not condone irregularities, im- proprieties or illegalities by either agency in their normal, routine activities but I do see the justification, in serious security or Mafia like criminal acti- vities, for certain "extracurricular" activities to achieve needed ends and I think that the Congress should quietly recognize such, with reasonable controls. You should be proud and complimentary, for instance in my opinion,about the highly publicized and often misrepresented mail intercept program when you stop to realize that it was confined to mail to and from Russia and, insofar as I read, the results were given appropriate safeguards.I have no objection to having some type of scrutiny and supervision of these agencies by some well qualified and impartial panel and I do not object to having appropriate administrative action taken against offending employees and officials, if their rights are protected. What I do strongly object to is the pathetically inept and horrendously damaging procedures whereby your inquiries on sensitive matters are regularly reported, sometimes incompletely and for apparent political reasons. It just seems to me that someone connected with your committees is afflicted with political "diarrhea of the mouth" which impels them to babble without regard to common sense or the welfare of our intelligence programs and, as I read the press, you two gentlemen both have this weakness.I am sure that the intelligence organizations of all major nations make some mistakes. But have you ever seen the British, the French, the Russians, the Germans, the Israeli or the Japanese governments conduct such a "three ring circus" on sensitive matters as you men are doing to your everlasting discredit? I am sure also that we are the laughing stock of all the above enumerated nations. What foreign official will entrust sensitive and confidential data to U.S. intelligence agents in the foreseeable future when he knows that he may soon see his data publicized because of some misguided Congressional activity? I very sincerely feel that strong administrative and/or criminal action should be taken in any cases where either or both of your committees and/or their personnel have been the vehicle for embarrassing or damaging the U.S. by actions which resulted in confidential data being reported.In order that there be no misunderstanding, this letter represents nothing more than my very sincere conviction of great personal contempt and disgust with the way in which you and your committees have done a great disservice to the United States by sadly mishandling your responsibilities to these agencies and to our nation.cc: Rep. Otis G. PikeHouse Intelligence CommitteeWashington, D.C.Sincerely,FRED H. HALL6903 Cypress Road, C-21Plantation, Fla. 33347