DISCUSSION WITH MR. CLARK CLIFFORD AT LUNCHEON - 14 JULY 1964

Created: 7/14/1964

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

tyu4

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

SUBJECT; Discussion with Mr. Clark Clifford at44

A Urge pert of the discussion centered around recent

developments, the evolving situation in San Franctaco.^Clifiord'a views on the dangerous aspects of the Republican platform, the preoccupation of the President with political matters including the selectionice Presidentariety of related subjects.

With respect to NRO, Clifford had read my communicationsand McNamara. He was not willing to concede President'*should beowovar he did state that his role weethe President and that neither ha nor the Board felt they were ininvolved in the implementation of the recommendations of thefurther stated that after some discussion of NRO problema, therebe some problema within the Pentagon between the Office of theDefense and the Air Force and these issues were not considered byas they were not within the province of the Board's competence. to Clifford the course of action agreed to with Bundy lastoutlined in my memorandum of this

1 briefly reviewed the Dillingham mattered the issue that had arisen "Vly with Senator Symington so that Clifford would be Wormed because of his intimate personal relationship with thelifford expressed appreciai of knowing the background of this issue with Symington as he was convinced Symington would bring the matter to his attention at some future time.

Thereong discussion of the organisation of the Office of Diroctor of Central Intelligence. Clifford said that he had proposed1 that the DCI, ae principal intelligence officer to the President, be separated from his intimate relationship with CIA and thus he could render more

effective assistance to the President and also could more effectively

guidance to the communityhole. He said that at one pointpecial Board meeting, he had maderoposal to Allen Dulles, then DCI, but Dulles absolutely refused to consider any such plan. eid there might be considerable merit inlan but itifficulty because the DCI was so heavily dependent upon CIA for staff support. In effect, CIA waa the DCI's only staff and organisationointed out that the original legislation provided that CIA be the coordinating agency within the intelligence

Af PROVED FOR re DATE: 5

oc 13

community and that this role had been transferred to DCI with the passage oi time,

I then made the point that perhaps the DCI should be the executive agent of all national intelligence. NSA, NPIC, NRO and AFTAC with an organizational arrangement that operational management of these agencies would rest with CIA and Defense. ointed out that CIA was the only unit which could be considered as completely objective with no "ax to grind" or no parochial interests outside of intelligence,aid this was particularly true of the DDI side of the house and it might be that parochialism might, in time, enter into the thinking of DD/SStT and DD/P,

Clifford askedould give some thoughtractical operational plan along tho above lines as he felt tho oxisting arrangement wasood one and did notrecise and therefore satisfactory plan of organization.

JAM/

JUN5

Original document.

---

---