800.4089/6–2149: Circular airgram

The Acting Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic and Consular Offices 1

secret
1.
Since the forthcoming Budapest Youth Festival, scheduled for August 14–28,2 followed by Congress in September,3 are probably tied [Page 837] in from the Communist viewpoint into the current series of “peace” meetings, Dept’s general position toward the meeting is the same as heretofore, i.e., while the American people and the U.S. Government welcome all sincere moves toward and discussions of methods for achieving peace, they have no illusions about such rigged “congresses,” the real purpose of which is not attainment of peace but glorification of the USSR and the Communist Party, vilification of democratic nations and confusion among true liberal center groups through efforts to emphasize the concept of two opposing blocks, the extreme right and the extreme left. Experience of the Praha youth meeting two years ago should not be taken as a guide to the Budapest festival, since some reputable American interest was represented at Praha while reputable U.S. youth organizations are apparently not displaying comparable interest in the forthcoming festival. While it is planned not to give such attention here or abroad as to awaken interest or encourage attendance, Dept desires through appropriate publicity to place the character and objectives of the meeting in right perspective.
2.
American groups now involved and probably participating are “American Youth for a Free World” and the “Committee on International Student Cooperation.” Information on the festival has been mailed out by these groups to non-Communist oriented organizations in the U.S., but thus far without much success. Groups purporting to represent the U.S. at the festival will presumably support Communist criticism of the U.S. and capitalist society. Communists are reportedly making a drive for the participation of Asiatic and Latin American [Page 838] youth, and consideration must be given to the impression that may thus be made in those areas. To date not much interest has been shown by western European youth organizations, the Dutch having particularly shown disinterest. Every western European youth organization except in the UK has disaffiliated with the International Union of Students.
3.
General principles underlying Dept’s passport policy in this connection require a policy decision in each specific case on the basis of U.S. interests.
4.
Dept plans to provide posts with material concerning previous “peace” meetings and background information on the World Federation of Democratic Youth and the International Union of Students, the principal sponsoring organizations, indicating their propaganda purposes and affiliations. Such material will enable posts in non-Communist countries to debunk (1) phony peace propaganda in connection with probable Communist efforts to obtain wide universal participation at Budapest and (2) the outpourings of the festival itself.
5.
Dept requests any comments regarding the festival and full reports on activities in all areas in preparation for the meeting, including the delegates, propaganda lines, etc. Use appropriate slug to indicate material usable for VOA.
6.
In accordance with standing instructions please transmit complete information on any additional “peace” meetings or congresses, sponsored either by or in opposition to Communists, which may be scheduled to be held in your area.
7.
For ARA posts: At your discretion informally advise governments to which you are accredited regarding U.S. viewpoints on this festival.
Webb
  1. This airgram was transmitted to 80 diplomatic and consular posts around the world. In airgram A-252, August 12, to Budapest, not printed, the Department requested the fullest possible coverage for the Communist-organized conferences discussed in this airgram (800.00B/8–1249).
  2. Despatch 718, September 7, from Budapest, not printed, transmitted a 38-page report on the World Festival of Youth and Students at Budapest, August 14–28, prepared by officers of the Legation in Hungary. The report observed that the festival and ancillary functions were attended by 10,000 young students and workers representing 84 countries. The report commented upon the festival as follows:

    “An impartial observer watching these cosmopolitan hordes, black, brown, white and yellow, many of them wearing colorful national or regional costumes, pouring into Budapest, and taking over the city for two weeks of songs, dances, games and parades, sooner or later found himself asking what purpose underlay this curious and undeniably impressive assemblage. To this question there can be but one answer; the sole purpose of the festival was to further the aims of the foreign policy of the Soviet Union.” (800.4089/0–749)

  3. Despatch 746, September 15, from Budapest, transmitted a 24-page report on the Second World Youth Congress of the World Federation of Democratic Youth held in Budapest from September 2 to September 8. The report, prepared by officers of the Legation in Hungary, observed that the conference was attended by 700 delegates representing 70 countries. The report characterized the conference as follows:

    “The daily sessions were given over largely to speeches, and it is clear from the tone and content of these, as well as of the resolution and the manifesto addressed to world youth in which the principal themes of the speeches were incorporated, that the WFDY, whatever it may have been at the time of its founding [November 1945], is now for all practical purposes a kind of junior Cominform. The present congress was obviously held to bring the WFDY up to date ideologically, to commit the 60 million members of the organization unreservedly on the side of the Soviet Union in the “cold war” and, specifically, to assign it a sector on the “peace front”. The delegates could scarcely have been more enthusiastically pro-Stalinist had they been recruited exclusively from the Soviet Union, and on the basis of their performance at Budapest the 700 leaders of the WFDY must be regarded as being either professional Communists or Communist sympathizers of the most uncompromising variety.” (800.4089/9–1449)