117. Circular Airgram From the United States Information Agency to All USIS Posts and the Embassies in Romania, Hungary, the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Poland1
SUBJECT
- USIA Trade Fair Exhibition Program
Summary: Psychological objectives of and agency responsibilities for trade fair program are reaffirmed and clarified. Joint State-USIA Commerce Message.
The purposes of this message are to reaffirm the psychological objectives of the USIA Trade Fair Exhibition program in accord with Congressional and Presidential intent, and to clarify responsibilities of the various agencies and departments for the program, since it is conducted on an inter-agency basis.
Objectives
Section 102(a)(3) of P.L. 87–256, the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (Fulbright-Hays Act),2 authorizes the President to provide for “United States participation in international fairs and expositions abroad, including trade and industrial fairs and other public or private demonstrations of United States economic accomplishments and cultural attainments.” Thus this activity, known as the USIA Trade Fair Exhibition program, is a part of the total U.S. effort to influence public attitudes in support of U.S. foreign policy objectives in the country where an exhibition is staged. The theme and content of each exhibition should be directly related to, and clearly support, the purpose of the Act as set forth in its Section 101, the U.S. objectives set forth in the Department of State’s “Guidelines for Policy and Operations” paper for the country, and the USIS Country Plan.
Section 101 of the Act states:
“The purpose of this Act is to enable the Government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational [Page 303] and cultural exchange; to strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United States and other nations, and the contributions being made toward a peaceful and more fruitful life for people throughout the world; to promote international cooperation for educational and cultural advancement; and thus to assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic, and peaceful relations between the United States and the other countries of the world.”
In line with the U.S. Government’s policy to promote exports as a means of sustaining U.S. foreign policy objectives, the USIA program should include the promotion of international trade and expansion of U.S. exports insofar as this can be done within the psychological objectives stated above.
Agency Responsibilities
In Executive Order 11034 of June 25, 1962, entitled “Administration of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961,”3 the President delegated to the Director of the U.S. Information Agency “the functions so conferred by Section 102 (a)(3) of the Act to the extent that they are in respect of fairs, expositions, and demonstrations held outside of the United States” (Section 2 (c)).
As per Section 6 of the Executive Order, “the Secretary of State shall exercise primary responsibility for Government-wide leadership and policy guidance with regard to international educational and cultural affairs,” including the USIA Trade Fair Exhibition program.
The Director of the U.S. Information Agency has again asked the Commerce Department (and the Labor Department for the Labor Missions portion of certain of these exhibitions) to carry out operational responsibility for the program, and it has accepted.
In a letter to the Secretary of Commerce on September 26, 1962,4 the Director of USIA stated he would (1) “continue the arrangements whereby your Department assumes operational responsibility under my over-all direction with the help of the Trade Fair Committee” and (2) seek “to strengthen USIA direction (both in Washington and in the field) in order to re-emphasize the psychological aspects of the program.” To assure adequate USIA direction, the Director of USIA stated that “before planning begins on each exhibit, the appropriate [Page 304] Area Assistant Director of USIA and other officers concerned shall provide OITP (Office of International Trade Promotion, Department of Commerce) specific guidance with respect to purpose, theme and content.”
Similar coordination among agency and departmental representatives is required in the field during the planning and staging of USIA Trade Fair exhibits. In line with the primary USIA responsibility for the program, the Public Affairs Officer, under the supervision of the Chief of Mission, should take the lead in coordinated planning.
Planning guidelines and timing schedules are in the course of preparation and will be forwarded by the Trade Fair Committee as a follow-up joint message to those posts where an exhibition under this program is scheduled or under consideration.
- Source: National Archives, RG 306, General Subject Files, 1949–1970; Acc. #66–Y–0274, Entry UD WW 382, Box 117, Master Copies 1963. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Sorensen on March 7; cleared in draft by Hickok, Schmidt, Hodges, Hadraba, and Murrow; approved by Wilson. Sorensen initialed for all clearing officials except for Schmidt. Sent via pouch.↩
- See footnote 2, Document 52.↩
- See footnote 4, Document 84.↩
- Not found.↩