199. Editorial Note
On June 4, the Department of State released to the press a secret anti-Stalin speech reported to have been delivered by Soviet Communist Party First Secretary Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev during the 20th Party Congress of the Soviet Communist Party in Moscow, February 24–25. The text of the address is printed in the New York Times, June 5, 1956, page 13. In a June 7 circular telegram to 69 USIS missions, the USIA Director reported that the Department of State, in releasing the speech, intended that the “document should speak for itself.” He instructed the posts to disseminate, as appropriate, materials particularly from non-American sources that would stress such basic points as, “We can believe present regime has repudiated Stalinism only when it supplements denunciation certain Stalin excesses by cessation methods of Stalin dictatorship.” He also cautioned that “Except for statements by President and Secretary of State, we should refrain from any form of presentation materials which might suggest they represent official U.S. views on evaluation or significance of Khrushchev speech.” (Usito 549, June 7; Department of State, USIA/IOP Files: Lot 64 D 535, 1956)
At his June 12 news conference Secretary Dulles discussed the Khrushchev speech. (Department of State Bulletin, June 25, 1956, pages 1063–1070) During a meeting with his staff on June 25 the Secretary talked about additional exploitation of the Khrushchev address. (Notes of the Secretary’s staff meeting, June 25; Department of State, S/S Files: Lot 63 D 75, Secretary’s Staff Meetings, Dec. 1955–July 1956)