Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, Central and Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union, Volume IV

511.004/3–150

Memorandum by the President to the Secretary of State

Washington, March 1, 1950.

I had a conversation with David Sarnoff¹ the other day, regarding the exploitation of the Voice of America.

He suggested a committee, consisting of himself, Senator McMahon,² Senator McFarland³—on account of his Chairmanship of the Subcommittee on Communications in the Senate, Under Secretary of Defense Stephen Early, and Assistant Secretary of State Barrett, to look into the problem of improving the Voice of America.

I wish you would consider that, and we will discuss it when you come over tomorrow.⁴

H[arry] S. T[ruman]

1. Chairman of the Radio Corporation of America.
2. Senator Brien McMahon of Connecticut.
3. Senator Ernest W. McFarland of Arizona.
4. A marginal handwritten notation on the source text indicates that Secretary of State Acheson discussed this memorandum with President Truman on March 2; see also Assistant Secretary Barrett’s memorandum of March 2 to Secretary Acheson, infra.