◆ SpookStack

~OP SECREi In mid-April of 1960 WH/4 made the first presen- tation for the DCI since the basic program had been approved by President Eisenhower in mid-March. In attendance in addition to the DCI were: Gen. Cabell, Mr. Helms (C/OPS), Herman Horton (CI Staff), and C. Tracy Barnes, Mr. Bissell's Deputy. This high level group was informed that broadcasting activity from Swan Island was scheduled to begin on 17 May 1960 and that very special operations were being carried out in order to provide stories for propaganda use. Ac- cording to Dave Phillips who made the presentation apparently was paid to Mr. Obers~'s proposals. About the same time that Oberst's memorandum was going forward, the DDP was calling for WH/4 to prepare daily progress reports as one way of eliminat- ing the need for crash-type responses or actions. In discussing the contents of such reports, it was indicated that: . The Progress Report should generally not exceed one page in length, and that we should not hesitate to include it in items which were not favorable to our progress, in other words, setbacks or handicaps which we might have encountered. 63/ Also, by way of keeping informed about develop- ments related to the operation, Chief WH/4 instituted a series of weekly meetings with the operational ele- ments of the DDP "for the purpose of insuring opera- tional coordination similar to that achieved by the meeting of support elements every Tuesday morning." 64/ - 88 - 40P Sf-eRr: i