Classification 138: Loyalty of Employees International Organizations
This classification was established in 1953 to investigate the loyalty to the United State of the U.S. employees of the United Nations and other international organizations. As early as 1949, U.N. Secretary General Trygve Lie asked for such clearances despite objections from Russia, Canada, and U.N. employee groups. On January 9, 1953, Executive Order 10422 provided for such investigations in response to allegations of communist infiltration of the U.N. The FBI received a supplemental appropriation for this work.
Some agencies, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Health Organization (WHO), would not permit the FBI to interview their employees or see their files. In 1958, the Bureau of the Budget recommended that the Civil Service Commission conduct the investigations except for FBI investigations when the Commission's initial probes found derogatory information. In 1966, the President complained about the poor quality of the Commission's investigative work but did not restore full investigative functions to the FBI.
Very few persons were found to be affiliated with communist groups and in 1975 the Bureau said the major subversive problem at the U.N. was not Americans but rather Russian nationals. Security checks for American employees of the U.N. now consist of the National Agency Check and then a full investigation if needed.
NARA online catalog descriptions of holdings for Classification 138: Loyalty of Employees International Organizations
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