811.917 America/3–3147: Telegram
The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Smith) to the Secretary of State
1106. Personal for Benton from Smith. Your note of March 18 mentions Secretary Byrnes’ apprehension we might lose magazine [Page 549] Amerika.1 This disturbs me very much. Magazine is constantly improving and becoming better known, and there is a terrific demand for it.2 As I told you in a previous message, we could have a subscription list of a quarter of a million if Soviet Govt would allow us to do so. It would be a tragedy if this one sure source of information to Soviet people on life in America were discontinued. Confidentially, I can tell you that single sheets of this magazine are sold on black market for price of average magazine in US.
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Amerika was an illustrated magazine in the
Russian language published by the Office of International and
Cultural Affairs of the Department of State for distribution and
sale in the Soviet Union.
There was some apprehension that funds for the publication of this magazine might be reduced by committees of Congress. Ambassador Smith argued forcefully for the continuance of the periodical in telegram 2612 from Moscow on August 9, 1 p. m., suggesting that it might be in the national interest to save the magazine by curtailing some of the OIC operations at several other missions. (811.917 America/8–947)
↩ - Ambassador Smith had reported in telegram 642 from Moscow on March 4, 6 p. m., that during the past week the first general public sale of the magazine had taken place in Moscow at about 12 public newstands. The current issue, No. 8, and back numbers were being sold out rapidly while purchasers were lining up. (811.917 America/3–447)↩