ADDRESS BY GENERAL C. P. CABELL DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMISSION-COMMITTEE MEETINGS OF THE AMERICAN LEGION MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP67-00318R000100590001-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 19
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 2, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 21, 1959
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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ADDRESS BY
GENERAL C. P. CABELL
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
TO THE
NATIONAL SECURITY COMMISSION-COMMITTEE MEETINGS
OF THE AMERICAN LEGION
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
AUGUST 21, 1959 10 AM CST
It is a privilege to have this opportunity to be here at the
pre-Convention meetings of the American Legion. I have been impressed
over the years by how much of its time and resources the Legion devotes
to the general welfare of our country. Your record of freely supporting
important causes which promote the domestic and international ideals of
our peoples is impressive indeed.
My purpose is to discuss with you The Nature of the Communist
Threat. The threat of Communism is long-term and many-sided. As
all of you members of this National Security Commission well know,
there must be no blinders on us when we are looking at the nature and
magnitude of this threat.
The objective of Communism is abundantly clear. The Communists
want to rule the world. They want to abolish free society. They have,
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in fact, announced their intent of world domination, and let me solemnly
assure you that they are determined to carry out their intention. They
have an integrated offensive directed from Moscow which combines
military, political, psychological, economic, cultural, and subversive
forces. Their strategy is to infiltrate and absorb; undermine and
replace; subvert and take over -- all, if possible, without war.
We hear much about Soviet power and progress. The Soviets seek
to make themselves appear as the star of the future. They seek to
maintain the offensive and to place the free peoples of the world on the
defensive.
Now, there is no doubt that the Soviet Union has made a significant
advance in its economic base. The Soviets have also moved forward in
scientific and technical fields by concentrating their resources on
selected high priority programs. Soviet advances in the scientific and
technical fields are likely to continue and with greater frequency. We
recognize these things. We hope that the standard of living of the peoples
of the Soviet Union, and of other countries presently under Communist
domination, can be materially improved as a result of this natural
economic and scientific development. But it is hard to understand why
the Soviets use their increasing future capability in the form of a
presently existing threat to the peoples of the Free World and at the
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same time mouth the words of peace. The inconsistency in this
propaganda tactic makes it clear that they seek to intimidate the
West into accepting their one-sided position of hands-off their spheres
of influence, with Communist open-house in our backyard. They
rattle their future missiles in an effort to scare off any unwelcome
intruder. Their spokesman has promised to "bury us"; later, when
called on this, he added: "in peaceful competition". You and I know
that in the thinking of the Communists there is no condition. Their
strategy is to boast of scientific, economic, and military strength in
such a way as to make it appear that they have tomorrow's capability
today. While the Communists speak of peace, their strategy clearly
calls for them to continue those actions which keep the cold war conflict
alive and worldwide. At the same time, they would like, if possible,
to minimize Western strength in any given area. Thus, in considering
the threat of Communism, we must take into account this strategy of
mass psychological conditioning -- the Soviet attempt to monopolize the
initiative -- the Soviet desire to place free peoples on the defensive --
and the Soviet zone concept of "hands off".
The Communists are currently involved in a triple-threat attack
on the West. The first wing of this attack is the direct, overt official
action by the Soviet Government. Here we see military, political,
diplomatic, and economic weapons employed.
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One of the most menacing techniques of this approach -- and one
which will be with us for a long, long time -- is seen in the Communist
economic offensive. In this field, we find the handmaiden of Communist
subversion. Here the target of the Communists is primarily the newly
developing nations of the world. These countries offer fertile fields for
Communist economic coercion.
Today, there are around two billion people living in poor,
undeveloped areas of Asia, Africa, the Near East, and some of the
Americas. Life is at a low economic level. These people have every
right to improve their status. They have every right to live in freedom.
In their human aspirations they are not different from us. Therefore,
there is a terrific pressure for tangible results quickly. The Soviets --
and in fact, the entire Sino-Soviet Bloc -- are attempting to pass
themselves off as the foremost examples of crash economic progress.
