Memorandum oa understanding between Labaaiy
and OSS in Spain
(Aa Agreed Uponeries of Conferences, Oct.ov.nonii the Ambaaaador, Colonel Orldley, Messrs. Phenlx, Thomas, Steele, Baaulao, Haerlng, and, In re-poet of Seo-tlontndolonel hohenthal and Commander Lusk)
I. Punotions.
Seeret Intelligence (SI) will be oonduoted by OSS, and at tho presentwill be dirooted primarily to obtaining military information from onemy and eaeap-oooupled territory. So far as direct intelligence from Spain la eonoernsd, SI operations will oover only such intelligence aa may bo requested or agreed to by tho Ambeasador and the Military and Ravel Attaches, or be required by the Joint Chiefs of Staff with the eon-ourrenoe of the State Department.
In oonnootlon with any possible intelligence work within Spain, lt ahould be borne in mind that the Ambassador has been authorised by Hashlngton to give the most solemn assuranoes of tho United States Government to tbe Spanish Foreign Minister that "none of our personnel
ln Spain are engaged Ln aotlvitles whloh ere dlreotod against Spaio".
Counter Espionage (CE) will bo developed within Spain by OSS as soon as adequate trained personnel Is available.
Neither Morale Operations (MO) nor Speelal Operatlona (SO)
will be undertaken for tho present*
3. epresentativeha r- and Analysis Branohnd A) nay bo attached to tha Madrid Offloe of 0B3 for the purpose ef preparing better-eveluated and moro authoritative reports onaterial fron this area*
o. n Spain will doc boooew Involved is anyarraaainj to the Imbessy. Tho deelaloc as ta what is or Is netrests with th* Ambassador, who should be kept currently informed ef tho nature of the activities ln whloh OSS engages or plana to engage in Spain.
II. Organisation and Personnel.
la OSS in Spain is coordinate with the offieea of Military Attaehe and Naval Attaohe, and like thorn Ispart of the Embassy* Just as eeoh ef these offices ishief whose duty it is to keep the Ambassador Informed and to seek his counsel and follow his generalso the Diraoter of the OSS In Spainike duty.
2. Mr. Themes is reeegnlted as Direotor of OSS In Spain, and, under him. Mr. Steele as Aotlmg Branoh Direotor of SI in Spsln. fcaoom-mendation will be made for the bringing of an additional officer,to the Ambassador, to Spain, and as soon as he arrives it is contemplated that he will bo designated by Mr. Thomas as Branoh Direotor efn Spain and that Mr. Steele will than be named Field Operations Officer and will honoeforth spend much of his time coordinating andthe activities of the several SI egoneios to the field.
1
number of Amerloan areata now in Bpaim will, forsuffice for ita SI work when tho additional offloorinance Offioor, thres oodo olorko and fournasd for whioh tho Embassy recognises.
4. lor CE work, OSS willranoh Direotor (under lir, Thomas) and, at the outset, one or two other specially trained agents. These are not now available in Spain but ahould be brought froa Washington or London as soon as possible,
further OSS personnel should he brought into SpainAttaohee. further additions or replacements ahould bathe ooTer of Embassy Attaehes or olarka or private oitlsenaln the oase of CE porsounal, of Vloe Consuls. Any suchbowwver, would be regular member* of eouaular staffs andtho aame supervision and diaolpllne ao other oonsular subordinates.
A. Tha Joint Chiefs of Staff have agreed unequivocally to the
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immediate withdrawal of any agent eauilng embarrassment to the Embaesy. aenoe ln cases where the Ambassador has reason te believeertain individual is connected with OSS and that his aotlvltlea la Spain ara likely to cauae eaberraaaacnt to the Embassy, tha Direotor ofCS8 in Spain will, upon tha Aabeseador's request, infora hla whether or not the Individual in question is in faot conneoted with OSS.
7* Agentsavo the usual responsibility to the prioolpal oonsular officer of any oonsular diatrlot ia whioh they aay be residing or operating.
xxi. security.
