Evening star., 1945-02-16

luBly IdVOr NOJ
only American Frank r. Kent
entrance into a postwar interna-
.ional organization to insure peace
but also full participation In the
immense job of Strengthening out
the tangle into which world affairs
have been thrust by the war.
The folly of narrow nationalisn
has been put behind us and we arr
at last prepared to assume our in
ternational responsibilities Th'
dissenters have shriveled in mum
ber and in Importance. Whethel
you like it or not, we are about tt
take our place as one of the chic
managers of the postwar world
This being so, it would seem desir'
able to play our part as competentl.
as possible; to rid ourselves of what
ever handicaps prevent using oul
weight effectively for the further.
ance of our general objectives-ant
the protection of our own interests
To this end, it would seem par.
ticularly desirable that we be al
least as well informed as our Allies
and colleagues. Yet, when a sounc
proposal to advance us to that leve
is suggested, there arises an oppo-
sition which distortS the facts and
misrepresents the purpose.
Cites Donovan Plan.
The case in point concerns the
recommendation made, at the re-
quest of the President, by Maj. Gen
William J: Donovan. for a co-ordi-
mated national intelligence service
which, through specially trained
group of Interpreters, will equip us
with accurate information of the
political, economic, scientific and
military developments the world
over; also keep us posted as to all
subversive activities at home and
abroad. We have no such service
now. Our major Allies and many
of our minor ones have. Our dis
advantage is clear.
The Donovan recommendations
propose to remove this. The rea-
sons for opposition largely spring
from absurd misconceptions and
bureaucratic jealouSies. Briefly
the facts are these-in our Govern
ment there are some half dozen
and more unrelated and unco-ordi-
mated secret intelligence services
Besides the Army and the Navy
there are those of the Department
of Justice, the Department of State
the Department of Commerce, the
Treasury Department, etc.
The information gathered by
none of these is available to any
other. Usually it is gathered, filed
and forgotten. 1t is an Intellectual
wasteful, silly system such as no
other flrst-class nation would toll
crate. Three years ago the Presi-
dent directed all these services to
make available their information
to Gen. Donovan, who had been
named co-ordinator of informa-
tion.
Gen. Donovan had created an
organization of picked specialists
from university faculties, who cor
related, supplemented, digested and
interpreted the facts. Thus, for the
first time there was a semblance of
coordination in this vital business
Of Intelligence The results were
good, though never complete, as
some of the services pulled back
and others did not cooperate at all
1t Is clear that when the war is
over, unless some action is taken
we promptly will lapse back into
the old method of gathering intel
ligence through many separate
agencies but rarely interpreting il
and using it, largely for the dubious
benefit of single department. II
is to avoid this lapse that the Presi-
dent asked Gen. Donovan fol
recommendations.
Proposal Called Good.
The Donovan recommendations
are free from sound objections. He
proposes an act creating a direc-
tor of intelligence and that all the
services be required to turn infor-
nation over to him, so that it may
be examined, supplemented, CO.
ordinated and interpreted by trained
men and then made available to the
President and other responsible
executives. That Is really all there
Is to it. 1t is not proposed to abol-
ish existing agencies, though GER
tainly some could be abolished or
consolidated with profit.
1t is merely a eommon-sense plan
for removing a handicap under
which we labor as a Nation and
which would place us at great dis
advantage in international confer
ences and world affairs. 1t Is a plan
to equip us with knowledge that will
enable us to act with intelligence.
There seems little room for argu-
ment as to the wisdom of this
course. Yet there already are wild
charges that the idea is to establish
an American Gestapo"; that 1t Is
proposed to create a "super-spy
system; that no citizens privacy
would be safe-and others of a
similar Stiffness.
To all this the complete answer
Is that there would be in the pro-
posed machinery no vestige of police
power. Further, it would be en-
tirely under the control of Congress,
which could at any time end it's ex-
istence by cutting of its appropri-
alton. The opposition mostly comes
from heads of certain services which
want to be left alone, who fear they