CONTENTS Statement by Senators Eastland and Dodd_ Statement by Senator Strom Thurmond__ United Nations Personnel Security- Advisory Committee On The Arts_ Personnel Security Investigations.. Intelligence Reporting Function-State Department. - Page STATE DEPARTMENT SECURITY-1963-65 UNITED NATIONS PERSONNEL SECURITY Incredible as it seems to many today-and amazing as it appeared to some, aware of the situation at the time there was no security screening, for a period of about three years, of U.S. citizens given posts with United Nations agencies. This was at the beginning of the organization-1946-49-when the insertion into the organization of personnel wedded to the communist cause could do irreparable harm to the security of this country. Partly because of this background, the subcommittee took a new look at the staffing of international organizations in the 1963-65 hearings and turned up some jolting facts. There were thousands of jobs available in the U.N. agencies.1 The U.N. 1963 report on staffing indicates a grand total of more than 43,000 staff positions, of which more than 3,494 were open to U.S. citizens. Would the communists and their fellow travelers miss this opportunity to infiltrate positions of influence? The records indicate they did not. The Internal Security Subcommittee conducted an investigation beginning in 1952, regarding the presence of American citizens, as employees in the Secretariat or in U.N. agencies, who might be communists. A staff summary on this was included in the recent hearings at the suggestion of Senator Dodd. The summary states, in part: 2 For a period of approximately 3 years-between the time of the formation of the United Nations in 1946 and the latter part of 1949-there was no safeguard whatsoever, from the standpoint of the United States, against employment by the United Nations of U.S. citizens who were disloyal to their country, or were actively engaged in espionage on behalf of some foreign power. During the course of the subcommittee hearings, several officials of the State Department testified that, although the United Nations was set up in 1946, they knew of no arrangement undertaken by the State Department prior to the autumn of 1949 to give to the Secretary General of the United Nations derogatory security information concerning U.S. citizens at the Secretariat. Late in 1949, in response to a request from the Secretary General, an information agreement was worked out whereby officials of the Secretariat gave to the State Department, for security checks, a list of U.S. citizens working for the Secretariat. Thereupon the State Department undertook to assemble such derogatory security information as was available in the U.S. Government's files. However, no field investigation was undertaken by the Department. The procedure set down was to have certain State Department officers evaluate such derogatory security information and orally to communicate to unnamed officials of the United Nations a conclusion, arrived at by State Department officials on a basis determined within the Department, as to whether the Department desired to object to the continued employment of any such person by the U.N. The Department's regular Security Division Evaluation Office did not take part in the evaluation, however. The subcommittee recommended that legislative safeguards be established to prevent future employment of American nationals of questionable loyalty to the United States by international organizations, located in this country. It further recommended that a definite arrangement be entered into between the U.S. Government and international organizations, under which information concerning the records of all American applicants for employment should be submitted to responsible officials to the international organizations so that the security of the United States could be protected. EXECUTIVE ORDER 10459 ISSUED On May 27, 1953, the summary recalled, President Eisenhower issued Executive Order 10459 establishing the International Organizations Employees Loyalty Board in the Civil Service Commission. It established procedures for getting pertinent imformation to the U.N. Secretary General.3 In brief, Executive Order 10459 directs the Civil Service Commission to conduct a full background investigation of any U.S. citizen who is employed or may be employed by the United Nations or any other public international organizations of which the United States is a member. In the event the duration of employment is for a period of 90 days or more, or if less than a period of 90 days and derogatory information is disclosed, the Federal Bureau of Investigation makes a full field investigation. Reports of full field investigations are forwarded through the Civil Service Commission to the Board. Whenever such a report contains derogatory information, there is made available to the person in question a hearing before the Board. Subsequent to the hearing the Board transmits an advisory opinion, together with the reason therefor, to the Secretary of State for transmission to the Secretary General of the United Nations for his use in exercising his rights and duties with respect to the personnel of the United Nations. In a move to plug this gaping hole in security, the late Pat McCarran offered a bill in 1953 (S. 3, 83d Congress) to require clearance of all U.S. nationals and putting certain responsibilities on the Attorney General in this regard. The bill was passed by the Senate but did not become law. Instead, there was set up by Executive Order 10422, issued January 9, 1953, by President Truman, a system for security checks.* This provided that the United States make available to the Secretary General of the U.N., information on which he could make his determination as to whether "reasonable grounds exist for believing that a U.S. citizen employed or being considered for employment on the Secretariat has been, is, or is likely to be, engaged in espionage or subversive activities against the United States".5 INVESTIGATIONS ORDERED The Civil Service Commission was directed to conduct a preliminary investigation. If derogatory information turned up, a full field investigation was to be made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, prior to appointment. Any derogatory information was to be forwarded by the Secretary of State to the United Nations Secretary General. Executive Order 10422 was amended and broadened by Executive Order 10459, issued by President Eisenhower on June 2, 1953. Among 3 Ibid., p. 1170. 4 Ibid., p. 1146. Ibid., p. 1146. |