Rather than pursue a “watch-and-see” policy in our information programs,
I believe we should have a firm plan which we can follow, with specific
items which we can emphasize in our programs. With that in mind, I
enclose a staff memorandum which outlines a number of such items.
The people of the Satellite countries are experiencing growing uneasiness
in the aftermath of the Four Power Conference over the idea that the
West may be preparing to “sell them down the river” as part of a general
relaxation of tensions with the USSR. We must alleviate this fear and
assure the Satellites that:
[Enclosure]
Staff Memorandum
Washington, August 4,
1955.
SUBJECT
- The Psychological Implications Arising Out of the Geneva
Conference as They Affect U.S. Information Programs Relating to
the European Satellites and the International Communist
Movements
Preliminary—Relaxing
Tensions
External tensions between the Free World and
the Soviet orbit can safely relax only when the internal tensions within the Soviet orbit are relaxed.
Outward relaxation, giving the Communists a free hand to consolidate
their power over one billion people, would be an utter betrayal of
not only the captive nations but of our own children.
Soviet internal tensions are caused by the forcible imposition of Communist tenets on people within
the Soviet orbit.
These tenets include consolidation of power to accomplish design of
world-wide extension of Communism from the Soviet base.
Such tenets are not mere abstractions as proven by the expansion of
the Soviet orbit in the last decade and the continuous integrated
subversive activity of Communist Party in the still Free World. This
tangible success prompted Molotov to say with satisfaction, eight months
ago,
“There is no force in the world strong enough to stop the march
of Communism.
“The Soviet Union and the Chinese People’s Republic and the
People’s Democracies have such manpower and enjoy such support
abroad that there is no force in the world that can arrest our
progress along the path we choose.” (From speech of V. Molotov—A.P.
Dispatch—Moscow’s Hall of Columns, Dec. 10, 1954)
[Page 67]
The formula for molding their people into obedient instruments of
world aggression is a continuous purgation from its society of all
anti-Communist elements and intensive indoctrination of the
remainder chiefly the young.
Enormity of natural resistance of the people within Soviet orbit to
forcible communization can be gauged by the means the Reds find it
necessary to use to accomplish their purpose, such as:
- 1.
- Elaborate barbed wire barriers around borders.
- 2.
- Vast police army to permeate, forcibly indoctrinate, and
discipline both the military and civilian society.
- 3.
- Unprecedented “corrective” labor camps—an integral part of
Soviet economy—the largest, most comprehensive enslavement of
innocent people in history.
- 4.
- General saturation of the people with Communist propaganda and
virtual exclusion of outside information, with accent on the
mandatory political indoctrination integrated throughout the
Soviet educational system.
The Free World has a right to insist that the Red regime cease
communizing its people with the already demonstrated objective of
molding them into instruments of aggression.
Such insistence is nowise an interference in the internal affairs of
the people of the Soviet orbit. These people have not the management
of their internal affairs. If they had there would be no threat to
the Free World arising from the Soviet orbit.
Action vs Communization of Captive
Nations
The President’s statements at Geneva contain clearly drawn lines for
a powerful political offensive against the threat to Free World
security that arises from Communist enslavement of their own people
in the U.S.S.R. and in the satellites.
Soviet Geneva statements and attitudes with regard to their own
people can be used by way of challenge to perform and, where they
contradict the President, they can be exposed as false.
Included in such a political offensive are policy lines for our
information programs and a basis for positive deeds which support
the restoration of freedom in the Soviet orbit and reduction of the
danger of conflict between the peoples of the two worlds.
[Page 68]
Policy Lines for Information
Programs
Iron Curtain as Symbol of Captive Nations
Enslavement
- 1.
- Geneva Text
- a.
- “It is time that all curtains, whether of guns or laws
or regulations, should begin to come down.” (President Eisenhower, Geneva, July 18)5
- b.
- “We are in complete agreement . . .6 since lifting of the said
barriers would meet both the national interests of the
Soviet and American peoples and the interests of
universal peace.” (Bulganin, Geneva,
July 18)7
- c.
- Text of President Eisenhower’s
statement on lifting curtain, Geneva,
July 22,8 in order that there
may be a free flow between us of ideas, of things and of
people.”
- 2.
- Exploitation of Text
- a.
-
Challenge Soviets to Dismantle
Iron Curtain
Enslavement of East Europe clearly shown to all
Europe by physical entity of Communist-erected and
maintained Iron Curtain. No one can deny existence
of Iron Curtain . . . . It is a 1200-mile
monstrosity stretching from Baltic to Adriatic . . .
. a barrier of barbed wire, land mines, watch
towers, border guards with machine guns, etc. . . .
. divides people of Europe . . . . anachronistic and
barbaric in an age of modern communications and
transportation . . . . prevents honest trade, social
intercourse and understanding between peoples of
divided nations . . . . indefensible on any other
ground than to give Communists time and opportunity
to mold their people in preparation for aggressive
war against the Free World.
USIA, RFE, and Am Com Lib could
do a good job dramatizing the physical horror of
Iron Curtain apparatus. Their efforts might be
augmented by help of good American advertising firm
in turning out grass roots pamphlets, brochures,
with sketches, etc. for Free World consumption—all
with purpose of generating a
popular demand to implement the President’s
plea “that all curtains . . . should . . . come
down.”
