Office of the Historian

167. Memorandum for the Record1

Washington, July 8, 1966.

SUBJECT

  • Minutes of the Meeting of the 303 Committee, 8 July 1966

PRESENT

  • Mr. Rostow, Ambassador Johnson, Mr. Vance, and Mr. Helms
  • Mr. Bill Moyers and Mr. Cord Meyer were present for Items 1 and 2
  • Mr. Leonard Marks and Mr. Robert Kintner were present for Item 1

[Here follow participants for items not printed here.]

1. Radio China

a.
The discussion on the possibilities of creating a “Radio China“2 opened with a statement by Ambassador Johnson to the effect that he felt [Page 355] that the United States could accomplish “most of what we want to do” through the existing framework of USIA.
b.
Mr. Marks confirmed the statement in his paper dated June 30, 1966,3 that he knew of no legal restrictions on his programming and that he anticipated no problems in finding material and/or personnel.
c.
Mr. Helms reminded the committee that originally the concept had been a Chinese voice rather than a U.S. official voice.
d.
Mr. Moyers stated that he had welcomed the concept of a gray radio at first, but he found that (1) all China hands with whom he was conversant were against the idea; (2) the margin of benefit by “going gray” appeared very slim; and (3) VOA should be given a try at it. Mr. Kintner interposed that at first he leaned toward an unofficial voice, but he now thought VOA could undertake the job.
e.
Mr. Helms noted that the Agency was prepared to undertake the job if there was demonstrable enthusiasm but, in the absence of same, he had no intention of pressing for the project in the face of opposition.
f.
Mr. Vance said he felt that undertaking such a new venture was not worth the major costs at this time.
g.
Mr. Rostow summed up by saying that a private or CIA venture would be uphill work in the current atmosphere with all the recent publicity. He added, however, that he could not buy the prejudices of the China experts about their exclusive expertise in the field of broadcasting to China. Everything pointed to letting VOA beef up their broadcasts via the new Philippine transmitters, he added.
h.
The Executive Secretary noted that with this consensus for USIA to shoulder the responsibility, the subject would no longer be of concern to the 303 Committee.
i.
Mr. Meyer itemized three matters of contents which should not be overlooked in any programming aimed at China: (1) regular reporting on cross currents in the communist world; (2) news commentaries which included emphasis on Chinese foreign policy failures; and (3) emphasis on traditional Chinese culture.
j.
Mr. Marks noted that he would need the help of various agencies, and Mr. Helms replied that the CIA was ready to cooperate in any way.
k.
It was pointed out that the original CIA proposal remained extant and could be resurrected at some later date.

[Here follows discussion of unrelated subjects.]

Peter Jessup
  1. Source: Department of State, INR Historical Files, 303 Committee Files, 303 c.41, August 5, 1966. Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted by Peter Jessup of the NSC staff on July 9.↩
  2. A CIA memorandum of October 7, 1965, for the 303 Committee proposing that CIA be authorized to proceed with a plan for a “gray” radio targeted at Communist China is ibid., 303 c.29, Oct. 28, 1965. Records of 303 Committee discussions and related memoranda are ibid., 303 c.37, May 5, 1966, 303 c.38, June 9, 1966, 303 c.39, June 24, 1966, and 303 c.40, July 8, 1966. A Radio Study Group, established at the direction of McGeorge Bundy in November 1965 to examine this and other issues concerning the Voice of America, Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Europe, endorsed the proposal with one member dissenting; its report, April 28, 1966, is in the Johnson Library, National Security File, Rostow Files, Special Group Memoranda.↩
  3. A copy is in Department of State, INR Files, 303 Committee Files, 303 c.40, July 8, 1966.↩