Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917–1972, Volume VI, Public Diplomacy, 1961–1963

41. Memorandum From the Director of the United States Information Agency (Murrow) to the Special Assistant to the President (Dutton)¹

Washington, July 13, 1961.

SUBJECT

• USIA Actions Since January 20, 1961

REFERENCE

• Your Memorandum of July 10, 1961²

Since January 20, USIA has:

1. Stepped up activities in Latin America to meet more effectively the Castro-Communist threat and to support the Alliance for Progress. Spanish-language broadcasts to Latin America have been increased from two to six hours daily, and shortly will be expanded to 18 hours. We soon begin four hours’ daily broadcasting in Portuguese to Brazil.

USIA has developed a multi-media program publicizing the Alliance for Progress, on the one hand, and presenting Castro as the betrayer of the Cuban revolution, on the other. An experimental USIA-sponsored binational community center in a working-class district of Bogota, Colombia, has drawn favorable nationwide attention there and is likely to give rise to other such centers.

2. Stepped up activities in Africa, where the Sino-Soviet Bloc is attempting to fill an information-culture vacuum. We have opened ten new posts in Africa since January: Gabon, Malagasy Republic, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, Upper Volta, Dahomey, Togo, Ruanda-Urundi, and the Congo Republic (Brazzaville).

3. In the shadow of enemy troops in Southeast Asia, brought films, posters, and pamphlets to beleaguered Laotian and Vietnamese villagers to build support for friendly governments and stiffen resistance against Communist subversion.

4. Focused media output to provide more effective support for major U.S. foreign policy objectives, rather than haphazardly dealing with a wide variety of subjects as heretofore. In particular, we have planned world-wide information campaigns in support of the U.S. positions on Berlin and a nuclear test-ban treaty.

5. Provided rapid, comprehensive, world-wide motion picture, radio, television, and press coverage of Alan Shepard’s space flight.³ A Shepard by-liner was distributed and used in important newspapers throughout the world. A film in 28 languages is still showing in many movie theaters. Shepard’s Mercury capsule was displayed to 1,200,000 people in Rome and to large audiences in Paris. Total coverage of the Shepard flight in world media exceeded that of Gagarin’s flight.⁴

6. Drew overflow audiences to our exhibit, “Plastics-USA,” in Kiev and Moscow. Two similar exhibits will tour the Soviet Union during the coming year.⁵ Meanwhile, Soviet circulation of our bulletin on U.S. cultural life has risen to 1,600.

7. Made significant progress in its cultural program. Two examples:

India’s Ministry of Education considers the college textbook project worked out with USIS India as the biggest achievement it could report to the Indian Parliament in its budget presentation. The program is financed with PL 480-generated rupees appropriated to USIA.⁶

The Greek Ministry of Education has asked our binational center in Athens to assist the Greek Government in its efforts to establish higher standards of English teaching and teacher training throughout Greece. Additionally, the center has been asked to become the accrediting institution for all teachers of English in Greece.

8. Undertaken reductions in our program in Western Europe, and in certain other activities, so that more effective use may be made of our appropriation.

9. Counseled other parts of the Executive Branch on public opinion aspects of U.S. policies and programs abroad.

Edward R. Murrow⁷

1. Source: National Archives, RG 306, Office of Plans, General Subject Files, 1949–1970, Entry UD WW 288, Box 131, White House Correspondence 1961. No classification marking. Drafted by Thomas Sorensen and edited by Wilson. Copies were sent to Murrow and Wilson. Thomas Sorensen initialed the top right-hand corner of the memorandum.
2. In the July 10 memorandum to Murrow and other Executive Branch agency heads, Dutton requested that each provide a “specific and comprehensive summary, in duplicate, of your agency’s actions since January 20th to this office. The summary should include both completed and proposed steps by executive agencies.” (Ibid.)
3. See footnote 8, Document 32.
4. On April 12, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first human to travel into space.
5. In a December 7, 1960, memorandum to Wilson, regarding the implementation of the 1960–1961 U.S.-Soviet exchanges agreement, Phillips noted that “Plastics USA” was scheduled to open in the Soviet Union on April 1, 1961. Two additional exhibits—“Transportation USA” and “Medicine USA”—would open in July and October 1961, respectively. (National Archives, RG 306, Director’s Subject Files, 1961, Entry UD WW 142, Box 6, Office of the Director—(I) General 1961)
6. Food for Peace Title I agreements permitted the recipient nation to purchase U.S. commodities with local currencies rather than with U.S. dollars. The United States Government allocated some of the local currencies in support of U.S. efforts overseas, including for educational purposes.
7. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.