‘ (fos-tot20-10976 . St ap eta $R/10-61-0066 Back ou 3 Vee Only + Do Net Reproduecs oe 3 February 1961 MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Central Cover Group e- ATTENTION : ke, Thomas Strange SUBJECT ; Basic Proposal to Cover Field Assessment of Potential REDSKIN Agent Candidates 1. A meeting was held 1 February 1961, to discuss the feasability of conducting field assessment of potential REDSKIN agent candidates by staff psychologists ofthe Assessment and Evaluation Staff, OTR, under suitable! cover. , i Conferees were Messeurs Thomas Strange and pf Central Cover Group, John Gittinger of TSD, pr| pnd Dr, John yO Golder of the A&E Staff, OTR, and Fielder Dudley of 3R/10. The problem discussed in para 2 below was recognized and tentative — agreement reached on the basic proposal discussed in para 3 below. ; on. . : 2. Heretofore field assessments have been conducted by- | SR/10 case officers whose capabilities in the rather esoteric science of psychological assessment are, at best, based funda~ mentally on intuition and subject to variable degrees of. objec- tivity, Furthermore these case officers reveal their Agency. connection on initial contact supported by credentials in alias. Thus all agent candidates screenad in the field become aware of-— Agency_intersat to exploit legal travel to the ussa for intelligence purposes. These include a considerable percentage who are acreened | out during the initial interview or subsequently as a result of Headquarters assessment, | 3. The Problem: oe : — | a, To sereen out unsuitable REDSXIN agent candidates without revealing Agency interest and to raduce possibilities of irrational reaction, i.e., going to the Press or writing’ letters to the President when later approached by an Agency \ representative proposing a3 intelligence mission.
14-00000 |” : . — te oh ‘ y € ‘ Soy tt, See SR/10-61-0066 cont. Po . Dota | fi SUBJECT: Basic Proposal to Cover Field Assessment Cor a@pte Ss of Potential BEDSKIN Agent Candidates Siok Reprodtiee . Eo | b. To restrict revelation of SR Division sate apart- | ments, staff employees and general tasks germane to REDSZIN operations only to those candidates most likely to be accepted. for recruitment. c. To cut down on the necessity of processing Provisional | Operational Approvals on all leads to be contacted for initial | screening, thereby reducing the heavy workload now impo se on the Office of Security and the Ck Staff by SR/10. — 34) 4, Basic Proposal: ; —_ a, To send staff psychologists of the A&E Staff, OTR, . to conduct field aggessmonte. when feasible, of, potential | moe _REDSKIN agent cangidates, based on leads furnished by” R/10's: | ee -. . spotter network,” The staff. psychologists willraprssent.. . = Ste Ea onan | \ t l . ¥ of ; mThtorliews on behalf of anonymods \but actual cliente in the fields of education, industry , government’ (Hoth federal and state). Other proprietgry caver can be provided if and whén sppropriate. The proprietary organizations can previde full “backstonping” throughout every normal working day. Appropriate documsnta- . tion is to be provided in true naze or alias, whichever is” appropriate in any particular case. se b.. As a test run, twelve potential REDSXIN agent candidates in the New England area have been selected for initial contact and assessment by Dr. Johan Golder 4&3 soon as this proposal hag been concurred in and approved, Candi- dates in the Midwest are tentatively scheduled for screening by Dr. | . ‘Jduring the latter half of February. c. Those agent candidates recommended as likely prospects by the staff psychologists will then be contacted SY Shr. c Gera, yhen Provisional Opersattonat-Approvals have o been granted, who will ascertain willingiess and availability j, ror" travel in the USSR on intelligence missions. When ° A response ig affirmative each candidate will be invited to tO Washington for full Headquarters assessment and possible recruituent. j H . | zy hv
14-00000 ge To PTA mat) Sie we Nar kk ‘ , . a " al. 7 | . set tien Oye = ay RSV APD eae Ong SR/10-61-0066 cont. NS Fert Teele “36 Not Heoroducs SUBJECT: Basic Proposal to Cover Field Assessment of Potential REDSKIN Agent Candidates 3. Earliest consideration of this proposal is requested so that the time consumming screening and processing of suitable REDSKIN agents can be accomplished in time for utilization during the 1961 travel season. 7 6. Any questions concerning this proposal should be directed to Fielder Dudley, SR/10, extension 8297. ; “HOWARD. OSHOBNT =] == uty Chief, SR Division ep