A/MS files, lot 54 D 291, “IIA, 1953”
Memorandum by the Assistant Administrator for Policy and Plans of the United States International Information Agency (Connors) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Administration (Scott)1
confidential
[Washington,] February 20, 1953.
- Subject:
- Controversial Persons
This office has issued a policy directive that no materials by any Communists, fellow-travellers, etc., will be used under any circumstances by any IIA media or mission.
There is no official list available to IIA which authoritatively discloses all those persons known or alleged to be in one way or another Communists or fellow-travellers.
I need urgently advice as to the possibility of procuring a list of such persons.2
- Copies to Bracken of L/P, Phleger of L, McCardle, and Compton.↩
- On Feb. 23 Scott transmitted Connors’ memorandum to Samuel D. Boykin, the Special Assistant to the Administrator of the Bureau of Security and Consular Affairs, with the request for an appropriate reply. In his covering memorandum to Boykin, Scott wrote, inter alia, “The problem seems to have two phases—American authors and non-American authors. Wouldn’t the House UN-American Activities files be the best place to start? It seems to me we should also see what assistance we can get from the FBI and the CIA. I am sure there are other sources which I haven’t thought of offhand.” (A/MS files, lot 54 D 291, “IIA, 1953”) For Scott’s replies to Connors’ memorandum, see infra and p. 1674.↩