138. Memorandum of Meeting1

SUBJECT

  • Operation of the New Soviet Branch

The Director called media directors and others concerned to discuss with them his concept of how the new IAB should function.2

He stated that it should become the best body of expertise on Soviet affairs in this town. It should perform useful coordination between our own branches within and other elements outside the Agency. It should as well examine what we are doing and not doing.3

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As an example, there are African students studying in Russia that call at our Embassy. They are a receptive target for information, and could be particularly useful in their travels to other European capitals and returning home. ERM suggested that if a plan could be devised in about a week specifying what to do and how much it would cost he could probably obtain money for it. But to do so he would need specifics.

Each Director was advised to stir up his own people and to get going with ideas on subjects and projects.

From his luncheon with the Russian Ambassador, ERM said the one subject that seemed most on Dobrynin’s mind was American publicity about anti-Semitism in Russia. With this as a lead perhaps we could do an Ameryka magazine article on Jews in the United States or a VOA series on Jews in Latin America. This was the kind of idea ERM had in mind.

Loomis mentioned a need for personnel trained in VOA languages of broadcast. He suggested establishing a personnel plan so that language speakers could have an Agency-wide career. General concurrence.

The Director mentioned to Schmidt that he would like to see personnel with Russian background posted to Latin America, the Far East, etc. Schmidt replied it was already being done to some extent.

There was general concurrence on a need to look at personnel policies for people with language capabilities so as to attract them, develop them, and keep them. Loomis suggested that Problems of Communism, now written for a free world audience and one of the Agency’s best products, might be done in another edition aimed at Communist audiences.

Chinese relationships regarding Russia might also be exploited much more in media output.

ERM stressed the need to attempt the unorthodox. He mentioned his Dobrynin conversation in which the Ambassador said that Ameryka and USSR need more self-criticism. Murrow said he immediately offered to swap editors for one issue. Dobrynin was noncommittal. The [Page 260] Director commented that the idea may be good or bad but it was unorthodox and he wanted to encourage more such unorthodoxy.

It was suggested that if the bureaucracy could be relaxed to obtain funds we could have a person or persons travel for long periods of time in Bloc countries, writing articles, cutting tapes, etc. To continue this for a long period we would, however, need an overcomplement of language speakers.

Paid vacations in Russian resort areas were mentioned. An officer on salary would spend time in resorts such as Sochi and in doing so contact a wide range of Russians.

Tom Tuch’s interest rose.

Russian tourists coming to the United States could be contacted and be interviewed. They are more official than tourists of other nations, and hence worth the effort of contact.

It was suggested that we could investigate Russian society, observe how well they are developing, and speculate what they might develop into. This entails telling them things about themselves which they do not know.

The necessity of cooperation with other Western European nations was mentioned.

Loomis described the dual mission of Project Larry in Liberia: we are to be both the Voice of America and the Voice of Africa. He observed that we might extend a similar mission to our Bloc broadcasts: become both the Voice of America and the Voice of Communism. This would entail relating matters such as what goes on in other Communist parties, who controls Cuba, who is on top in African Communism, etc. The Russian people have only one source of information; this would seek to give them an alternative. The need for government coordination on visiting dignitaries was mentioned. When Udall goes to Russia with Robert Frost, or Newton Minow is approached for a television exchange with Russia, they should seek a briefing first either at USIA or State.

It was suggested that Dobrynin himself might be induced to do a VOA report to his people.

Murrow closed the meeting by observing that in a week or three he would like to see some plans and “unorthodoxy”.

Robert Mayer Evans 4
  1. Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 306, USIA Files: FRC 68 A 4933, Field-Soviet Bloc (IAB)/62. No classification marking. A handwritten notation at the top of the page reads: “To: Reed Harris.”
  2. No other record of this meeting has been found.
  3. In a memorandum to Murrow, July 9, 1963, Leslie Brady noted that “July 1 marked the first full year of IAS.” He went on to gauge the merits of his branch in accordance with Murrow’s hopes expressed at the outset of Evans’ memorandum: “now, we are in a position to advise colleagues in USIA, other Government agencies, and private organizations as to how their activities might directly or indirectly influence public opinion in that part of the world. And more and more often we are consulted by such individuals and such institutions.” (Washington National Records Center, RG 306, USIA Files: FRC 72 A 5121, Field-Soviet Bloc/63) Murrow responded in a July 26 memorandum to Brady: “the creation of IAS wasn’t a mistake. You and your boys are to be congratulated on the shake-down here. It is always difficult to carve out a new division, but you have done it gracefully and effectively without creating undue friction. As I told you at the outset, it is my hope that you will develop in IAS the best body of expertise on current affairs in the Bloc countries to be found anywhere in Washington. I venture the opinion that today’s signing of the limited nuclear test ban in Moscow will not put you and your colleagues out of business!” (Ibid.)
  4. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.