They are out to get the credit for filling the immediate desires of these
newly developing areas. But -- and this is the big hooker -- while they
are at it, the Communists not only try to assume control of the
resources of these countries but also attempt to control the minds and
souls of the peoples in the areas. The Communists want nations to
become increasingly dependent economically upon the Communist Bloc.
The stage is then set for ultimate Communist takeover. As it is
developing, Afghanistan is one case in point. Finland is another.
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After World War II the Soviet Union firmly tied the Finnish economy to
its own. In 1958, when the Finns began efforts to move closer to the
West, the Soviet Union reacted swiftly by cancelling orders, cutting
off needed petroleum and wheat supplies, and refusing to negotiate
further trade agreements. This economic pressure was buttressed with
internal subversion by Finnish Communists. Communist-inspired
propaganda, press, and radio took hold. As a result, the Democratic
coalition in Finland was forced to fall. It was replaced by a government
less opposed to Moscow's goals. Just recently, Pravda has begun to
denounce Finnish plans for association with the little free-trade area.
Also, the Communist Party of Finland directed from Moscow has begun
to make accusations against the Government, charging President Kekkonen
with being involved in a conspiracy aimed at securing membership in an
association which would be dominated by the Western powers. It will be
interesting to see whether further pressure from the Soviet Union will
take place to discourage little Finland's agrarian government from making
progress by economic association with areas which are non-Bloc controlled.
This kind of Communist economic machination is clearly representa-
tive of the nature of the Communist threat with its ultimate objective of
what the Soviets call a "world socialist system". This term socialism is
only a sugar-coated word the Bolsheviks use to describe Communism
when they do not want to alarm the unwary. In this connection, we find
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them using recently a new phrase, "the socialist commonwealth of
nations". I predict that we are going to see a lot more use of their
term commonwealth. By subtle analogy with the British Commonwealth,
the Communists wish to convey that same image of unfettered association,
free from any domination. The peoples who may be tempted to partici-
pate in the "Soviet Commonwealth" are given the promise of true
national independence. But Hungary, Tibet and others give the lie to
this hope.
On the bright side, many of the countries in the Middle East and
Southeast Asia have begun to appreciate the trap-like character of
Communist economic and political friendship. Their leaders have begun
to speak out and identify Communism for what it really is. The
Communists have for years been trying to avoid this kind of judgment,
justifying and fuzzing up their machinations by offering promises of
Utopia -- but the question "For whose benefit?" is increasingly being
asked by an awakening world.
We have a recent example of this awakening in the so-called
neutralist country of India. In April 1956 the people of the large State of
Kerala, in India, elected a Communist state government. But what
happened? Less than a month ago the people of this same State
demonstrated so violently against the Communist malfeasances, and
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particularly their efforts to move in and control the free school system,
that the Indian Government, already startled by what it had seen in
Tibet, found it the better part of wisdom to move in on the Communists.
The Central Government dismissed their administration and took over
the running of the Kerala State Government pending new elections. The
ousting of the Communist Government has given a serious setback to the
Communist Party's prestige throughout India. Most segments of Indian
public opinion have applauded the Government's move.
The second wing of the Communist triple-threat attack is seen in
their subversive programs. Here I refer to the covert, or under-cover,
operations of the Communist Party in all countries. This subversive
activity is being undertaken on such a wide scale that today it is at least
as dangerous as the military threat.
The Communists have developed a network of subversive bases in
all major countries of the world. From these bases they are now
operating an offensive designed to cut down and overthrow the democratic
institutions and governments of the host and neighboring countries. They
are operating from these subversive bases without permission of the
host country. In spite of this fact, the Communists clamor about
American military bases abroad. Our bases are defensive. They are
there with the permission of the duly constituted governments of the areas.
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Their presence, in many cases, strengthens the economy of the
countries in which they are located and certainly strengthens the
defenses of these countries. But by contrast, the subversive bases
of Communism represent an inherent part of the Communist scheme and,
let me reiterate, are on the attack with every means at their disposal.
