Office of the Historian

154. Memorandum From the Assistant Director (Soviet Union and Eastern Europe) of the U.S. Information Agency (Brady) to the Director (Murrow)1

Washington, September 25, 1963.

SUBJECT

  • Direction of Policy Concerning Hungary

I look forward to giving you an oral account of the meeting this afternoon in Secretary Harriman’s office. Suffice it to say here that the memorandum over your signature had the full effect for which we hoped.2

Net result was a three-point request from Secretary Harriman:

(1)
that we get on with an expanded program in Eastern Europe in general and in Hungary in particular, since there would seem to be an entirely new situation developing as the result of the Tito-Khrushchev meeting, which Harriman believes will tempt other political leaders in Eastern Europe to demonstrate that they too can sell a few points to Chairman Nickie;
(2)
that the Department send a letter to each of the East European posts asking whether they have any suggestions as to how fast and in what directions we might present a broadened program to people in their countries; and
(3)
that USIA come up with any specific ideas for an expanded program in Hungary and in the other satellites in the months ahead.

Can’t ask for much better than that. I have put Carl Sharek immediately to the task of drawing up specific suggestions for Hungary, together with a schedule covering the next couple of years. I shall submit it to you, if you agree, for transmittal to Secretary Harriman the same way we transmitted the original memorandum.

LSB
  1. Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 306, USIA Files: FRC 72 A 5121, Field-Sov. Bloc/63. Confidential.↩
  2. A typed note on this memorandum indicates that Murrow discussed the meeting with Brady on September 26. For Murrow’s memorandum, see Document 153.↩