11 April 1956: Foulkes to Leger

Within Canada, HYDRA was “split” between External Affairs, the CBNRC, and National Defense. But as the administrators of the system (and as the department that paid a good deal of the costs of running the system), National Defense took a sense of ownership of HYDRA. This is readily apparent in this letter to Jules Leger (Under-secretary of State for External Affairs) from General Charles Foulkes (Chairman, Chiefs of Staff). Here, Foulkes expresses a great deal of displeasure over comments made by G.G. Crean (External Affairs) to the effect that HYDRA was run by the army on behalf of External Affairs. Foulkes makes it clear that HYDRA is a “joint and cooperative effort between the Services and External Affairs,” in which both departments share the costs as well as the product.