Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Foreign Economic Policy; Foreign Information Program, Volume IX

200. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs (McCardle) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Murphy)¹

Washington, undated.

SUBJECT

• USIA People-to-People Partnership Program²

At the request of your office, following is a brief résumé of the action taken by the Department concerning the President’s Conference on the People-to-People Program.

Origin of Program

The idea of such a program is believed to be the result of a discussion between Mr. Streibert and the President in the early fall of 1955 when Mr. Streibert asked the President for his support for a greatly expanded budget.³ The President is reported to have said that he would support such a request but that the job to be done required the participation of the people of the United States in addition to whatever was done by the Government.

First Discussion with the Department

The first recorded discussion of the People-to-People Program with the Department occurred in Mr. Streibert’s conference with the Secretary on May 18, 1956⁴ when the USIA plans were virtually complete. At that time Mr. Streibert showed the Secretary the letter which was to go out over the President’s signature calling a meeting on June 12–13 of private citizens who were to be invited to head committees under the new program. The Secretary said he was under the impression that this whole program might have certain areas of conflict with Departmental responsibilities and asked specifically if there would be duplication in East-West exchanges and also in certain responsibility of the Public Affairs Area in State.

Subsequent Departmental Actions with Respect to the Program

Subsequent to the discussion with the Secretary, USIA submitted various written materials to the Department. One of the first of a series of Department comments was transmitted verbally to Mr. Washburn by Mr. Lightner on May 23, 1956. The substance of this comment is contained in a memo dated May 23, 1956. (Tab A)⁵ These comments suggested minimum press release and no mention of any briefings by intelligence officers.

The Department expressed orally some reservations on the outgoing letter for the President’s signature (Tab B) but did not make written comments because the letter was already in the White House awaiting signature. The Department never did clear the letter.

All action was abruptly halted by the President’s sudden illness. The meeting of committee chairmen which had been scheduled for June 12 was postponed. It was later rescheduled for September 11–12 and activity began again about the middle of August.

In written comments on material which USIA had sent to the White House for possible use in preparing the President’s speech, the Department suggested that anti-communist material be played down. (Tab C)

Briefing materials prepared for the Secretary in preparation for his speech at the conference of committee chairmen also called attention to the fact that anything pertaining to East-West exchanges should be referred to the Department. (Tab D) Circumstances at the conference prevented the Secretary from using this material but the substance of it was given to the committee chairmen by Conger Reynolds of USIA at the September 12 meeting.

Events of the Conference Concerned with East-West Contacts

The program of the opening session developed in such a manner that emphasis was placed on anti-communist activities. The President spoke very briefly but at one point said we must “widen every possible chink in the Iron Curtain … .”⁶ (Tab E, Appendix B) This phrase was picked up as his most important comment. The Secretary spoke briefly and left for another meeting. Then Lt. Gen. Cabell, Deputy Director of CIA gave a long prepared speech on Communist activities and remained for a half-hour question period.

It was during this question period that Mr. Meany first asked if it is the purpose of the People-to-People Program to enter into exchange visits with and to make contact behind the Iron Curtain. (Tab E, page 2) Mr. Meany again voiced his opposition to exchanges behind the Iron Curtain during the afternoon session. (Tab E, page 5)

Mr. Brown, representing Mr. Meany, asked at the September 12 morning session for an answer to Mr. Meany’s question of the day before. (Tab E, page 9) The consensus of opinion of the committee chairmen was that as long as this was not a government operation, each committee should make its own policy on the matter.

During the course of the September 12 morning session, Mr. Reynolds of USIA said it was unfortunate that talk during the first day’s discussions centered around exchanges with the Iron Curtain. He stated that the People-to-People Program does not emphasize contacts with the Iron Curtain and that it would be preferable to concentrate activities in the initial stages to the free world. He suggested that if a committee desires to get into East-West contacts, it should work out plans with the State Department which has responsibility. (Tab E, page 7)

The USIASummary Report on White House Conference on A Program for People-to-People Partnership is attached. (Tab E)

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 511.00/9–1256. Confidential.
2. The White House Conference on a program for People-to-People Partnership was held September 11–12, in Washington.
3. See Document 193.
4. A memorandum of this conversation is in Department of State, Central File 511.004/5–1856.
5. None of the tabs is printed.
6. Ellipsis in the source text.