.   -*•  _■?.  .»> 
if"  z  r.^-"  '^~  *  "'*•' 
,    ,'  -  — o  >■'  ►>  »* *  i  •  *'  *•<-»  —  ^  •*  -  -  ^  ■  "if.  "•  *  "i  *►*»■»   ""/"*  * 
;.   The  retention  of  this  committee  or.  e  -;r?t:^t  ti^i?  wss  d<=e-;ed 
s-visstle  in  that  it  *ould  be  s  means  by  «hich  th?  various  intelligence 
e,;er.ciec  coulc  mrcdu-ce  comprehensive  &nd  factual  Cata  as  &  basis  of 
*s-i.-etes  or.   the  s-bjsct.   Furthermore .  the  cor.mittee  would  be  of  con- 
siderable >id  in  the  h.;rry  production  cf  intelligence  esti-mates  should 
--   crzsi*)  arise. 
i.  As  proposed  by  the  State  Department  the  co~*aittee  would 
coordinate  intelligence  information  of  the  war-like  intentions  of  the 
'Jb3I;  tad   produce  oeriodical  intelligence  estimates  on  the  subject  as 
it  affects  our  national  security. 
5.  ^ea  discussed  at  the.  IAC  meeting  of  19  Aug   It^v  the  XI 
sxt>1  lined  that  the  functions  o£   the  nrocosed  coaiittee  v*ere  being 
carried  out  to  considerable  extent  by  the  various  agencies  through 
.-.ea-s  of  a  check  off  list.  However,  it  *&s   determined  that  only  a 
fesr  representatives  orssent  were  familiar  with  such  an  arrangement. 
6.  The  IC1   now  pronoses  that  IAC  Members  designate  two  officers 
as   Check  List  Officer  (one  Cor  special   intelligence,  the  other  for  ail 
ether  type  intelligence)  to  follow  trends  bearing  on  the  various 
indicators  in  the  Check  List.   If  toproved,  he  requests  that  such  IAC 
designated  representatives  meet  with  representatives  of  the  CIA   to 
diccuss  methods  and  procedures.  He  recommends  that  such  s  committee 
be  strictly  on  an  informal  basis  end  that  the  committee  establish 
their  own  systen  of  checks  and  that  they  meet  as  often  as   conditions 
require  in  order  to  discuss  the  evidence,  to  consider  'jstimstes  and 
reports  on  boviet  indentions.  He  believes  that  such  a  committee  aa 
-jrooosed  ^ould  be  of   inestimable  value  in  orovicing  the  continuing 
nesns  for  coordin&tinr  and  analyzing  Soviet  war-like  intentions  and  that 
it  *ould  be  of  considerable  aid  in  the  production  of  national  int^lli- 
ence  in  the  =vent  of  an  emergency  or  crisis  situation. 
ZzlLZifl 
J.     Colonel   Donald  ?;.  ^ackwitz.  ArUAI-Afc.  ext  75^57.   ^s  the 
.nir  Torce  representative  on  the  committee  referred  to  in'nar  2. 
LI   Zyi  Harold  0.   Houston,  ArOIfc-SR.  ext  7570^.  has  been  most  active 
in  ccordinatinr  -attars  of   sneciel   intelligence.      3cth  are   familiar 
*ith  the  Check  Off  System. 
'  (""  •     •.**       •".  -■  f*     •'    "■   r— >  ••—.!«, 
I.     That  the  attached  Jtwora ndua  indicating  concurrence  and 
designating  the  above  mentioned  officers  as  Check  List  Officers  on 
the  uTetch  Committee"  be  signed. 
i"*  " '  ■  T.  r<-*  *  ■  •  T»  •  --»v 
Col   Frtnk  ^.turdivant.  ArOAI 
Ccl   Williams,  AFOAI-AZ 
Col    ::t:zort  At'OlK 
ct   Ccl   rcustoa.  /.FOir-bh.
(Page  1) 
AFOIP-PP/Lt  Col  Stattler/srh/72788 
MEMORANDUM  FOR  RECORD 
PROBLEM 
1.  To  review  Memorandum  from  the  DCI  recommending  the  establishment 
of  a  "Watch  Committee". 
FACTS  AND  DISCUSSION 
2.  State  Department  IAC  representative  recommended  to  the  DCI 
on  2[?]  July  1949  that  the  Joint  Ad  Hoc  Committee  that  prepared  ORE-4  6-49 
"the  possibility  of  direct  Soviet  military  action  during  1949"  be 
retained  as  a  permanent  committee* 
3.  The  retention  of  this  committee  on  a  permanent  basis  was  deemed 
advisable  in  that  it  would  be  a  means  by  which  the  various  intelligence 
agencies  could  produce  comprehensive  and  factual  data  as  a  basis  of 
estimates  on  the  subject-  Furthermore,  the  committee  would  be  cf  con- 
siderable aid  in  the  hurry  production  of  intelligence  estimates  should 
a  crisis  arise, 
4.  As  proposed  by  the  State  Department  the  committee  would 
coordinate  intelligence  information  of  the  war-like  intentions  of  the 
USSR  and  produce  periodical  intelligence  estimates  on  the  subject  as 
it  affects  our  national  security. 
5.  When  discussed  at  the  IAC  meeting  of  19  Aug  1949  the  DCI 
explained  that  the  functions  of  the  proposed  committee  were  being 
carried  out  to  considerable  extent  by  the  various  agencies  through 
means  of  a  check  off  list.  However,  it  vas  determined  that  only  a  few 
representatives  present  were  familiar  with  such  an  arrangement. 
6.  The  DCI  now  proposes  that  IAC  Members  designate  two  officers 
as  Check  List  Officer  (one  for  special  intelligence,  the  other  for  all 
other  type  intelligence)  to  follow  trends  bearing  on  the  various 
indicators  on  the  check  list.  If  approved,  he  requests  that  such  IAC 
designated  representatives  meet  with  representatives  of  the  CIA  to 
discuss  methods  and  procedures.  He  recommends  that  such  a  committee 
be  strictly  on  an  informal  basis  and  that  the  committee  establish 
their  own  system  of  checks  and  that  they  meet  as  often  as  conditions 
require  in  order  to  discuss  the  evidence,  to  consider  estimates  and 
reports  on  Soviet  intentions.  He  believes  that  such  a  committee  as 
proposed  would  be  of  inestimable  value  in  providing  the  continuing 
means  for  coordinating  and  analyzing  Soviet  war-like  intentions  and  that 
it  would  be  of  considerable  aid  in  the  production  of  national  intelli- 
gence in  the  event  of  an  emergency  or  crisis  situation.
(Page  1,  continued) 
7.  Colonel  Donald  N.  Wackwitz,  AFOAI-AE,  ext  75457,  was  the 
Air  Force  representative  on  the  committee  referred  to  in  par  2. 
Lt  Col  Harold  B.  Houston,  AFOIR,  ext  75704,  has  been  most  active 
in  coordinating  matters  of  special  intelligence.  Both  are  familiar 
with  the  Check  Off  System. 
ACTION  RECOMMENDED 
8.  That  the  attached  memorandum  indicating  concurrence  and 
designating  the  above  mentioned  officers  as  Check  List  Officers  on 
the  "Watch  Committee"  be  signed. 
COORDINATION 
Col  Frank  Sturdivant,  AFOAI 
Col  Williams,  AFOAI-AE 
Col  Barber ,  AFOIR 
Lt  Col  Houston,  AFOIR-SR