86. Letter From Frank Stanton to Secretary of State Vance 1
I have awaited your return from China2 to express my deep disappointment at the way things have apparently developed, in your absence in connection with more important matters, in the area of international information, cultural and radio programs. Based on our conversations, it had been my impression that we were going to discuss the plans for USIA, CU and VOA before they were signed off.
Regrettably, with the exception of a preliminary conversation with Joe Duffey, it has been impossible for me to see any officer of the Department. Nothing ever came of my call or note to Warren Christopher, and when I succeeded in reaching Ben Read ten days ago, he informed me that the whole matter had left the Department and was pending in the White House.
Since I do not know what exactly is pending in the White House,3 I cannot comment except that I hear that our report,4 which has received the endorsement of the Murphy Commission,5 was shunted aside in favor of consolidating all information, cultural and radio activities under one roof. Not that it matters, perhaps, but if this is indeed the [Page 247] proposal pending before the President, I will be unable to support it, wherever the consolidated program is organizationally anchored—outside or inside the Department.
I share the academic and cultural community’s concern, well expressed by former Assistant Secretary Charles Frankel in his statement to the Fascell Committee,6 that cultural relations and political information do not mix.7 At the same time, I am concerned that the Department failed to step up to the opportunity for the overseas spokesman role which both the Murphy Commission and our Panel proposed.8 I wish that I had been able to discuss this matter with Hodding Carter, but I was unable to engage his interest in our proposals.
Now that you are home again, perhaps the situation can be retrieved. I hope so.
With all good wishes.
Sincerely,
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P770154–1421. No classification marking. Under a September 12 covering action memorandum, Hitchcock sent Vance, through Read and Christopher, the copy of Stanton’s letter. In the covering memorandum, Hitchcock noted, “Between the time Mr. Stanton sent his letter and we received it, that decision by the President [to combine cultural and information programs in a single agency] was made and announced. Mr. Stanton was informed of the decision by Mr. Peter Szanton, Associate Director for Organization Studies of the President’s Reorganization Project.” Hitchcock also attached a copy of a suggested reply from Vance to Stanton. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P770154–1422) For Vance’s response, see Document 89.↩
- See footnote 2, Document 80.↩
- On August 15, Stanton and Frankel sent a Western Union Mailgram to the President, requesting an appointment with him to discuss Carter’s impending “far-reaching decision regarding the future organization of our country’s international information, cultural, and radio activities.” (Carter Library, White House Central Files, Subject File, Federal Government, United States Information Agency, Box FG–210, FG 266 1/20/77–1/20/81) Kraft sent a copy of the Mailgram to Jagoda, under an August 22 covering memorandum. On an attached sheet, Jagoda noted that Carter “will almost certainly reject their point of view on this issue.” A handwritten postscript reads: “If you wait a couple of days—you can say something like— ‛the President has already acted on these matters but he did so with full knowledge of your views and concerns as relayed to him by his advisors and through (their) own congressional testimony. BJ.” He then readdressed Kraft’s memorandum to proceed to Voorde. (Ibid.)↩
- Reference is to the Stanton Panel report.↩
- See footnote 6, Document 30.↩
- Reference is presumably to Frankel’s June 30 letter to Fascell, containing a statement on the organization and international cultural and informational activities within the Federal Government. The text of the letter, printed on the letterhead of the National Humanities Center, on which Frankel served as President, is printed in Public Diplomacy and the Future: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on International Operations & the Committee on International Relations, House Representatives, Ninety Fifth Congress, First Session, June 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, and 24, pp. 440–454.↩
- An unknown hand underlined the portion of the sentence beginning with “cultural.”↩
- An unknown hand underlined the portion of the sentence beginning with “failed” and ending with “role.”↩