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

511.00/7–1550: Circular airgram

The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic and Consular Offices ¹

secret

Washington, July 15, 1950—8:10 a. m.

Following the NAT and Foreign Ministers Meetings in May,² Assistant Secretary Barrett visited London to review the whole field of foreign information activities with Christopher Warner, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State,³ and heads of the British Foreign Office information departments.⁴ The specific purpose of the meetings was to explore ways and means of intensifying our efforts and strengthening cooperation between the information services of the two Governments wherever possible in the common interest.⁵ Topics covered included coordination of information policy, exchange of information materials and cooperation in the field, cooperation between VOA and BBC, techniques of distribution and measures to implement NAT decisions relating to public information.

Agreement was reached on the following main points:

1. While each Government will retain complete freedom of action in conducting overseas information, there should be close consultation and cooperation wherever possible in support of common objectives. To this end there should be continuous exchange of ideas between the Department and the Foreign Office and between our Missions abroad with a view to developing common lines of information policy, planning and conduct of activities. It was agreed, however, that such cooperation should normally stop short of joint information operations.

2. In order to further continuous discussion and exchange of ideas at the policy level, the Foreign Office is appointing an officer of First Secretary rank to the British Embassy in Washington with responsibility for maintaining liaison with the Department on all aspects of foreign information program. We are likewise appointing a special officer to our Embassy in London for closer liaison with the Foreign Office and BBC.

3. Arrangements have been made for closer coordination of broadcasting including joint use or sharing of transmitter facilities of VOA and BBC in Europe, Middle East, Far East and South East Asia. We are seeking to arrange facilities of relay of our broadcasts from Ceylon and the new British station at Singapore. In concert with British we are seeking widest possible use of transmitters of all other countries capable of reaching the Soviet Union and counteracting Soviet jamming. We have also agreed to study jointly measures which might be taken in the event that our broadcasts to satellite countries are jammed.

4. With regard to cooperation between the two information services in the field, it was agreed that consultation should be encouraged to further common objectives such as the aims of the North Atlantic Treaty, the United Nations and the counteracting of Communist propaganda. It was recognized that the opportunities for effective cooperation in the field would vary in different areas. Particular attention was given to information activities in South East Asia where the British have established a regional information office in Singapore for production of anti-Communist materials suitable for dissemination without direct attribution. A special instruction will be forthcoming regarding cooperation in this area. In general it was agreed that both services would benefit from exchange of ideas, exchange of information materials, discussion of techniques and, in certain countries, exchange of translations and extracts from the local press.

With respect to Europe, we agreed with the British on the general lines for promoting and coordinating special information in support of the objectives of the North Atlantic Treaty. The views of the Department and the Foreign Office is that while elaborate publicity machinery in the NATO is unnecessary, it will be desirable to have a qualified Public Information Officer attached to the Committee of Deputies to promote the most effective utilization of the information facilities of individual governments.

5. The exchange of specific information materials such as documentary films was discussed only in general terms. It was agreed, however, that arrangements for exchange of films might be advantageous in certain countries. In this as in other fields, discretion will be left to the Missions to work out mutually advantageous arrangements for furthering agreed objectives.

The Department will welcome reports and comments from you on the results of initial consultation with your British colleagues. Further instruction or guidance will be forthcoming from the Department when the liaison arrangement mentioned in paragraph 2 above is established in Washington and London.

Acheson

1. This circular airgram, drafted by William T. Stone, Chairman of the Inter-departmental Foreign Information Staff (IFIS), was sent to 70 diplomatic missions and consular offices around the world.
2. Regarding the meetings under reference here, see the editorial note, p. 306.
3. Assistant Under Secretary of State Christopher F. A. Warner was Superintending Under Secretary of the Information Policy, Information Research, and Information Services Departments of the British Foreign Office.
4. Assistant Secretary of State Barrett, accompanied by William T. Stone (see footnote 1, above) and Mallory Browne, Counselor of Embassy in the United Kingdom and Public Affairs Officer, held meetings with Assistant Under Secretary Warner and his assistants on May 20 and May 22. A set of informal notes on the meetings is included in the Department of State files under cover of a May 26 memorandum by Stone, none printed (511.00/5–2650).
5. As a result of informal discussions between the Department of State and the British Foreign Office in 1948, United States and British Missions abroad maintained an informal interchange of information and ideas in combating Communist propaganda in the foreign information field. In a paper entitled “Cooperation with British and Other Information Services/’ dated December 30, 1949, and soon after approved as policy by the Department of State, the Policy Advisory Staff of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs recommended a number of steps to expand American-British cooperation and raised the possibility of offering such cooperation to other selected governments (511.51/2–950).