1. the conduot of oss personnel ln spain will be subject to proper dlseiplins and sanctions.
t. except for petroleum attsohes already in dual employment, OSS will not seek, without the approval of the ambassador, the asrvioss of or remunerste any offloer or employee, american or alien, of the embassy, of any coaaulate or of any other agency of tho americanin spain.
will be takeo not to involve the fmbaaey or anyor any other ageaolsa of the aaerloan oovarnmeot in ossnight be dlaelosed to their prejudice or embarrassment.
4. vo spaniah or other alien will normally be eaployed at ths madrid offlee oronsulat* in any confidential oapeoity.
8. bus precautions will be taken to insure ths security ef codes, confidential papers either of oss or of embassy, and confidential conversations.
spanish or other alien will be given any knowledgeuse of the diplomatic pouoh or the oourler aerrioe forintslligscos smterlala ths same rulse apply to oss as to theconsulates governing pouoh and courier asrvloo.
t. loeal finaoelog of thoith spanish or other foreign currency will be done with prior knowledge and approval, in saoh inatanee, of tha embassy.
1* Properly to Integrate the work of OSS in Spain with other work of the Embassy and to expedite needful and deairable collaboration, both the Ambassador and the Direotor of OSS in Spain will conferwith eaoh other. Besides, First Becretary Haerlng will serve as Special Liaison Offloer of the Embassy with OSS.
in Spain will endeavor to know and respaot, and willinformed about, the over-all policy being pursued byStatea Government and the ittbas sy in Spain. To tola andof OSS ln Spain will participate In tho regular weeklyof tha Embassy's senior officers and aeotlon ohiefs.
Direotor of OSS in Spain and the Branoh Dlreotore ef
SI and CE will have aoooss to the Ambaeaador, to senior Embassy officers and to the Ullltary and Havel Atteohea. Other agents of OSS will deal with the Embaasy either through their own Dlreotora or through tha Embassy Llalaon Offloer (Mr. Haerlng).
OSS agenta operating in oronsulate will deal with the prinoipal oonsular offloer and not with any subordinate officer or employee of that Consulate. Principal consular officers will oooparate in affording security protection for OSS personnel and documents.
6. Tho Ambassador has been authorised by the Statewith the ooncurrenoe of OSS, to examine all inoomlng and outgoing oorrespondenoo transmitted through tho Embassy. Be will exerolso thla right to the extent he ooasiders necessary.
6* Full facilities ol tho Embassy pouoh aad courier aarvlss will ba afforded OSB In Spain. To provide deairsbl* addition to thla, evpeoially between Baraelona and Uadrld, reoaantsndatlon will be mad* to OSS and to tha State Eepartavsnt that they Jointly arrange to aupplessnt vy one the present nusber of Madrid oourieri.
7* To effaot proper ooordlnatlon of SIith similar Intelligence of our other agenelea ln Spain, lt la proposed that periodicreferably weakly, be heldoint Intelligenceonalstlng of the Hilltery Attsohe, the Havel Attache, the Plreotor of OSS and the Embassy Liaison Offloer (representing th*ith th* senior military or navelotlng asfor the purpose oft*ra of mutual Interest.
9. To *ff*otoordlnatlon ofe ef OSS with similar existing intelligence of ourt la proposed that aa eoon a* CEa established in Spain periodic meetingsdoint Counter Espionage Committee, then to be constituted efof th* ewveralnterested ln oounter espionage activities. It la contemplated further thst the Llraster of OSS would develop andeatral eard Index of counter eaploaage material lm thaf th* several ag*nel*s, with th* cooperation of ti.iio. Eaoh aganoy,, would maintain separate oontaot withhe British set-up. PerSS would deal dlreetly with th* Brltlah Passport Control Offloa in CE mattersi th* Economictlon would oontlnu* Its intimate oontaot with th* oorraapendlng
-seetlcn of tho British aabessyj tho American Consulates would continue cooperation in passport and visa Batters with tho British ond other friendly Conrolatssi tho Military ond Veval Attaohos would continue to deal directly with the Military and laval Attaches ef other oountrieo.oTentuol deTelopowut of suoh organisation ond ooordinatloa, it would eppeer unneooooory to seek repreoentotion of FBI In Spsin.
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Original document.
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