EXCERPT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP74-00297R000900090024-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 28, 2013
• Sequence Number: 24
• Publication Date: November 12, 1957
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

A! ? -
NI; Declassified and Approved For Release @ 50-Yr 2013/10/29: CIA-RDP74-00297R000900090024-1
WG MS (Was ton) and the MBS Network .12 November 1957
EXCERPT).
Fulton Lewis, Jr. at 7:00 P.M. over WG MS (WaShingto ) an the 1413S
Network:
"President Eisenhower.'had a luncheon party -today- at the White Houw
with a group of government officiate for the purpose of publicizing the
so-called CRUSADE FOR FREEDOM and its coming fund-raising campaign; all of
which was entirely innocent, I'm sire, but it does demonstrate how well-
meaning people can become involved in questionable projects when they'reot''
careful to 'check the facts before they go ahead.
"Crusade forFreedom is: the ? orgim47ation that collects moneY every
year under the slogan of Truth Dollars to spread the message of Freedom
supposedly behind the Iron Curtain in Europe by means of Radio Free Europ
and the balloon propaganda program operated out of Munich, Germany. The
purposes, as stated in their articles of incorporation, are very glamorous
and very noble. In actual practice, however, the propaganda line which the
whole Free Europe operation is taking, and has taken for a long time past,.
? is to urge the people of the Iron Curtain countries to turn,- not from their
present Communist to 'democracy, but from their present Communism to national
Communisi. . ;
-"To support this activity, the Crusade for Freedom, which the Presi-
dent kicked off at ,the White House today with this luncheon, will spend the
rest of this month soliciting so-called Truth Dollars, as you probably
yourself will be solicited by your news delivery boy that is the method
that is used.
"Several nights ago I read to you a directive issued to staff editors,
executives and so forth, as to the Free Europe operation in Munich, instructing
that from that time on the policy line would be to glorify Tito as -a great
national hero who has "saved his country' from foreign barbarians and to go
'Slow, on criticism of Communism as such.
:III visited the office of the Free Europe Committee in .Ne141York last vo
week, interviewed Some of the officials; made certain specific inquiries through
very courteous and cooperative public relations representative by the name of
(McInerny?). Among the questions I asked was what comment they had to make on
this directive or guidance, as they call it, of March 1956. I had talked to lead-
ing members of the Free Europe Committee's, Board' of Directors at great length.
They had confirmed to me that this vas the policy, and even undertook to defend
it very enthusiastically as a wise policy.
"With this I certainly do not agree, and I doubt that you do pedaude.
it seems to me that any propaganda message that's beamed to, the people of the
Soviet Satellite countries, supported by this Crusade for Freedom' and the
Truth Dollars it collects from you, should be .a :message Of freedom and hope
? and inspiration to some day regain their own liberties,. a meesage!tO,keep
alive in their minds the story of what ?freedom is In the outside free world.
This, however, is a point of disagreement, honest difference of opinion,- ?
and it's aside from the mint.
,
Declassified and Approved For Release @ 50-Yr 2013/10/29: CIA-RDP74-00297R000900090024-1
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Declassified and Approved For Release @ 50-Yr 2013/10/29: CIA-RDP74-00297R000900090024-1
"The important thing is the reply that I got to my inquiry. It's
a typewritten reply from a young man by the name of Thomas H. Brown, Jr., '
who is Acting Director of the whole Radio Free Europe operation, with head?
quarters in New York. It bears his signature; it's addressed to W. Samuel
S. Walker, Jr.--everybody in the organization seems to be a Jr., which I
suppose ought to make me feel at home?from Thomas H. Brown, Jr., and the
message reads as follows: If it is committee policy to reply to? Fulton
Lewis' inquiry about the alleged Radio Free Europe directive or guidance of
March, 1956, the answer should be, quote, the purported directive passages
which Mr. Lewis has quoted in various forms are not and have never been part
of any policy directive issued by the management of Radio Free Europe or Free
Europe Committee, and do not represent the policy of these organizations, past
or preeent? unquote. That, despite the fact that the directors of the organ?
ization had confirmed to me the previous day that the directive does represent
the policy of the Free Europe campaign out of Nhnioh.
"Please not that I do not question in any manner, shape or form the
sincerity of the backers of the Crusade for Freedom. I'm sure they believe
that the cause they're supporting is actually spreading the message of the
free world to the oppressed people of the Iron Curtain. Certainly the
? President would never have put on this luncheon today if he had had the
slightest idea to the contrary. Unfortunately, however, there seems to be
a decided short circuit somewhere between the good intentions of these
fund collectors and the actual operation of the project at the grass roots,
and anybody who has been to Europe and is familiar with the operation will
verify that fact in full."
Declassified and Approved For Release @ 50-Yr 2013/10/29: CIA-RDP74-00297R000900090024-1