What did the declassified documents reveal?

This is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency memorandum titled “Developments in the Willoughby Situation and Certain Recommendations,” dated December fifteenth, nineteen fifty. The record is notable because it documents high‑level discussions between senior United States military commanders and the CIA concerning coordination of intelligence operations in the Far Eastern Command during the early post‑war period. The document is hosted on the Black Vault archive. The memorandum was released to the public on May eighth, two thousand three, under CIA authority for declassification. The release appears in the CIA’s electronic reading room with the identifier CIA‑RDP‑80‑B‑01676‑R‑002600080002‑6. The full text is available at the Black Vault URL https://archive.org/download/us-china-intel-CI00619/CI00619djvu.txt. The memorandum reads as follows. Approved for release May eighth, two thousand three. MEMORANDUM FOR: MR. ALLEN W. RELLES, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence SUBJECT: Developments in the Willoughby Situation and Certain Recommendations 1. This memorandum is submitted in response to your request for a write‑up of the information given orally by General Cabell on Friday, December third, immediately following his return from Japan where he had gone on a brief trip with General Collins. I am including in this memorandum certain additional information concerning recent developments, all of which paint, in my view, the conclusion that it would be most desirable for a very high‑ranking representative of General Smith, preferably yourself, to visit the Far Eastern Command in the relatively near future. This representative should bear the highest possible credentials in order to assure a good reception in the Far Eastern Command and to guarantee that he will have the opportunity of working toward a satisfactory solution of the problems which are presently besetting the operatives of both OSO and OPC. 2. General Cabell reported that he and General Collins had two conferences with General MacArthur; General Willoughby was present at the second conference but not the first. General MacArthur stated to General Collins that he recognized the importance of the mission of the CIA and realized that in the discharge of its responsibility it was necessary for the CIA to do things that did not particularly appeal to him. He was prepared to be of assistance to the CIA, but he wanted to be certain that his staff was kept efficiently acquainted with the activities of the CIA in order to provide him with the necessary degree of protection to his own position, especially in his role as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, SCAP. In a private conversation between General Cabell and General Willoughby, which took place on the evening before the last meeting with General MacArthur, General Cabell volunteered a statement to the effect that General Smith’s arrival as Chief of the CIA was welcomed by all in Washington and that relationships between the…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

Case File · ARCHIVE-005Declassified

Filed OCT 26 · 2026Runtime 1 min

CIA Developments In The Willoughby Situation And Certain Recommendations

U.S. public record · FOIAUpdated October 26, 2026

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◆ BLUF — The short version

This is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency memorandum titled “Developments in the Willoughby Situation and Certain Recommendations,” dated December fifteenth, nineteen fifty. The record is notable because it documents high‑level discussions between senior United States military commanders and the CIA concerning coordination of intelligence operations in the Far Eastern Command during the early post‑war period.

Date: OCT 26 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was CIA Developments In The Willoughby Situation And Certain Recommendations about?: This is a declassified Central Intelligence Agency memorandum titled “Developments in the Willoughby Situation and Certain Recommendations,” dated December fifteenth, nineteen fifty. The record is notable because it documents high‑level discussions between senior United States military commanders and the CIA concerning coordination of intelligence operations in the Far Eastern Command during the early post‑war period.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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CIA Developments In The Willoughby Situation And Certain Recommendations

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