Ask the Scholar

{
    "localId": "213875700",
    "label": "National Security Council Report 17, A Report to the National Security Council by the Executive Secretary on the Internal Security of the United States",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/213875700"
}

{
    "id": "213875700",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/213875700",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "National Security Council Report 17, A Report to the National Security Council by the Executive Secretary on the Internal Security of the United States",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/213875700",
    "collections": [
        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
        "Subject Files"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750595/750595-03-001.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750595/750595-03-001.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750595/750595-03-001.jpg",
    "imageCount": 41,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/213875700",
    "naId": 213875700,
    "levelOfDescription": "item",
    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 28,
            "logicalDate": "1948-06-28",
            "month": 6,
            "year": 1948
        }
    ],
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}

{
    "seq": 4,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750595/750595-03-004.jpg",
    "mediaId": "6963b0b67794e93f",
    "ocrText": "NSC 17\ncom\nJune 28, 1948\nA BRIEF STUDY CONCERNING THE\nINTERNAL SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES\nSUMMARY\nThe enclosed report contains a resume of the more salient and i mportant\ndata developed in the course of a recent internal security study conducte d at the\ndirection of the National Security Council for the purpose of considering the need\nfor developing a coordinated internal security effort and in order to deter mine\nthe action necessary to effectuate such an effort, if needed.\nIt is demonstrated in the attached report that no one agency is solely\nand exclusively responsible for the internal security of the United States; that,\nas a matter of fact, these responsibilities are of great variety and are broadly\ndistributed among a number of the agencies comprising the Executive Branch of the\nGovernment; but, none-the-less, that they are closely related and should always\nbe considered so from the standpoint of insuring over-all internal securi ty. For\norientation and informative purposes a digest is included therein of the outstand-\ning responsibilities of the major agencies concerned with this subject matter.\nIn the annexed report it is indicated that the necessary and desired de-\ngree of internal security coordination has not been attained and, with numerous\nexamples being cited in support thereof, it is concluded that the United States\nis not adequately secure internally at the present time and that it is not suf-\nficiently prepared from the standpoint of the future to thoroughly and speedily\ncope with the internal security conditions with which it would be confronted in\nthe event of a critical emergency. It is the finding of this survey that there\nis wanting the knowledge and integrated action essential to the safeguarding and\nreadying of the Nation's over-all internal security and it is concluded that the\nexistence of the internal security conditions described therein is attributable\nto a considerable extent to the absence of any centralized coordinating machinery\nwhich in turn is prerequisite to a proper knowledge of and integrated action\nwith respect to the internal security of the United States.\nBased upon the conclusion that there must be a thoroughly coordinated\nand integrated effort if the United States is not to be found wanting on the in-\nternal security score, it is recommended in the enclosed report that, in fur-\ntherance of that objective, there be established the position of Special Assist-\nant on Internal Security to the National Security Council. The proposed functions\nof the Special Assistant include the assessment and appraisal of the ovor-all in-\nternal security program on a continuing basis by working closely on a consultative,\nadvisory, coordinative and mutually cooperative basis with designated representa-\ntives of the interested agencies of the Executive Branch of the Government. The\nview is expressed that a better coordinated internal security program will ulti-\nmately result from the adoption of the aforementioned recommendation provided that,\nthe sincere cooperation of the several responsible agencios is afforded this en-\ndeavor.\nNSC 17\n- 1 -\nCONF PIDENTHA"
}