Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917–1972, Volume VII, Public Diplomacy, 1964–1968

67. Letter From the Director of the United States Information Agency (Marks) to Representative Glenard Lipscomb¹

Washington, November 3, 1965

Dear Mr. Lipscomb:

This will reply further to your letter of September 29, 1965, relative to the distribution of printed propaganda by the Soviet Union, and our assessment of the problem posed by these activities.²

The Soviet Union has always put a high value on the propaganda value of the printed word, and its current efforts are voluminous and many-sided. It sends abroad a steady flow of books, pamphlets, periodicals, in the languages of those in whom it has an interest and can reach. This output is carefully directed to reach the target groups that it considers politically important, possibly vulnerable, or potentially influential, ranging from influential leaders to children just learning to read. The messages vary from explicit ideological indoctrination and argument to the subtler message carried by harmless children’s tales and editions of Russian classics: “We share with you a community of innocent human interests.”

The Soviet Union does not make public the total number of their books actually exported. But production figures for last year show the USSR published over 1,500 titles in about 45 million copies in languages not spoken inside its boundaries. A considerable number of these, undoubtedly, were for educational and training use within the USSR. Hence, the statistics serve better as a guide to the pattern, direction, and general dimensions of Soviet foreign book publishing than as exact export figures.

The largest group of books—678 titles and some 35 million copies—is in the general category of educational works, especially technical and scientific textbooks. The Soviet program of producing scientific textbooks for developing countries seems to be the most important of their publishing efforts. A brochure recently published in India lists about fifty textbooks from the USSR dealing with science and technology. All but one of them are published in English. We also have had reports that about 70 Soviet textbooks in English are being sold in some parts of Latin America.

Announced Soviet book production in other broad categories is much smaller. Books about and by the “founding fathers” of Marxism-Leninism published last year numbered 126 titles, in something over a million copies. Books about international affairs and foreign policy numbered 67 titles, in about three-quarters of a million copies. Belles-lettres³ accounted for 122 titles and almost a million copies. Children’s books numbered over 1.2 million copies of 82 titles.

Because Soviet figures do not indicate exports and may not be complete, these figures are not a certain or complete index of the scope of emphasis of their book publishing for foreign consumption. Soviet sources say that books produced by the USSR in foreign languages in other countries exceed foreign-language output in the Soviet Union. Figures are not available for recent years. However, occasional figures revealed in the past suggest that Soviet-sponsored books printed in other countries are at least double the volume of titles and copies produced within the USSR.

Periodicals published for circulation abroad form the other major Soviet use of the weapon of print, and this effort has been expanding steadily. Last year, 15 propaganda magazines were published in the Soviet Union, in languages not spoken there. Some of these appeared in as many as 17 different language editions, with circulation totaling about 12 million. These magazines are competently printed, and some are attractive in format. Language and content are carefully gauged for selected audiences. “Prestige pictorials” are designed to impress a general audience with the achievements of the USSR under Communist rule. For example, Soviet Union appears monthly in Finnish, English, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, and Urdu, as well as Chinese, Hungarian, Korean, Mongolian, Rumanian, and Russian. Prestige magazines have the largest circulation and broadest appeal, but the specialized periodicals, carefully aimed at particular groups and interests, bear the most explicit messages. Soviet Woman appears monthly in ten languages and Sport in the USSR appears in six. Soviet Film appears monthly in Russian, Arabic, French, German, and English. Recently, a Spanish edition was added.

The languages and the targets vary with the shifting political interests of the USSR. English, as an international language, has shown a steady increase. Circulation of periodicals in Indian languages increased six-fold in the last five years, and Spanish has shown a marked upturn.

Soviet production does not tell anything like the whole story. It is supplemented—and in fact surpassed—by three additional sources of printed materials. One is the massive production of other Communist countries, each with a sizeable output of its own—roughly 200 periodicals in all. Second is the output of international front groups, such as the World Federation of Teachers quarterly publication, Teachers of the World, in English, French, German, and Spanish, or Scientific World, a review published in six languages by the World Federation of Scientific Workers, London. And, third, at least three dozen periodicals—varying greatly in regularity and distribution—are published outside the USSR by Communist-front organizations, a large number of them in Prague.

The export of Soviet periodicals is increased by the many magazines, newspapers, and bulletins published in other countries by Soviet and other Communist diplomatic missions and agencies. The Soviet news agency, Novosti, which operates around the world, claims that it publishes 26 magazines, 5 newspapers, and 64 press bulletins. These magazines include Soviet Life (formerly USSR), published in this country, and Soviet Land, published in India and Ceylon—in 15 languages and 300,000 copies per issue.

