Allman's Early Days in the OSS

Allman left the cramped quarters of Stanley Prison on June 15, 1942, and by August 1942 — less than two months after a Presidential military order issued by Franklin D. Roosevelt created the OSS — Allman was aboard the Navy's Gripsholm, sailing to New York from China. While en route to the States, Allman contemplated his life, and he wondered about his Chinese friends still working for the Third Force. Had they "survived" the Japanese occupation? Allman wrote that he would "not soon forget the help they gave while [he] was interned in Hong Kong" — "all at great personal risk." Later in life, Allman would indeed return the favor, helping relocate and establish many of these individuals as overseas Chinese in the United States and elsewhere. Whenever possible, Allman worked to protect and aid his social network, particularly those tied to the Third Force. Over the next few weeks, this blog will begin to build out this particular nextwork of Allman's.

While aboard the Gripsholm, Allman tackled two writing projects: an outline for a book about his life as a lawyer in Shanghai and a report for the U.S. government. The report explained the situation surrounding propaganda and the Chinese press, and the extensive document included information about Japanese propaganda in Hong Kong and Latin America. In a separate confidential cover letter to the document, Allman explained that Shanghai was home to a number of small newspapers published for propaganda purposes by Chiang Kai-shek and the Japanese, and he wanted to make clear his relationship to these publications. Allman explained that he "was not connected with any of these and [did not] wish to be confused with them." This appeared to be a genuine concern and one that would follow Allman throughout his life. Allman also defended his ties to Shi Liangcai, the former editor and publisher to the Shen Bao, who he called a true patriot of China. Whether Allman provided his report as a volunteer show of civic responsibility or as part of a paid position is not known. However, two months later, on October 1, 1942, Allman was receiving letters addressed to him at the "Office of Strategic Services" in New York City.

According to Allman's records, he became director of the Far Eastern bureau of the OSS around this time. By 1943, according to a declassified OSS document that outlined the Secret Intelligence Branch and all its — largely personnel — woes to the State Department's "Mr. Lyon," Allman was with the Counter Intelligence branch, overseeing the Far East Desk.

The file — today's document of the day — critiqued many OSS branch officer, both personally and professionally. F. D. Duke, the South Eastern European chief, "appear[ed] to lack drive"; Charles Katek, the Hungarian and Czech chief, was "a big man physically with not enough to do"; and Gordon Loud, the Near East chief, was "easy going and not too effective." D. G. Stampado, the Topographic Desk chief, was "a good man though a little too cocky" and R. L. Brittenham, of the Swiss desk, was "a bit on the romantic side."

Unlike most of the other sixty-seven "personalities" in the document, Allman and his counter-intelligence partner, James Murphy (who led the X-2 Counter Espionage Branch), came out unscathed (and, thus, generally uninteresting). Allman was referred to as "[f]or many years Judge of the Mixed Court, Shanghai. Well known throughout the Far East." Murphy was identified as a lawyer and "General Donovan's right hand man; has a phenomenal memory and great ability."

On this page, you'll find excerpted images from the OSS document. The full, now declassified OSS document can be found on the CIA website.

This document raises all sorts of questions for me regarding Allman. Primarily, I'd like to know more about his relations with the China desk's R. A. Henningson and the comment in the document that the Far Eastern Section "has until recently been under a man who had great knowledge but no organizing ability. The situation has now changed. It has also been hampered by the lack of cooperation on the part of the Theater Commander in the Pacific Area." So, was Henningson part of the problem or part of the solution? What about Allman? And how closely did Allman work with the top brass of the OSS, particularly General William J. Donovan, John Magruder, deputy director Intelligence Service, and Whitney Shepardson, director of Secret Intelligence Branch? Based on Allman's personal records at the Hoover Institution, quite closely. But one wonders when a person such as Allman offers up his papers to posterity, what as been lost, removed, or altered along the way.

Oh, and who exactly was Mr. Lyon at the State House?