Memorandum from George Elsey to Donald Dawson

320-B THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON May 4, 1948 from. o by 16-30-48. MEMORANDUM FOR MR. DAWSON: x 1290-B You will recall that I spoke to you briefly last week about a call from the Central Intelligence Agency, inquiring what reply should be made to an informal request from the House # Committee on Un-American Activities for information on a former OSS employee. The House Committee turned to C.I.A. because the Committee understood that C.I.A. had OSS files in its custody. x128-73 At your suggestion, I informed C.I.A. that they should inform the Committee that the Committee's request would have to be made in writing. J. Parnell Thomas has now written to C.I.A., request- ing permission for a Committee staff member to examine the "personnel file" of one Daniel Melcher, Melcher is a former OSS employee, not now employed by C.I.A. nor, for that matter, known to be in U. S. Government service at present. Mr. Walter Pfortzheimer, of C.I.A., requests advice as to how his agency should reply. He does not believe that this case falls within the terms of the President's directive x252-K of March 13, which is concerned only with "loyalty" cases of present Federal employees. kavie GEORGE Garge M. ELSEY Elery x 150-B de DEPARTMENT YAM DOWNTD Joing BACK