196. Memorandum of a Meeting Between the President and the Republican Leadership, The White House, Washington, March 13, 19561
Present from Congress were: The Vice President, Senator Knowland, Senator Saltonstall, Congressman Halleck, Congressman Martin, Congressman Arends, and Congressman Leo Allen.
USIA was the second item on the agenda.
The President said he had been “sold on the need for this program for years.” He told of the necessary severe cutback in 1953. “We have been building up since then. It is in the hands of a very capable man, Streibert. He has a splendid staff. As you know, I am asking for $47 million increase.2 I know of nothing more important than a down-to-earth honest job of presentation of America’s story overseas.
“The United States is in a less critical situation than a few years ago when we were fighting in Korea and there was a hot war in Indochina, plus a serious situation in Iran, etc. But today there are terrific tensions in the Middle East. They are thinking only of arms help and of their immediate animosities. In this present situation, we [Page 565] must tell them our story, we must explain the broader aspects and make them realize the dire consequences of a flare-up into war.
“I can not speak too strongly in behalf of this whole information program. At a time when we are spending such terrific sums for the defense of our country, it would be foolhardy in the extreme to begrudge money to tell what we are trying to do in the world.”
Martin said that he had been getting into the matter personally, that the bill would be marked up in the Rooney subcommittee next week, that he had talked to Rooney, McCormack, Rayburn and Taber, and Bow3 (who was in the hospital for a couple of days).
Martin said the bill would not come up on the floor of the House until Easter. When it does, he, Rayburn and McCormack will all speak for it.
Martin said that as a newspaper publisher he has long recognized the tremendous value of an effective information job behind our policies overseas. The program, he felt, had greatly improved. He had heard no criticism of Streibert.
Martin pointed out that the real problem is in the Rooney subcommittee itself, “with the Democrats going along with Rooney and the Republicans lying back and enjoying being raped.”
Halleck confirmed this, saying that Bow and Coudert4 should have held out more strongly against Rooney last year. If so, they would have obtained a higher figure.
Saltonstall also confirmed this, saying that in the conference committee Preston,5 Sikes,6 and Magnuson all went along with Rooney and Cannon, while the Republican side did not hold up firmly.
Martin said “some of our boys seem to want to be raped.” But he was convinced that “with some real effort we can get most of this money for you, Mr. President.”
Martin said there were a few little things being complained of Taber had asked him to mention the fact that USIA was mailing to Nasser7 each day copies of the New York Times and the Washington Post at a daily cost of $1.20. The pro-Israeli editorials only irritate Nasser. There was laughter at this, and the President said he thought the idea was good but the choice of papers unfortunate! He said there are of course always little human errors in every operation of this sort. I said we would straighten this particular matter out immediately.
[Page 566]Nixon said that the $135 million involved here is peanuts compared with our billions for defense. He said there is tremendous interest in the public mind in this subject—that the public is aware of the Soviet shift in tactics from military threats to economic and psychological strategies. Any cutting in this activity would be greatly resented by the American public. He said he believed very deeply in the information program, and even more deeply in the exchange of persons program.
Martin said USIA has improved. Laughingly he recalled how in 1953 in Rome he had seen pictures of Truman and other Democrats in USIS display windows.
Saltonstall, also laughingly, assured the President that on his trip this summer he had seen the President’s picture in all USIS libraries “but you are not identified by name”.
Homer Gruenther8 later told me privately that his brother General Gruenther is a personal friend of both Rooney and McCormack. He suggested a luncheon or some other meeting at which General Gruenther, Rooney, McCormack and Homer Gruenther would be present and at which General Gruenther would put in a strong plug for the full amount of our budget request. I thanked Homer and told him that we would certainly let him know very soon our reaction to this thoughtful suggestion.
- Source: Department of State, USIA/IOP Files: Lot 59 D 260, I–Director, 1953–6. Confidential. Drafted by Washburn. Attached to this memorandum was a note which reads: “Mr. Washbum prefers these papers not be circulated.” The note contained in handwriting, “Noted OS”, probably referring to Oren Stephens, and “AB”, presumably Assistant USIA Director Andrew Berding.↩
- In his annual State of the Union message on January 5, 1956, President Eisenhower advised Congress that he was recommending a substantial increase in the USIA budget because he considered an understanding abroad of the truth about the United States “one of our most powerful forces.” (Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1956, p. 9)↩
- Representative Frank T. Bow (R–Ohio).↩
- Representative Frederic R. Coudert, Jr. (R–N.Y.).↩
- Representative Prince H. Preston (D–Ga.).↩
- Representative Robert L. F. Sikes (D–Fla.).↩
- Gamal Abdul Nasser, President of Egypt.↩
- Special Assistant, the White House office.↩