Black Book memo

by Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter

MEMORANDUM TO THE PRESIDENT:

Subject: "Majic"

I have learned that you seldom see the army summaries of "Majic" material. For some time, the last two months in particular, I have had our intelligence liaison organization concentrating on a workable presentation on "Majic" for my use, as well as for the other officials concerned, particularly yourself. A highly specialized organization is now engaged in the very necessary process of separating the wheat from the chaff and correlating the items with past information in order that I may be able to quickly and intelligently evaluate the importance of the product.

Recently I have had these summaries bound in a Black Book both for convenience of reading and for greater security in handling. Sometimes two or three of these booklets are written [ ] in a single day. I think they contain all the worthwhile information culled from the tremendous mass of material now available and that are assimilated each twenty-four hours. The recent discovery of the machines has added a tremendous amount of such material and will continue to give us a great deal from day to day. The problem is how to avoid being buried under the mass of information, and I think the present arrangements satisfactorily meets that difficulty.

I am gathering two of the current booklets which I hope you will glance through in order to familiarize yourself with the manner in which the information is presented. I will send these booklets each week to you direct at the White House.