(Testimony of Richard M. Helms)
Mr. Dulles.
Smuggling cases?
Mr. Mccone.
Smuggling cases. But I believe that something could be done. I call to the attention of this Commission one of the laws relating to atomic energy, namely the Atomic Weapons Reward Act of 15 July 1955 wherein a substantial reward is offered for the apprehension of persons responsible for the clandestine introduction or manufacture in the United States of such nuclear material or atomic weapons. It is suggested that the Commission may wish to recommend that original but similar legislation be enacted which would induce individuals to furnish information bearing on Presidential security by offering a substantial reward and preferential treatment. Substantial reward could represent a significant inducement even to staff officers and personnel of secret associations and state security organs abroad who are charged with assassination and sabotage. We have information that such personnel and police state apparatuses have expressed. and, in certain cases, acted upon their repugnance for such work and for the political system which requires such duties to be performed.
Mr. Rankin.
Is it your belief, Mr. McCone, that the methods for exchange of information between intelligence agencies of the Government could be materially improved.
Mr. Mccone.
I think the exchange between the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Secret Service is quite adequate. I am not informed as to whether the exchanges between the Secret Service and the FBI are equally adequate. I have not gone into that. I would have no means to know. Certainly it is most important that it be done.
Mr. Dulles.
Looking back now that you have the full record, do you feel that you received from the State Department adequate information at the time that they were aware of Oswald's defection and later activities in the Soviet Union, did you get at the time full information from the State Department on those particular subjects?
Mr. Mccone.
Well, I am not sure that we got full information, Mr. Dulles. The fact is we had very little information in our files.
Mr. Helms.
It was probably minimal.
Representative Ford.
Why did that happen?
Mr. Helms.
I am not sure, Mr. Ford. I can only assume that the State Department had a limited amount. Interestingly enough, it is far enough back now so that it's very hard to find people who were in the Moscow Embassy at the time familiar with the case, so in trying to run this down one comes to a lot of dead ends and I, therefore, would not like to hazard any guess.
Representative Ford.
Whose responsibility is it; is it CIA's responsibility to obtain the information or State Department's responsibility to supply it to Central Intelligence and to others.
Mr. Mccone.
With respect to a U.S. citizen who goes abroad, it is the responsibility of the State Department through its various echelons, consular service and embassies and so forth.
For a foreigner coming into the United States, who might be of suspicious character, coming here for espionage, subversion, assassination and other acts of violence, we would, and we do exchange this information immediately with the FBI.
Representative Ford.
But in this particular case, Oswald in the Soviet Union, whose responsibility was it to transmit the information, whatever it was, to the Central Intelligence Agency?
Mr. Mccone.
Well, it would be the State Department's responsibility to do that. Whether there really exists an order or orders that information on an American citizen returning from a foreign country be transmitted to CIA, I don't believe there are such regulations which exist.
Mr. Helms.
I don't believe they do, either.
Mr. Mccone.
I am not sure they should.
Representative Ford.
It wouldn't be your recommendation that you, the head of Central Intelligence Agency, should have that information?
Mr. Dulles.
In a case of an American defecting to a Communist country, shouldn't you have it?
Mr. Mccone.
Certainly certain types of information. What we ought to be
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