800.00B/7–1545: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kennan) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 15—12:46 p.m.]
2571. In his 3918 to Dept Ambassador Caffery19 has called attention to fact that Paris is again becoming great center of operations for international Communist agents.
I think it should be understood that this is part of general Russian effort to disguise source of inspiration and channels of authority for international Communist movement. Abolition of Comintern20 was only first step in this process. It has been followed by outward decentralization of movement. Remembering that principal foreign reproaches about Comintern were that it functioned “on Soviet territory”, Soviet leaders have recently made every effort to place operational centers in other countries where either general democratic liberties or extent of Soviet influence make it easy for them to function. Thus Oriental Comintern agents formerly in Moscow are now understood to be in Yenan, Iberian Communist affairs have been run in part at least from Cuba. Latin American parties are presumably run through Mexico or some other local center. Paris has apparently become center of authority for western democracies; [Page 867] and recent issuance there of public rebuke to American Communist leaders21 shows clearly that there was no desire that this be concealed from world opinion.
It would be contrary to all existing evidence to assume that this meant an abandonment or weakening of Moscow control. The unfailing hundred percent solidarity of foreign Communists with all the aims and maneuvers of Russian foreign policy, even in instances where it plainly runs counter to interests of countries to which they profess alliance [allegiance?], would make this amply clear even if other indications were lacking.
This policy of obscuring source of authority for international Communist movement is directly in line with prevalent Soviet internal policy of attempting to mask dominant role of Communist Party in domestic political life. Current Soviet theses of “democratic” quality of Soviet institutions, of independent role of Soviet labor unions, of spontaneous vigor of Soviet public opinion and its influence on govt: All these hold water only if role of Communist Party in Russia is ignored. For this reason every effort has been made in recent years to obscure real nature and channels of Party control and members are not allowed to forget the Party, although it has held official monopoly of state power for over quarter of a century, is still a “conspiratorial” organization.
In essence all these efforts at disguise of authority reflect basic Russian conviction that power is safest and most desirable when divorced from responsibility. Hence Russian predilection for seeking maximum of power and minimum of responsibility: For puppet states, front organizations and individual stooges. Kremlin desires that its power should be felt but not seen and that it acquire in this way something of the awesome quality of the supernatural.
Among Russian population this policy of mystification has been not unsuccessful. As a weapon in foreign affairs it should not be lightly dismissed; for it has never before been applied on present scale and western countries in particular, with their greater tolerance and with the variegated patterns of their public life, are ill-prepared to recognize or to cope with its numerous and confusing manifestations. It is greatly facilitated at this juncture by increased general prestige and authority of Moscow in world affairs. By virtue this factor many foreign supporters who once had to be kept in hand by highly centralized system of discipline and authority can now be relied upon, like well-trained pets, to heel without being on the leash. But this flexible policy also carries with it increased risks of sudden [Page 868] loss of control at individual points; and its safe administration requires at all times a nice estimate of the fine and almost imperceptible line which divides fancied independence of political action from the real thing.
Sent Dept 2571; rptd Paris as 235; London as 361; Frankfurt for Murphy as 15; Rome as 53; Chungking 59.
- Jefferson Caffery, Ambassador in France; telegram not printed.↩
- The dissolution of the Third (Communist) International, from the resolution adopted by the Presidium of the Executive Committee of the Communist International on May 15, 1943 (published on May 22) recommending this action, to the communiqué of June 10 of the Presidium considering this organization abolished, is described in Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. iii, pp. 531–543, passim.↩
- A letter written by Jacques Duclos, French Communist leader, rebuking American Communists and undermining the leadership of Earl Russell Browder, bad appeared in the April issue of the Cahiers du Communisme.↩