Lest you think this is an overstatement, a hard look at Communist
behavior in the countries of our neighbors to the South provides
interesting documentation.
The Communists have long interfered in the internal affairs of the
Latin American Republics. They have consistently abused diplomatic
privileges. In Mexico and Argentina the Soviet Union has interfered
in trade union activities to a point of offending the national sovereignty
of these countries. In these countries the Communist Party of the
Soviet Union, through representatives in certain Soviet Embassies,
has given guidance and financial support in a clandestine manner to the
Communist Parties in a host of surrounding countries.
On a regional scale the Communist Party of the Soviet Union has
been guiding Latin American Communists in their preparation of a
"Congress of Latin American Peoples". The guidance calls for complete
concealment of the Communist instigation and initiation of the Congress.
It provides for the deception of the peoples of Latin America and for
the deception of specific patriotic, progressive, non-Communist public
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figures whom the Communists are seeking to trick into sponsoring the
Congress. The Communists' aim is to undermine the amity and
cooperation of the member-peoples of the Organization of American
States, thus weakening the defense of their freedom. This aim of that
Congress is to be disguised under the wholesome purpose of defending
the internal resources of the Latin American countries.
Latin American Communists, in ever-increasing numbers, are
being trained in the Soviet Union in the techniques of gaining state
power, leading to the establishment of Communist dictatorships. Their
training is clandestine from beginning to end. The trainees are aided
in obtaining illegal travel documents in defiance of their own and other
governments in order to travel to the training sites within the Soviet
Union. They are being taught to exploit the honest and legitimate
national aspirations of genuine political parties, labor movements, and
other democratic institutions.
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union also gives specific
direction on what Latin American Communist Party action should be.
For example, the Communist Party of Cuba, called "The Popular
Socialist Party", has been given guidance on how to penetrate and exploit
the Government of Fidel Castro. Primary targets for Communist
penetration in Cuba are the agrarian reforms, trade unions, and the Army.
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These targets of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union are so
important that back in May of this year they sent under alias to Cuba
a Soviet Intelligence Officer, Vadim Kotchergin, as a member of a
Soviet Trade Union delegation. His assignment was to give guidance
to Cuban Communists. Kotchergin has since returned to Moscow.
One of the Soviet's primary instruments in Latin America is the
Confederation of Workers of Latin America, with headquarters in
Mexico. This Confederation is the regional liaison bureau of the
World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), which has headquarters in
Prague but is controlled from Moscow. Soviet financial aid is given
regularly to the Confederation of Workers of Latin America via the
World Federation of Trade Unions. The Union's officials maintain both
open and secret contact with the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City. The
Union provides "trade union cover" -- an appearance of legality and
legitimacy -- for Latin American Communists in obtaining illegal
documentation for travel to Moscow for consultation. The head of the
Confederation of Workers of Latin America, Vicente Lombardo Toledano,
abuses his diplomatic passport by placing its immunity and privileges at
the service of the International Communist movement for clandestine
purposes.
While this kind of subversive activity takes place, we find the
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Soviets piously making overtures of peace toward the legitimate free
trade unions, not only in Latin- America but all over the Free World.
They seek more fraternal exchange between the Communist labor bodies
and the organized free trade unions -- all in the interest of peace. But
in responding, consideration must be given to the kind of continuing
subversive activity that I have just referred to as taking place in
Latin America. Free men subscribe to the fundamental human rights
specified in the United Nations Charter. The Communists do not. In
the trade union field, free unions permit their workers the right of
freedom of association and organization, the right of genuine collective
bargaining, and the right to strike. The Communists do not. Indeed,
their subversive apparatus is diametrically opposed to these freedoms.
In the Free World, individuals and organizations are permitted to
advocate and develop democratic institutions. In the Communist world,
this permission is missing.
