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

72. Memorandum From the Assistant Director for Europe, United States Information Agency (Cody) to the Director (Murrow)¹

Washington, March 9, 1962.

SUBJECT

• New US–USSR Agreement on Exchanges

A new Agreement on Exchanges between the United States and the Soviet Union was signed here yesterday.² Negotiations had been conducted for five weeks. The new Agreement provides for a continuation of exchanges in various fields for another two-year period. In most respects it is similar to the previous Agreement³ although we feel we were able to attain certain improvements in the present Agreement which do not necessarily increase exchanges quantitatively but which do give us a better opportunity to control the exchanges taking place under the Agreement.

Specifically USIA is involved in the following exchanges:

1. Amerika—USSR:⁴ It was agreed to increase circulation from 50,000 to 100,000 per month on a gradual basis, 10,000 at a time. This will give us the opportunity to observe how the increase will work out and to stop the increase if we get too many returns.

2. Exhibitions: The new Agreement provides for further exchanges of three exhibitions. We will present the following subjects: a) Technical Books;⁵ b) Graphic Art (Prints and Drawings);⁶ c) Communications. These exhibitions will be shown in three to four cities for periods of three to four weeks. As you know, this was a major sticking point in the negotiations since the Soviets first did not want to accept the themes we offered them, next did not want to have any themes mentioned so as to delay concrete exhibit arrangements later and finally even indicated that they would prefer not to have any exhibitions exchanged at all.

3. Radio-TV: The present Agreement provides for a continuation of the exchanges of radio and TV documentary programs and newsreels which have taken place during the last two years. This will include one TV documentary per month, one thirty-minute radio program per month, and two TV newsreels per month.

4. Films: The present Agreement continues the purchase and sales arrangements of feature films and the exchange of documentary films.

I will be in touch with the Media Directors regarding implementation of these exchanges.

Other than those exchanges with which USIA is particularly concerned, you may be interested that the Agreement provides for major performing arts exchanges (Benny Goodman,⁷ New York City Ballet and Robert Shaw Chorale on our side; Bolshoi Ballet,⁸ Ukrainian Folk Dance Ensemble and the Leningrad Symphony on the Soviet side); it provides for a continuation of the student exchange, for exchanges in the fields of industry, technology, construction, trade, agriculture, public health, medicine and between groups of people representing certain professions (law, journalists) and various fields of culture as well as youth and women. Both Parties also agree to facilitate the visits of members of Congress and deputies of the Supreme Soviet (respectively) as well as of other local and national governmental bodies. These, however, will not be exchanges as such.

A News Policy Note has been issued and an Infoguide is going out to all posts today giving policy guidance on the Agreement.

Morrill Cody⁹

1. Source: National Archives, RG 306, Director’s Subject Files, 1962–1963, Entry UD WW 173, Box 9, FIELD—Europe—(IAE) 1962. No classification marking. Murrow initialed the top right-hand corner of the memorandum, as did Harris on March 12.
2. Negotiations on the Agreement on Exchanges in the Scientific, Technical, Educational, Cultural and Other Fields for 1962–1963 began in Washington on January 31, although Soviet and U.S. officials discussed preliminary proposals in Washington, July 27–31, 1961. For information about the initial discussions, see Department of State Bulletin, August 21, 1961, pp. 333–334. For the text of the completed agreement including the annexes, signed on March 8 in Washington, see 13 UST 1496; for the text of the agreement without the annexes, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1962, pp. 726–740. For the text of Bohlen’s statement, made at the March 8 signing ceremony, and the joint communiqué released the same day, see Department of State Bulletin, April 16, 1962, pp. 652–653. For additional information concerning the negotiations, see Foreign Relations, 1961–1963, vol. V, Soviet Union, Document 168.
3. See footnote 5, Document 13.
4. Reference is to an illustrated monthly magazine published in Russian that depicted life in the United States and a magazine published in English that chronicled Soviet art, culture, science, and history.
5. “Technical Books USA,” exhibited in Moscow, Leningrad, and Kiev in 1963.
6. “Graphic Arts USA,” exhibited in Alma Ata in 1963.
7. In airgram A–32 from Moscow, July 10, the Embassy summarized Benny Goodman’s May 28–July 8, 1962, tour of the Soviet Union, noting: “Despite myriad trials and tribulations, the tour should be considered a success.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Files, 032 Goodman, Benny Band/7–10/62)
8. In a November 19 memorandum to the President, Murrow provided excerpts of Soviet reporting concerning the opening performance of the Bolshoi Ballet in Washington on November 13 and the troupe’s subsequent activities while in Washington. (Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Departments and Agencies Series, Box 91, USIA, 7/62–12/62)
9. Cody signed “Bill” above his typed signature.