(Testimony of C. Douglas Dillon)
Mr. Rankin.
the President more difficult, I would like to ask if it is your judgment that th Secret Service, if it is provided adequate personnel and if it is--if a broader criteria for the ascertainment of the persons who might be dangerous to President is adopted if it is your judgement that the Secret Service could meet these new factors and provide an effective protection for the President, taking into consideration the factors which you mentioned?
Secretary DILLON. Yes; I think they could. I think the answer is clearcut I don't think that means that under every and all circumstances you could be absolutely a thousand percent certain that nothing can happen. You never can he in a situation like this. But I think they could be a great deal better, and you could feel everything has been done. We have just completed--the thing wanted to says-- this study we have been working on many months as to what needed to provide this in the Secret Service. Chief Rowley was not able give you this when he was here before. I have given a copy of this to Mr. Rankin. I think it ought to go into the record at this point.
Mr. Rankin.
Mr. Secretary. I will hand to you the document you just referred to, called Planning Document, U.S. Secret Service, and ask if that is the document that you were describing.
Secretary DILLON. Yes. That is the document; yes.
Mr. Rankin.
Mr. Chief Justice. I would like to ask leave at this time to mark this document our next exhibit number which I will furnish later to the reporter and offer it in evidence as part of this examination.
The Chairman.
Mr. Secretary, that is not a security matter that couldn't go into the record, is it?
Secretary DILLON. No. I have one thing I would like to say about that, and think it should go into the record. What this is is our report as to how many personnel are needed and what has to be done and what they should do. We have transmitted that with a covering letter to the Bureau of the Budget. The final decision on what will be done on many of these things is taken in the light of recommendations of the Bureau of the Budget to the President and what he finally decides for budgetary reasons. So ordinarily budgetary matters are not published prior to the time the President has approved them. He hasn't approved this. He hasn't seen it, but I think under the circumstances I see no reason under this special circumstance, why this report should not go into the record, and I think it is perfectly all right.
The Chairman.
The report may be admitted and take the next number.
(Commission Exhibit No. 1053-A was marked for identification and received in evidence.)
Representative Ford.
This would be the recommendation of the Treasury Department to the Bureau of the Budget for the personnel and the funds for the Secret Service in fiscal year 1996?
Secretary DILLON. No. This is a recommendation to the Bureau of the Budget for the personnel and equipment that would be needed to put the Secret Service in what they consider adequate position to fully handle this problem. They feel that it would take about 20 months to get all the necessary people on board and trained. If this were started right away, as we think it could be apportionment on a deficiency basis were approval, this could start in fiscal year 1965 and depending on whether such is approved, the fiscal year 1966 final recommendation would be affected. But this is the total picture, and it is assuming our recommendation that they start in the next couple of months.
Representative Ford.
In either words, this is the plan that you would like instituted immediately regardless of budget considerations.
Secretary DILLON. That is right.
Mr. Mccloy.
Mr. Secretary, there is nothing in this exhibit that in any way, according to your judgement, would compromise the protection of the security of the President if it became----
Secretary DILLON. Oh, no; and there is also with it---it is just a covering letter but I think it is equally important---it is a letter which I wrote to the Director of the Budget on Monday when I forwarded this plan to him, and I think that probably should also go in because it bas a recommendation at the end covering the matter Mr. Ford raised.
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