187. Circular Airgram From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Missions1
SUBJECT
- Outline Plan of Operations for the U.S. Ideological Program
The Operations Coordinating Board at its meeting on February 16, 1955 concurred in an “Outline Plan of Operations for the U.S. Ideological Program”2 and suggested that it be reviewed in the light of comments from the field. One copy of the document is enclosed.
The Outline Plan proposes in effect, that:
- 1.
- The United States strengthen the support of other peoples for the principles which characterize a free society. It is expected that activities implementing this plan will be concerned primarily with the leader group in each country (political, educational, labor, scientific). Emphasis will be upon concentrated impact with the expectation that the local leaders will influence their followers to accept the value of free world principles and recognize the inconsistencies of Communist principles.
- 2.
- The United States do this by demonstrating how those principles can be adopted in many different ways by other peoples as solutions to their problems while recognizing that there can be no single, dogmatic doctrine of free society.
- 3.
- The way to accomplish this is to use every opportunity to make clear to the other peoples how the application of free world principles in their societies will work to their advantage and how the adoption of Communist principles will be to their detriment.
- 4.
- This can best be achieved by taking specific positions on issues which are important to the target audiences and not by attempting blatant indoctrination of other peoples in the American way of life.
- 5.
- The most successful impact will result from quality rather than quantity.
Responsibility for carrying out these operations rests with the several agencies and their overseas missions as identified in the Outline Plan. It is expected that the Principal Officer will insure that the several operations are coordinated to the maximum degree practicable.
The members of the OCB agreed that only the Department of State will send complete copies of the paper to our posts listed above. The other interested departments and agencies will send to their representatives instructions regarding the implementation of those sections with which the respective agency is directly concerned. The implementation of the plan should be coordinated in the field by the Principal Officer.
It should be noted that this plan is not inflexible, is subject to change, and does not contain everything that this Government may wish to do or may find it necessary to do in this field.
Action of the OCB requires that the review of the Outline Plan be completed by August 15, 1955. It is requested that comments be received from each post not later than June 30, 1955. It is particularly desired that comments concern:
- 1.
- The validity of the underlying concepts and basic approach.
- 2.
- The ways in which particular items in the Plan may be used to further the achievement of U.S. objectives in each country.
- 3.
- Additional items which should be included.
- 4.
- Other pertinent comments.