Two Agency reports, Soviet Book Publishing for Export, 1964, and Periodicals Exported by the Communist Countries in 1964 are enclosed, since they provide fuller discussion and detail.⁴

The distribution system for Communist books and periodicals is as extensive and elaborate as the production system. The Soviet book export organization has contracts for the distribution of books and periodicals with more than 800 firms in 68 countries. Books are shipped to retail outlets on what amounts to a consignment basis, although the facade of a normal export transaction is maintained. The distributor receives the books postpaid at a 30 to 60 percent discount from the retail prices in his catalogue. Terms of payment are extremely liberal and can be made in local currency to local Soviet officials. Distributors who do not meet their payments are apparently treated very gently. Funds accumulated locally are used by the Soviets to finance local printing of additional literature.

This system tends to frustrate government controls and to expand contacts with local publishers and distributors. It conserves foreign exchange. It can circumvent laws prohibiting the importation of propaganda—a bloc country can sponsor the importation only of innocuous books, while propaganda materials are printed within the target country, thus avoiding local restrictions.

Supplementing this mechanism, local Communist parties have a substantial role in distributing and advertising propaganda literature. In some countries, only about ten percent of Communist literature is sold in stores. The balance is distributed by Communist diplomatic, trade, and cultural missions, street vendors, door-to-door salesmen, hawkers, and local party organizations. These methods are employed especially in under-developed areas, where there is a shortage of books and a large supply of labor is available.

You asked how serious a problem is posed to the United States by the Soviet Union’s exports of the printed word. Certainly, so massive a flow of propaganda is a matter of serious concern. Though much of this material may seem to us heavy-handed, difficult to credit, obviously self-serving, and wearyingly monotonous, it would be unwise to underestimate its effectiveness.

Apart from sheer volume, a number of considerations make this a serious problem. Much of this material sets forth, with single-minded intensity and sometimes with skill and cunning, a doctrine implacably hostile to the free society. It is persistent, flexible, and unscrupulous. Much of it reaches an audience without the experience or resources to make objective judgments on the “evidence” and arguments Communism presents.

Perhaps most important of all, among the developing and modernizing societies, there is a vast hunger for the printed word (for books, for magazines, for anything) that will feed the hunger for knowledge, for know-how, for the texts from which these peoples hope to learn how to fulfill their new hopes and aspirations. The peoples seeking to modernize their societies look for short-cuts.

We cannot seek to make the official segment of our output match the Soviet Union’s in extent, to make all—or even much—of the print we send abroad carry a controlled and calculated message. We cannot discipline, censor, direct, and focus. As a free society, we must allow our national life, insofar as it is reflected in the words that go overseas, to make its own impact. Although its diversity means the inclusion of some materials damaging to us, its obvious freedom from control, its enormous variety and liveliness, will on balance speak more eloquently and effectively for the cause of freedom than all the disciplined words that make their concerted assault in the Communist cause.

USIA’s publications are part of that reflection of our national life. They aim to tell our story to audiences that would not automatically be reached, or not be reached in time. They aim to explain or clarify what has been muddied or distorted by accident, misunderstanding, or hostility. We seek to fill gaps, within the limits of our means, and to supply the urgently needed information that is not available through the normal exporting of American publications. To do this, is a demanding and difficult responsibility, and one that grows as the world hunger for information grows. Hunger for information tends to increase as it is fed—fed not only by the printed word, but by all the channels of communication opened by the wonders of modern technology and the world’s increasing interdependence.

In regard to your question about the sale of printing equipment to the Soviet Union, I do not think that the Soviet Union’s printed propaganda effort is currently impeded significantly by lack of advanced or sophisticated equipment. It is probable that for most of the audiences they reach, the technical level of their production is adequate—and may even seem impressive. They themselves have provided printing equipment and training to some countries. It is probable that distribution of material, rather than access to more refined, economical, or efficient processes and equipment, is the problem most concerning them. You are aware, of course, that the Soviets have arrangements with indigenous publishers in many countries.

The United States Government, for reasons of national security, prohibits the export of strategic goods and technology to the Soviet Union and other Communist countries of Eastern Europe. I have been informed that no American-made printing equipment which was clearly destined to be used in the international propaganda efforts of the Soviet Union has been licensed for export to the Soviet Union. In fact, in 1961 the Department of Commerce denied an export license application to sell printing equipment to the USSR which would have been used to print foreign language publications. Since that time there have been no export license applications submitted for the sale of printing equipment of that type. However, we understand that export license applications have been approved by the Department of Commerce for the sale of equipment to be used in the printing of Russian-language publications which circulate primarily within the Soviet Union.

If I can be of further service, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Leonard H. Marks

1. Source: National Archives, RG 306, DIRCTR Subj Files, 1963–69, Bx 6–29 63–69: Acc: #72A5121, Entry UD WW 257, Box 26, Field—Soviet Bloc 1965. No classification marking.
2. Not found.
3. Works of literature that are considered works of art, entertainment and culture, including novels, poetry, and short stories.
4. Not attached and not found.