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    "localId": "213875851",
    "label": "National Security Council Report 17/2, A Report to the National Security Council by the Executive Secretary on the Internal Security of the United States",
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    "id": "213875851",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "National Security Council Report 17/2, 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/213875851",
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        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 13,
            "logicalDate": "1948-08-13",
            "month": 8,
            "year": 1948
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{
    "seq": 5,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
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    "ocrText": "TRUMAN\n\"NATIONAL\nCONSUDENTIA\nARCHIVES AND\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\"\nb. Establishment of an internal security coordinator\nwith authority to order action on the part of responsible\nAgencies.\nThis proposal in theory has the same administrative advantages\nas in a above but it also has all of the practical disadvan-\ntages cited above. In addition, this proposal would infringe\nupon and conflict with the established assignments of respon- -\nsibility and channels of authority within the Executive Branch.\nC.\nThe creation of a committee or board comprised of\nrepresentatives from the many responsible Agencies and charged\nwith coordinating the entire field of internal security.\nThis proposal would centralize in a single group a dangerous\ndegree of authority over the many activities which affect our\ninternal security. In addition, it would be a time -consuming\nand inefficient method of coordination. Most of the specific\nproblems of internal security involve only a few of the many\nAgencies having responsibilities in the field. Coordination\nby a committee or board, therefore, would require considera-\ntion and unanimous agreement on each specific problem by a\nmultitude of agency representatives, many of whom would have\nlittle or no direct interest or responsibility in any given\ncase.\nd. Creation of a position of Special Adviser on In-\nternal Security to the National Security Council to assist\nthe Council in assessing and appraising the internal security\nsituation as it affects the national security and advising\nthe President with respect thereto.\nThis proposal appears in theory to be less efficient than the\nalternatives in a. and b. above from a purely administrative\npoint of view and its success will unquestionably be depend-\nent upon the wholehearted cooperation of all responsible De. -\npartments and Agencies. In practice, however, it is the most\nconsistent with our system of government and should achieve\nbeneficial results under that system. A full-time devotion\nto a study and survey of the internal security situation\nshould inevitably bring to light those problems requiring\nsolution. In the majority of cases, calling these problems\nto the attention of the responsible Agencies and assisting\nthem in solving their problems should result in remedial\naction which could be merely reported to the National Securi-\nty Council. In those few cases, however, where satisfactory\nsolutions cannot be found by mutual agreement among the re-\nsponsible Agencies, a report to the Council by the Special\nAdviser, including his recommendations, will bring together\nfor a settlement of the problem the heads of all the responsi- -\nble Departments and Agencies and, if necessary, the matter\nmay eventually be referred to the President for decision.\nThis Adviser would also be in the best position to indicate to\nthe Council additional legislation which may be necessary and\nthose policies and plans which should be formulated.\nNSC 17/2\n- 2 -"
}