The Chinese Communists are also showing an increasing interest
in Latin American matters. The Chinese Communists are spreading
the concept that China should be the model for social and economic
revolution in Latin America. They point out the alleged similarities
between the two areas. They are seeking trade and cultural relationships
with various Latin American countries. They are interested in estab-
lishing diplomatic relations where possible.
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In support of their general programs the Chinese Communists
are engaged in various specific activities in Latin America. They are
disseminating propaganda both by mail and by Spanish language radio
programs directed at the area. They are establishing a newspaper in
Cuba under the direction of personnel of the New China News Agency
sent from China. Other representatives of the New China News Agency,
which is an arm of the Chinese Communist Party's Propaganda Depart-
ment, have toured various Latin American countries. Activities in the
cultural field are carried on by societies to promote Chinese culture,
and these societies are particularly active in Chile, Cuba, Mexico
Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.
For leaders of Latin American Communist Parties the Chinese
also have begun offering training courses. If indeed the Communists
seek the peace they talk about, why is the training of a Free World
Communist cadre at the highest Party schools in the Soviet Union and
in China permitted, encouraged, and subsidized? Why are they planning
to expand their already considerable and expensive training programs
to embrace every existing Communist Party?
Communist efforts at subversion of lawfully established Govern-
ments reach out to all countries. They employ a host of methods timed
to suit their purpose. Let me select a few examples of going Communist
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activities which are today sufficiently aggravated to have bubbled to
the surface.
In Laos, a small free country in what was formerly known as
Indochina, we find Communist subversion, propaganda, penetration
and force. In Iraq we find Communist subversion, propaganda,
penetration and at least an incitement to murder. In Iran we find
the most vehement of Communist propaganda supporting their
subversive campaigns. Communist propaganda from the Soviet Union
has heaped abuse and vilification upon the Government of Iran
collectively and upon the Shah of Iran, the Prime Minister and other
Iranian officials. They seek to force Iran into a change of policy.
They seek to split Iran away from other nations of the free world with
which she has voluntarily aligned herself. Iran on her part has firmly
pointed out that while desiring to be friendly with the Soviet Union, she
has no intention of modifying herassociation with other free and
like -minded nations.
If time permitted I could go on and cite you many other going
examples of Communist subversive activities.
In addition to the diplomatic, economic, political and military
actions of the Soviet Union and Communist China and the subversive
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activities of the Communists directed from Moscow and Peiping, there
is a third aspect of the Communists' triple-threat attack. This third
aspect involves the use of a host of Communist front organizations.
These fronts are part of the Communist international propaganda and
subversive apparatus. They have appealing and irreproachable names
such as the World Peace Council and the World Federation of Trade
Unions. Right here in the United States, our own Attorney General's
list of subversive organizations contains the names of hundreds of
Communist front organizations. In nearly all other countries of the
world, there are comparable organizations which exist to serve the
goals of International Communism.
Soviet leaders are spending, directly or indirectly, hundreds of
millions of dollars annually on these Communist front activities. The
technique is to grasp some popular cause and set up a mass public
organization ostensibly to promote that cause. Actually the purpose is
to develop political subversion. These fronts are used as a way of
recruiting unwitting people of good will and harnessing their idealistic
feelings to serve Communist objectives.
Communist efforts through international front groups to soften
up the Free World by portraying the Soviets as paragons of peace and
friendship do not go unchallenged. Here I am talking about challenging
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deeds as well as words. A recent example of this is the Seventh World
Youth Festival held in Vienna from 26 July through 4 August. I am
sure that many of you have read about this event.
This was the first time that the Communists have dared to hold
their world youth festival outside of the Iron Curtain. They hoped by
so doing to establish respectability for the Festival. They wanted to
demonstrate that they could operate in the Free World as readily as
behind the Iron Curtain, and they might well have got away with it
except for some resolute and clear-eyed persons who exposed the
fraudulence of Soviet claims.
