GOVERNMENT Secret Is the Word for OSI House group unable to pierce veil of secrecy to find out what Office of Strategic Information does OPERATING
UNDER
A SECRET DIREC-
tive a n d making progress reports that are classified for security reasons are things n o t usually associated with a government agency dealing with unclassified information. Yet this is the way the Commerce Department's Office of Strategic Information operates, OSI director Erwin Seago told a House subcommittee last week. OSI has been severely criticized in many quarters for attempting to censor unclassified information. Last year at the ACS Minneapolis meeting, Seago's explanation of t h e functions of OSI drew protests from the audience (C&EN, Oct. 3, 1955, page 4 1 6 2 ) . • Congress I n v e s t i g a t e s . Last week the House Subcommittee on Government Information, headed by Rep. John E . Moss (D.-Calif.), h e l d hearings on t h e information policies of the Commerce D e p a r t m e n t and its Office of Strategic Information. I n his testimony, OSI director Seago said that the functions of his department are these: • To provide a central clearinghouse to guide science, industry, a n d business on a voluntary basis in the public release of unclassified information that might b e harmful to U. S. defense interests. • To furnish guidance to government agencies on the publication of unclassified information of the same type. • To develop and coordinate uniform guides on t h e international exchange of unclassified information. Continuing his testimony, Seago said that OSI furnishes advice on publishing unclassified information only w h e n requested a n d does not furnish unsolicited advice. H e said that, except for the field of international exchange of information, t h e principal activity of OSI during its 18 months of existence has been to study the problem of disseminating unclassified information. Early in March O S I issued a guide for handling Communist requests for unclassified government information. In questioning the legality of OSI, Chairman Moss established that OSI came into existence as a result of a directive from t h e National Security 2140
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Council spelling out the aims, goals, and functions of the n e w department. However, Seago refused to discuss the NSC directive in any w a y because it is a classified matter. I n fact, this document is so highly classified that it could not b e identified by n u m b e r , date, title, or other distinguishing feature. • More Secrecy. Under questioning by t h e committee on how O S I operates, Seago was extremely v a g u e on t h e details of conducting his department's business. He could not recall exactly how requests for advice w e r e received or w h a t was done with them. Nor could he say what action OSI would take in a given situation. However, h e did say that OSI contacts with other government agencies w e r e h a n d l e d through a n interdepartmental advisory committee which meets once a month. Minutes of these meetings a r e kept. But w h e n Moss's committee asked for copies of t h e minutes, Seago said that they could not b e made available because these documents a r e working
papers of t h e Executive b r a n c h of Government. Later in his testimony Seago disclosed that OSI makes regular progress reports on its activities to t h e I n t e r d e partmental Committee on Internal Security. Once again w h e n Rep. Moss asked for copies of t h e reports Seago refused to supply t h e m because t h e progress reports are classified. I n this case, h e said, t h e reports are classified for national security reasons. At this point R e p . Moss said, "I strongly think t h a t this is a n abuse of t h e privilege of classification. I t is difficult to see h o w t h e report of an agency of this t y p e could h a v e bearing on national security." Moss announced that h e would h a v e a member of t h e committee staff, with t h e proper security clearances, examine all these classified documents. • Results? Strong point in Seago's testimony was that OSI has increased t h e flow of unclassified information from the Communist bloc nations. This has been done b y requesting Communist nations to send us information in return for t h e information w e send t h e m . Seago said t h a t OSI coordinates this program. Under further questioning it b e c a m e evident that OSI's coordinating role is limited to publishing a guide for h a n dling Communist requests for unclassified information. Seago said t h a t OSI makes no contacts abroad a n d t h a t industry or individual government agencies handle all details, advice being furnished by O S I w h e n requested.
Certificates of Necessity Certificates of necessity for 1 9 7 n e w facilities amounting to $1,220,493,000 were granted by the Office of Defense Mobilization during, t h e period March 2 3 through April 4. Certificate grand total now stands at $35,040,963,000 for 20,843 facilities at an a v e r a g e of 6 0 % allowable for rapid tax amortization. Certificates of chemical interest are below. N A M E O F COMPANY AND LOCATION OF FACILITIES
PRODUCT OR SERVICE
National Cooperative Refinery McPherson, Kans. Standard Oil Indiana Sugar Creek, Mo.
Alkylate facilities
Cities Service Oil Ponoa City, Okla.
Oil refining facilities
Phillips Petroleum Kansas City, Kans.
Oil refining facilities
Phillips Petroleum Sweeny, Tex.
Oil refining facilities
Cities Service Refining Lake Charles, La. The Texas Company Lawrenceville, Ill. Phillips Chemical Bartlesville, Okla. Phillips Petroleum Bartlesville, Okla. Shell Chemical Deer Park, Tex. Union Carbide & Carbon Bakelite Company Div. Middlesex County, N. J.
AMOUNT CERTIFIED
$
PERCENTAGK ALLOWED
250,000 1,150,000 19,000 2,475,000 3,500,000 2,069,000 4,500,000 2,345,000 325,000 895,000 4,180,000 50,000 2,727,000 4,909,000 1,123,000 154,000
45 100 15 50 100 45 65 100 15 45 65 15 45 65 100 40
Research and development
1,284,900 605,100 832,700
65 45 55
Research and development
3,118,705
40
Research and development
800,000
60
Research and development
8,984,000
45
Aviation alkylate facilities
and
alkylate
Petroleum refining facilities Petroleum refining facilities
R e p . George Meader (R.-Mich.) w a n t e d to know w h a t were OSI's specific accomplishments in promoting the freer flow of information from b e hind t h e Iron Curtain. Seago could not enlighten t h e Congressman because OSI does not evaluate any information that might b e received from abroad. However, h e said t h a t OSI's achievements in t h e international field a r e contained in the progress reports which are classified. L a t e r in t h e day, Albert N . L e m a n , director of information for the C o m merce Department, appeared before the committee. R e p . Moss asked L e m a n whether h e could answer t h e question t h a t Seago h a d failed t o answer at great length, " W h a t does t h e Office of Strategic Information d o ? " L e m a n shed little light on this subject except to say t h a t perhaps t h e exploratory n a t u r e of current OSI operations does n o t lend itself t o statements of accomplishments.
Atom Plan Hailed Expressing gratification that a compromise solution has been worked out on t h e charter for an international atoms-for-peace agency, President Eisenhower said t h a t the agreement is a sign of substantial progress. A p proval last w e e k of t h e charter for t h e proposed International Atomic E n e r g y Agency marked one more step t o w a r d completion of the plan Eisenhower proposed to t h e United Nations in D e c e m ber 1 9 5 3 . N o w that the basic charter has been approved b y t h e 12-nation working group, the next step will b e t o gain approval of t h e United Nations. C o u n tries making u p t h e working group are: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, C a n a d a , Czechoslovakia, France, India, Portugal, Union of South Africa, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, U n i t e d Kingdom, a n d United States. Arrangements are being m a d e b y t h e negotiating group to present the charter for consideration a t an international conference to b e held in September at United Nations headquarters i n N e w York. If approval of t h e charter is gained at this meeting, t h e n the document is open for signature a n d ratification b y members of t h e United Nations. American delegates are hopeful t h a t 18 nations, the minimum r e q u i r e d t o put t h e statute into effect, will h a v e ratified the pact by June 1957. Although details of the charter h a v e not b e e n revealed, it is reported t h a t the n e w agency will b e more closely tied t o the U N t h a n such agencies as the World Health Organization, b u t still will n o t b e u n d e r t h e complete control of t h e U N Securitv Council.
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