Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, National Security Affairs, Volume II, Part 2

511.00/10–2653: Circular telegram

The Director of the United States Information Agency (Streibert) to Certain Diplomatic Posts¹

confidential

Washington, October 26, 1953—6 p.m.

Usito 112. Infoguide: U.S. Indictment in U.N. General Assembly of Communist Treatment of POW’s.

1. (FYI Begins: On October 26 U.S. Delegation to U.N. General Assembly will present an indictment of Communist actions and methods in war in Korea. Principal address will be made by Dr. Charles W. Mayo of Rochester, Minn., Alternate U.S. Representative to 8th Session UNGA.² This refutation of Communist lie about biological warfare, documented by sworn statements, will be one of points of departure for penetrating to the heart of Communist philosophy, exposing it with evidence of the inhuman and criminal practices by which its purposes are supported. Information output of this kind in the past has not been utilized in some USIS areas for reasons related to receptivity. In this instance, character of this presentation in UNGA and audience to which it will be addressed suggests that more than ordinary efforts be made to see that materials received from Washington receive dissemination in all appropriate ways. Effective exploitation particularly important in countries which are represented by military forces in the U.N. Command. List of 16 nations in the U.N.C., besides U.S., included in this telegram. GA presentation will be part of a domestic and overseas campaign respecting Communist actions in Korea in which other U.S. government agencies, besides USIA, will participate; and on which further guidance will be provided. This will be an effort to place upon the record in U.S. and abroad a volume of first hand testimony to Communist inhuman practices, and distortions of contemporary and historical truth. Anticipated that there will be a spill-over from newsreel, documentary and magazine presentations in United States. A supplementary Infoguide will provide full information on all materials, which may be applicable to the continuing effort, extending into and possibly beyond next 90 days. UNGA presentation will place upon the record of General Assembly ten sworn statements of U.S. military personnel who were POW’s of the Communists and subjected to typical Communist brutalities in effort to obtain statements conforming to Communist political and propaganda purposes. The News File and VOA will provide coverage on Mayo speech and accompanying exhibits. Full documentation will be pouched to posts receiving this Infoguide. News-reel coverage will also be provided where feasible. End FYI.)

2. Material provided by Media should be used demonstrate:

a. Nature of Communism, its real objective, theories and practices as exemplified by testimony returned U.S. POW’s. It should be made clear that Communist practice of obtaining “confessions” is principal propaganda instrument supporting Communist policy objectives; and is used indiscriminately against any who oppose Communism, either outside of or within Communist periphery.

b. Communist bacteriological warfare campaign not merely an incidental propaganda “gimmick” but considered and carefully constructed lie engineered by total Communist system. (See Mayo speech for documentation part played by Moscow.)

c. B.W. lie largely discounted world over, particularly by Communist refusal to permit impartial investigation by U.S., but the new evidence of its falsity provides a new, clear view of Communist edifice.

d. Complete disregard of all established conventions about treatment of POW’s, with documented evidence of physical and mental torture to obtain “confessions”.

e. Mechanics of forced confession and political indoctrination in the attempt to use POW’s as transmission belts of Communist propaganda; violation of Geneva convention concerning the person of the POW.

f. Role played by Communist stooges and fellow travelers in furthering the Moscow–Peiping lie; i.e. the phony “International Scientific Commission” set up by Communists to “investigate” B.W.

g. Relation between these forced “confessions” and similar forced “confessions” under Communist direction in satellite countries and USSR;always to serve political and propaganda purposes of Communist regime.

h. Roles played by Winnington and Burchett, correspondents for English and French Communist papers, in preparing “confessions” statements and suborning signatures. (See Evans, Mahurin statements.)

3. Treatment

a. Presentation of documentation should be factual. However, appropriate selected and original comment should be used to emphasize facts significant to themes.

b. Primary objective is to expose Communist machinery, and complete absence of moral standards; facts are only evidence supporting this thesis.

c. In areas where target audiences are not receptive to refutation of B.W. lie, or where no longer news, or has been long discounted, emphasis should be on other aspects of the recorded documentation, such as refusal of U.S. POW officers and men among the ten statements (Lts. Stanley, Strieby, Simonsen) to yield to Communist threats, even in face of death.

d. In all areas tone and method of treatment and use media materials should be carefully discussed in light of area foreign policy considerations with Chief diplomatic mission.

e. PAO’s invited send comments on receptivity of the materials their areas, and suggestions for effective use for cross reporting purposes.

4. Governments providing troops for United Nations Command:

• Australia
• Belgium
• Great Britain
• Canada
• Colombia
• Ethiopia
• France
• Greece
• Republic of Korea
• Luxembourg
• The Netherlands
• New Zealand
• The Philippines
• Thailand
• Turkey
• Union of South Africa
• United States

Streibert

1. Drafted by Block of USIA; approved by Andrew H. Berding of USIA; sent to 13 posts, pouched to 40 others. A note to the telegraph branch by Streibert, Oct. 27, requested that the circular telegram be repeated to the Department of Defense. (511.00/10–2753)
2. Dr. Charles W. Mayo was a noted surgeon and governor of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. He was an alternate delegate to the Eighth Session of the UN General Assembly and delivered his address of Oct. 26, entitled “The Role of Forced Confessions in the Communist ‘Germ Warfare’ Propaganda Campaign”, to the Political and Security Committee (Committee I) of the General Assembly as “U.S. Representative to the General Assembly”. The text of Dr. Mayo’s address is printed in Department of State Bulletin, Nov. 9, 1953, pp. 640–647; followed on p. 648 by an article by Ambassador Lodge concerning allegations of biological warfare entitled “Statement by U.S. Officers Transmitted to United Nations”.