Aftermath of the Polish Crisis and the Hungarian Rebellion, November 1956–February 1957: Inquiries into the Alleged Role of U.S. Radio Broadcasting in the Hungarian Rebellion; U.S. Relief Assistance to Hungary and the Refugee Problem; U.S. Economic Assistance to Poland; Adoption by the National Security Council of NSC 5616/2, November 19, 1956


184. Memorandum From the Counselor of the Department of State (MacArthur) to the Acting Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.11–EI/11–1356. Secret; Limit Distribution. A marginal notation on the source text reads: “Secty saw 11/13/56 H.H.Jr.”. Aside from Hoover, copies were sent to Murphy and to William B. Macomber.


185. Notes on the 46th Meeting of the Special Committee on Soviet and Related Problems, Washington, November 13, 1956

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 100.4–OCB/11–1356. Top Secret. Drafted by Kelsey.


186. Telegram From the Embassy in Poland to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 748.5–MSP/11–1356. Confidential; Priority.


187. Telegram From the Office of the Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 764.00/11–1356. Secret. Repeated to USUN.


188. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 764.00/11–1456. Secret. Repeated to Vienna.


190. Despatch From the Legation in Romania to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.66/11–1456. Confidential.


191. Aide-Mémoire From the Austrian Embassy to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 764.00/11–1556. Ambassador Karl Gruber presented this aide-mémoire to Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration Loy W. Henderson. Also present was Tyler Thompson, Coordinator of Hungarian Refugee Policies and Activities. Henderson stated that the United States did not intend to separate families and would administer its procedures as liberally as the law permitted. (Memorandum of conversation by Horace G. Torbert, Jr., November 15; Ibid.)


192. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 764.00/11–1156. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Beam; approved by Murphy; and cleared with Elbrick, Walmsley, and Phleger. Also sent to Vienna and repeated to Stockholm and Bern.


194. Memorandum on the Substance of Discussion at a Department of State–Joint Chiefs of Staff Meeting, Pentagon, Washington, November 16, 1956, 11:30 a.m.

Source: Department of State, State–JCS Meetings: Lot 61 D 417. Top Secret. Drafted by Murphy’s Special Assistant, Richard B. Finn. Those in attendance included, among others, Murphy, Bowie, and Beam of the Department of State; the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, Lieutenant General C. P. Cabell, and Robert Amory of the CIA; Gleason from the NSC; Chairman of the JCS Admiral Radford; and the Chiefs of Staff of the Air Force and Army, Generals Nathan F. Twining and Maxwell D. Taylor, respectively; the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Arleigh A. Burke; and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Randolph McC. Pate. A note on the source text reads: “State Draft. Not cleared with Defense.”


196. National Security Council Report

Source: Department of State, S/P–NSC Files: Lot 62 D 1, Poland and Hungary. Top Secret. In a covering note to the NSC, November 19, Lay summarized the action taken by the NSC at its 304th meeting on November 15: “The President has this date approved the statement of policy in NSC 5616/1 as amended and adopted by the Council and enclosed herewith as NSC 5616/2; directs its implementation by all appropriate Executive departments and agencies of the U.S. Government; and designates the Operations Coordinating Board as the coordinating agency.” Annex A containing statements by the President and Secretary of State on Poland and Hungary and Annex B containing U.N. resolutions on Hungary are not printed.


197. Memorandum From the Acting Director of the United States Information Agency (Washburn) to the President

Source: Department of State, USIA/IOP Files: Lot 63 A 190, Hungarian Situation—1956. Confidential. Two annexes dealing, respectively, with examples of VOA programming prior to and during the revolt and a Presidential statement on USIA’s mission are not printed.


198. Telegram From the Legation in Hungary to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.64/11–1956. Secret. Repeated to Vienna and Munich.


199. Memorandum From the Director of Central Intelligence (Dulles) to the President

Source: CIA Files. Secret. Attached to a memorandum from Cord Meyer, Jr., to Allen Dulles dated November 23.


200. Memorandum From the Director of the International Broadcasting Service (Button) to the Acting Director of the United States Information Agency (Washburn)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 511.404/11–2856. Secret. Drafted by Alexander A. Klieforth, Chief of the Eastern European Branch of the International Broadcasting Service (IBS/PME). Attached to a memorandum from E. Lewis Revey, Chief of the Soviet Orbit Staff in the Office of Policy and Programs of USIA (IOP/LS), to Ralph S. Collins, Public Affairs Adviser of the Office of Eastern European Affairs (EE).


201. Memorandum for the Record by the Counselor of the Department of State (MacArthur)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 100.4–OCB/11–2156. Secret.


202. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Austria

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 764.00/11–2656. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Horner; approved by Beam; and cleared in substance with Freers and Murphy. Repeated to Paris, Bonn, Rome, and Munich.


203. Special National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Department of State, INRNIE Files. Secret. Regarding National Intelligence Estimates, see footnote 1, Document 11.


204. Notes on the 53d Meeting of the Special Committee on Soviet and Related Problems, Washington, November 30, 1956

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 100.4–OCB/11–3056. Top Secret. Drafted by Kelsey.


205. Notes on the 55th Meeting of the Special Committee on Soviet and Related Problems, Washington, December 6, 1956

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 100.4–OCB/12–656. Top Secret. Drafted by Kelsey.


207. Notes on the 56th Meeting of the Special Committee on Soviet and Related Problems, Washington, December 11, 1956

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 100.4–OCB/12–1156. Top Secret. Drafted by Kelsey.


208. Notes on the Meeting of the Operations Coordinating Board, Washington, December 12, 1956

Source: Department of State, OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430. Top Secret. Drafted by Richards.


209. Circular Instruction From the Department of State to All Diplomatic and Consular Posts

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 764.00/12–1256. Official Use Only.


210. Notes on the 57th Meeting of the Special Committee on Soviet and Related Problems, Washington, December 13, 1956

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 100.4–OCB/12–1356. Top Secret. Drafted by Kelsey.


211. Memorandum of a Conversation, New York, December 14, 1956

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 764.00/12–1456. Top Secret. Drafted by Pedersen.


212. Telegram From the Legation in Hungary to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 764.00/12–1456. Secret. Repeated to Vienna.