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G-2 ONI 

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• REF ID:A487605 e 

(Original is in the handwriting of Comdr. A. D. Kramer, USN.) 

(12 Nov. 1941) 

Subject Dissemination to White House. 

7 Nov. '41 Gen. Shennan Miles (G-2) at 1600 called on 

C~pt. Wilkinson (DNI). I was called in on the subject 

question. In reply to .Miles' inquiries I explained as 

follows: 

A. Through spring of '41 (G-2) (Bratton) and ONI had 

followed the signed agreement of Jan. '41. 

B. A combination of the following factors led to G-2 

not sending anything to the White House after May '41: 

1. Loss of Memo #9 to State in March. 

2. German report to Japs of leakage in April 

and the resulting clampdown on security. 

J. G-2 lack of confidence in Gen. Watson's 

ideas of security, particularly due to the 

absolute necessity thereof after 1 and 2 

above, and because of the fact that earlier 

in the spring one Memo to the White House 

was found by Col. Bratton in Gen. Watson 1 s 

wastebasket. 

4. The feeling of G-2 that almost without 

exception the. subject of the Memos and 

traffic was State business anyway, and the 

matters should therefore be properly taken 

up with the White House by State, rather 

than being sent directly. 

c. During June, when the new Naval Aide to the President 

(Beardall) came, he had taken the O.N.I. memos over as 

per agreement. In July I continued to show things to him 

in original form to keep him informed and also because he 

.specifically requested this, since the President at times 

was asking him about points appearing in this material. 

D. Toward the end of September (G-2 having sent nothing 

to the White House) Beardall stated the President wanted 

to see the material I was showing· him (Beardall). I 

informed DNI, explaining that G-2 permission must be 

obtained in accordance with the agreement. With DNI 1s 

permission I contacted Col. Bratton and got his O.K. 

E. During October (mu dissemination duty), only the 11memos 11 went. 

Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 11-08-2013 ~ursuant to E .0. 1352a 

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• REF ID:A487605 

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F. Several times between 1 Nov. and 7 Nov. (today) , 

Capt. Beardall 11as shown original material. On Friday 

noon, 7 Nov., he asked to have a number of ti.me to take. 

I reminded him that November was Army's month for 

dissemination. He acknowiedged this and stated he had 

so informed Mr. Roosevelt, but Roosevelt had directed 

him to bring it anyway. I told him I would get DNI and 

G-2 permission. 

General Miles then said G-2 was beginning again to 

disseminate to the White House. I indicated that my· 

concern was to comply with the agreement, and particularly 

to avoid duplicating via the Naval Aide anything which 

G-2 might send. This could be done by keeping in daily. 

, touch with Col. Bratton on what he was sending to the 

White House. In fact, the Naval Aides could be entirely 

eliminat.ed during G-2' s months and adhere strictly to the 

agreement~ by having ONI request G-2 to send anything 

Capt. Beardall felt should go. Gen. Miles agreed and 

stated that he vrou!.d confer with Gen. Watson on the matter. 

7 Nov. 1630 I saw Capt. Beardall, to show hi.m today's 

material, and explain what had developed in the above talk~.; 

He elucidated further by saying that when he had informed the 

President, in reply to a request for material, that it was 

Army's month for dissemination, the President said he understood 

that, and was in fact either seeing or being told about the 

material through Hull. However, he desired to see the material 

via Beardall anyway. Beardall expressed the opinion to me that 

President grasps things more rapidly visually than orally, and 

therefore wanted to see the material in addition to getting it 

from Hull. 

7 Nov. 1700 I informed Capt. Wilkinson of the above. He 

indicated he was going to pass it on to Miles. 

10 Nov. 1230 I saw Beardall with today's material. He 

informed me that a conference betw~en him, Miles, Watson (and 

another ?) had agreed to Beardall alone handling dissemination to 

the VJhite House. 

10 Nov. 1630 Saw DNI with today's material. He had already 

been informed of the above and directed that I comply therewith . 

. 12 Nov. 1615 Started routine of giving Beardall the day's 

material for transmission to the President, in compliance with 

the above outlined modification to the signed agreement of 

Jan. 141 between G-2 and ONI. 

A. D. Kramer 

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