- b.
-
Hit Secret Police
M.V.D. in U.S.S.R.
and Secret Police in satellite states like U.B. in
Poland as interior barrier to free association
between two peoples, etc.
- c.
-
Hit Slave Labor Camps as barrier
to freedom.
Challenge government of U.S.S.R. and satellite
governments to give visas to representatives of the
A.F. of L. that
did such a good job in initiating UN investigations of slave
labor in Soviet orbit to search out and investigate
System of Camps at places like Vorkuta, etc.,
inquiring from prisoners therein the nature of their
“crimes”.
- d.
-
Hit Lack of Freedom in Soviet
Trade Unions
Seek opportunity for A.F.
of L. and C.I.O. representatives to talk to rank
and file trade union meetings in Soviet orbit about:
- (1)
- Right to strike for better working
conditions.
- (2)
- Right to change jobs. Give communist trade
union representatives the right to appear before
American locals and tell of what “freedom” they
have in Soviet orbit.
- e.
-
Hit Lack of Academic Freedom in
Soviet Orbit
Challenge Soviet and satellite universities to permit
Free World teachers and professors to appear as
guest lecturers on Communism and, by way of
demonstration give, over radio, for the benefit of
Soviet orbit students the answers to,
- (1)
- Marxian economics.
- (2)
- Marxian philosophy.
Obtain cooperation of several American universities
to invite Soviet professors on Marxian-Leninism to lecture here (perhaps
should include even professors in places like Lenin
Institute who educate Communist agents). Such a bold
invitation could do little harm here as Marxian
economics and philosophy are taught in a few places
here under wraps. Coming from the U.S.S.R. the
bottle would be labelled.
- f.
- Hit Soviet Suppression of Religious
Freedom
- (1)
- Expose fraud of Soviet 1936 Constitution which
permits freedom of anti-religious propaganda but does not give
same right of “propaganda” or promulgation of
religion.
“Section 124.—All citizens are guaranteed
freedom of cult and freedom of
anti-religious propaganda.”
- (2)
- Recent Khrushchev decree merely a refined and
sophisticated promulgation of “scientific
atheism.”
- g.
- Hit Lack of Freedom of Movement of
Citizens of U.S.S.R. or Satellites
- (1)
- Within Soviet orbit
- (2)
- Impossibility of average citizen on his own volition to leave
Soviet orbit.
- h.
- Hit Government Suppression of
Consumers Goods
- (1)
- Shipping consumers goods to foreign countries
for propaganda while there are shortages at
home.
- (2)
- Refusing peasant ownership of his own produce
on farms.
- i.
-
Hit Communist Exploitation of
Soviet Orbit Economy for World Revolutionary Aims
rather than National Interests
Entire Soviet economy made to support world
revolutionary activities at expense of national
interests. Even Government of U.S.S.R. is mere
“lever” of Communist Party. Elections to government
posts by
[Page 70]
citizens are meaningless, all power in hands of
internationalist party which does not work for
welfare of State, as such, but for international
revolutionary aims of Party.
Therefore, Soviet leaders should be
challenged to work for the
national interests of the nations of the
Soviet orbit.
In the present “collective leadership” there are
signs that some of the newer members—in contrast to
the “old Bolsheviks like Khrushchev, Bulganin and
Mikoyan—may
be more inclined towards national
interests.
- j.
- Hit Exploitation of Red Army for
World Revolution rather than National Interest
- (1)
- See Exhibit A attached. “Three Characteristics
of Red Army” by J.V. Stalin, the fundamental
doctrines as to function of the Red Army, which
has never changed.
- (2)
- This same doctrine expressed by Lenin in
letter dated October 4, 1918 to Central Executive
Committee in which he called for raising strength
of Red Army to three million to lend aid to German
proletariat.
- (3)
- Same doctrine expressed by Stalin in Moscow in
October 1952 that forces of Peoples Democracies
were to be used as “shock brigades” to liberate
countries enslaved by capitalism.
- (4)
- Malenkov, Khrushchev, Zhukov have not in
the slightest disavowed the purpose of Red armed
force.
Exhibit A—Pamphlet obtainable in
Library of Congress
“Three Characteristics of the Red Army” (Russian), J.V. Stalin,
Voyenezdat (Military Publishing House), Moscow, 1948.
Translated from the Russian
Speech made by Stalin on the 10th Anniversary of the Red Army
“The Party is proud that it succeeded in creating the first Red
Army in the world. What are the characteristics differentiating
our Red Army from any other army ever existing in the world?
The first and basic quality of our Red Army is that it is an army
of liberated workers and peasants, an army of the dictatorship
of the proletariat.
The second characteristic of our Red Army is reflected in the
fact that our army is an army of brotherhood among
nationalistics of our country, an army of liberation of
oppressed peoples, an army protecting the freedom and
independence of our country.
The third characteristic of the Red Army
consists in its spirit of internationalism, in
internationalist feeling permeating the whole Red Army. The
strength of our Red Army, Comrades, is in that it was since the
first days of its existence educated in the spirit of
internationalism and precisely because our army is being
educated in the spirit of internationalism, in
the spirit of the unity of interests of workers of all
countries: it is for that reason the army of world
revolution, an army of workers of all countries.”
