661.00/9–850: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Kirk) to the Secretary of State 1

secret
priority

649. The President’s recent message to the people of America2 and speeches by Ambassador Austin in SC pinning full responsibility on USSR for Communist imperialism and its eruption into open aggression in Korea3 in Embassy’s view represent great forward stride in [Page 1243] meeting need this juncture to convict Soviet Union as active and ubiquitous inciter present world tension. Embassy still believes that policy of avoiding direct unilateral US approaches holding USSR accountable is valid particularly in view Soviet desire to identify action Korea solely with US but does on other hand feel that no holds should be barred in public statements such as above and that particularly during next GA every opportunity should be taken for very plain talk on all aspects of Soviet warmongering. In this connection Embassy would suggest that Soviet imperialism might be better term than Communist imperialism not only because word Communism, although it evokes great emotional response from Americans, means many things to other peoples but because it can antagonize present and future cooperating countries. After all it is upon the Soviets that we are endeavoring to pin ultimate responsibility. Neither China, North Korea nor any other satellite would move without impulse from Moscow and that is what we should make clear to world public opinion.

There is hardly any doubt that the Soviet and satellite delegations will open up with all guns at the forthcoming GA in order to prove that the US and the 52 UN members who support it in the east-west struggle are the camp of war and Fascism and the USSR and its supporters the camp of peace, democracy and socialism. They will be well equipped with “documentary” evidence of photographs, distorted statements by western press and public figures and exaggerations of the relatively small and exceptional examples of repression in the free world. Our approach should be to emphasize widespread constructive efforts being carried out in free world to achieve progress through cooperation in contrast to Soviet nurtured destruction of present values and welfare of generations through revolution on world scale in the name of dubious millenium whose premises are negated by the nature and actions of the small group of conspirators who have arrogated to themselves the direction of this movement. We should proudly display great constructive economic and industrial achievements of North Atlantic community and trace flow of benefits to all other countries—even those behind Iron Curtain. Along with this the cultural and other contributions of the other countries of the free world should be emphasized. This constructive progress can be contrasted with the privations imposed upon the present generations in the Iron Curtain countries by revolution promoted by group that has given birth to such principles as “new” Soviet law and justice placing interests of tyrannical state and minority party ruling it above those of its citizens, as “new” Soviet patriotism which moulds thought processes of people and directs them against principles and ideas that have brought greater happiness and welfare to civilized peoples than Soviet leaders can afford to admit.

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In larger context, it will be free world’s military, political, economic and social victories in areas under Communist pressure which will assure lasting peace and security but Soviets will surely watch progress of their peace propaganda campaign closely trying to discover some point where it would create enough confusion to clear path for military victory of world revolution. If there is to be any confusion in thinking in these areas we should by vigorous efforts make sure that it is confusion at least that of claim and counter-claim rather than one-sided distortion of fact and motivation. In this connection should be borne in mind that resounding victories in UN debate and effective demolishing of Soviet propaganda positions elsewhere will bear fruitful results only to extent that they reach those peoples of the world who, rather than their governments, need convincing. Additional personnel for briefing correspondents covering GA committee debates, more persons to digest main points of argumentation and more funds for printed materials for generous distribution throughout world are just few channels through which full utilization can be made of strong moral position of free world.

Soviet purpose at GA will be to sell its policies and its system to people of the world as better alternative than burden of heavy military expenditures even if just for defense. It will point to vast schemes for peaceful construction it has just announced as evidence its sincerity. It seems from here that US should take initiative at this session to expose as fully as possible workings of Soviet system domestically as well as in foreign field. Soviets themselves have made issue one of competition of the two systems and have gone far by concealing their own sphere of domination from view. The US should take up challenge and seize initiative at this session using as pegs German and Jap prisoners, human rights, paramilitary organizations East Germany, Soviet charges of atrocities in Greece and Korea and other items which will be discussed.

Many friendly delegations at last session expressed view that more vigorous US leadership would be welcome and Embassy feels we should take full advantage of this favorable attitude.

Kirk
  1. This telegram was relayed at various times on September 8 to London, Paris, Frankfort, and the United States Mission at the United Nations.
  2. The President’s radio and television report to the American people on the situation in Korea, broadcast from the White House on September 1, is in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Harry S. Truman, 1950, pp. 609–614.
  3. For documentation on the events in Korea during 1950, see volume viii.