Reports show that the Vienna Festival was marked by dissension
and violence. Many who had come accepting the word of the Festival
sponsors that this would be opportunity for youth from all over the world
to exchange views and improve understanding among people had their
eyes opened for them. Free World groups had arranged to distribute
books and other literature which are not available behind the Iron
Curtain. When they attempted to do so, they were beaten up, and their
literature was seized and, in one case, even burned. The Communists
had to take strenuous, and often crude, measures to see that dissenting
views were not permitted expression at the various seminars.
Delegations from the Soviet Union, Communist China, and the Satellite
countries were subjected to rigid discipline and were closely guarded
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from free contact with Free World delegates. In fact, they were herded
in and out of buses and shuttled from one place to another in most
obvious fashion. These things tended to show up the ugliness of the
Communists. Certainly the implications of this cannot have been lost
on the many persons attending from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The people of Austria, and of Vienna itself, were not taken in by
the propaganda of the Festival organizers. All Austrian youth and
student groups other than the Communists protested from the beginning
against the holding of the Festival in Vienna and boycotted it. The
populace was cool and indifferent to the "circus" taking place in their
city, and the newspapers of Vienna gave the Festival very little coverage.
The Communists tried to deceive the delegates and the world in
many ways. But such tactics backfired. For example, in one case a
high official of the ruling party of the Government of Ghana protested
vigorously against the use of the flag of his country at-the Festival. He
said that Ghana was not represented as a participant or observer and
that the so-called Ghana delegation which marched in the opening parade
consisted in fact of Nigerians!
Not the least of the headaches of the Festival organizers came
from Americans. Throughout the ten-day event the American delegation
of about 350 persons was split. A majority of them protested the
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rigging under which Festival officials refused to accept the results of a
democratic vote in the delegation. The Communists refused to give
proper credentials to the duly-elected majority. Apparently the Festival
officials were well aware that this majority was anti-Communist and
that it would remain critical of the undemocratic management of the
Festival. At the end the suppressed majority issued a statement denounc-
ing the Festival "as a tool for the advancement of world Communism".
According to the New York Times of 5 August, the work of this majority
rebel faction proved to be a "minor disaster" for the Communist
organizers.
A Communist leader has piously said: "It is very good for youth
from different countries and of different political convictions to come
together ... . The desire of the youth to meet as often as possible to
.exchange opinions so as to know and to understand one another better
must be welcomed and encouraged in every way. " But what happened
when people did attempt "to exchange opinions" and to "understand one
another better"? The Communist steam roller and goon squads went
into operation. In the process the Communist organizers were forced to
show their true colors -- which are hardly those of "peace and friendship".
I could give you many examples of the ways in which the Communists
operate. It is clear that their strategy is designed to spread Communism
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throughout the world by any means -- moral or immoral, legitimate
or illegitimate, overt or covert. They have long-range programs
which are tied directly to the Kremlin. The resources they have to
work with -- political, economic, military, and subversive -- are
increasingly significant. They do not want hot war with the U. S. if it
is possible to avoid it. Their primary emphasis for the future is in their
economic and political subversive activities. These activities are con-
tinuous -- regardless of whether we get smiling faces from the Kremlin
or ugly scowls, or veiled threats, or missile rattling. Their merry-go-
round has made a complete circle. There is always the brass ring for
those who want to grab it and get the free ride, but the ride turns out
to be costly.
It has not been my purpose -- nor has there been time today -- to
include a look at the other side of the coin -- that is, what we might and
should be doing to overcome this Communist threat. Just let me say
that there is another side to the coin, as exemplified by the Vienna
Festival episode. In the paraphrased words of my Chief, Mr. Allen
Dulles, who is Director of Central Intelligence:
"Our defense lies not in compromise but in understanding and
firmness, in a strong and ready deterrent military power, in the
marshalling of our economic assets with those of the other free countries
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of the world to meet Communist methods of economic penetration, and
finally in the unmasking of Communist subversion.
If they succeed and we fail, it will only be because of our
complacency and because they have devoted a far greater share of their
power, skill, and resources to our destruction than we have been willing
to dedicate to our own preservation. "
Thank you.
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