Again, the fact that General Smith was in the news in August, 1950, due to his nomination as CIA Director, should not have come as any surprise to the MJ-12 proponents.
That Smith was publicly being mooted for the DCI job was well known as early as May, 1950. The NY Times, for example, reported on 30 May, 1950, at p. 5, in an article titled "High U.S. Post Due for Bedell Smith: Commander of First Army Likely to be Named Director fo Central Intelligence," that "Lieut. Gen. Walter Bedell Smith... is likely to be appointed Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, according to authoritative reports here today... Authoritative sources said, however, that President Truman has not yet made up his mind on General Smith, principally because of the general's health. He left Walter Reed Hospital after a major abdominal operation May 22 and has returned to First Army Headquarters at Governor's Island, New York, for convalescence."
By 1 August, 1950, he was ready to accept the DCI post, which is why Truman met with him. As Newsweek noted on 28 August, 1950, "Before the President named Smith he took one precaution: he made sure that the General's ulcers were on the mend." This was undoubtedly the reason for the 15 minute meeting on 1 August 1950 between Truman and Smith - to confirm that Smith would take the job, and that he was healthy enough to do so.
No big mystery, no great conspiracy - then or now.
Paul Kimball
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