(I) The entrance of the US government into the foreign intelligence business is fairly recent. (II) Even between the two World Wars it did not maintain a strong intelligence organisation. (III) The army and the navy, however, maintained separate intelligence units at this time but they were designed specifically to meet their own needs in times of war. (IV) The duplication of material in this way was soon regarded as excessively wasteful and the system was accordingly abolished. (V) Additionally the State department kept a watchful eye on world happenings and ambassadors regularly reported their observations.