86. Message From the United States Information Agency to All Principal USIS Posts1
- INFOGUIDE: August 13 Anniversary of the Berlin Wall.
SITUATION
We do not plan major exploitation of the first anniversary of the Berlin Wall, August 13. It has of course been the subject of continuing [Page 231] exploitation within the context of output on one of our chief areas of emphasis—“Berlin.”
TREATMENT
We shall not ignore the anniversary, however. As the anniversary approaches you may expect the media to provide materials (and, at your discretion, provided you do not make a major campaign of the anniversary, you may generate output of your own) which will continue to emphasize the following points:
(1) In East Berlin, for the first time in history, a regime has found it necessary to immure its citizens in order to keep them from fleeing—and still the captive people seek a way out by every manner of ingenious means.
(2) The Wall is an open, embarrassing symbol of Communist failure—of Communist inability to compete with the way of life which democracy, diversity and free choice have made possible in West Berlin.
(3) The United States and its allies are determined both to stand by the people of free Berlin and, without surrendering Allied rights, to continue working for an equitable and peaceful solution of the crisis which Khrushchev precipitated to shore up the bankrupt East German regime.
- Source: National Archives, RG 306, Policy Guidance Files, 1953–1969, Entry UD WW 266, Box 315, Berlin (to 1964). Official Use Only. Drafted by Pauker on June 26, cleared by Cody and in P/PG; approved by Anderson. Pauker initialed for the clearing officials. Sent via pouch.↩