FOREIGN REACTION TO THE MRA PLAY THE VANISHING ISLAND

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-02771R000300250002-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 30, 1998
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: September 14, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 1999/08/24: CIA-RDP78-02771R000300250002-7
on to the MA PIay
5 the Nora). Reameeen. Groupie so-
ision eankleted a threo..montli tour
east. The Mutt's** of meet or the
tour, a reported trawl their own
urovtol would indiaate that the *peat ot
The Vaal onir
int0Z*0}St V lit
a
DOM/MONT NO,
NO ONANCE
OtcLAssiFiaz
uncr 1 r,=-7.:
cuss.
4011:Miy4ped Rblease 199
PArcl:
P78-02771n90300250002-
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CPYRGHT
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Stnd photographs of celeb ties concerned with the vie t
of the mdssion. A rather trier and laudatory aci.:.ount of
'The Vanishing Island- in this supplement speaks more
about the dedication of the performers than about the
message of the play. ?hie acao,ult says in part! 1Since
tints Vanishing Island' was given in a foreign langusge?
and in verse and song? most or the audience eould not
have been expected to understand every detail, or perhaps
grasp the full meaning of 'Change', which is the spiritual
revolution of /IRA.? contrast, a t;omment on the play
and on the MRA visit, by a columnist in the vernacular
AIALWAhisqnn, most important of Tokyo's daily r*wspaers,
-Ina the aiief source of information about MA for most
or JmPan'a ?reading public, bad this to styi
A Ofl nur1r
Asci
has giNert
ThiS ovmmtz
aolfistateSs and
1 good wil
derable num
In our ooun
i*3rroil Rearmawasit
has rr d In Japan and
ea of a musical play
or honeati., PuritY un- '
an its tdteal of Inter-
* very rine, and it tints
of supportere among noted
y.
s Japan Is eirmd, howev
is limited to a part Or the u
It does not seem to have any le
neral putlic It is fine that pei
title or -former Premier or
tor' go to the MRA Headquarters
at its invitation, and return
seed by its leligious atmos-
however, that some of these
using this movement ea mere ex
abroad. In that event, the
ing a stx;ial funstion, but it
op into a groat moral move
t it aeons that the PeOPle
thy toward this movement be
participated in by the per
o a powerful movement un-
n o the mosses instead 'of
mpression that the movemon
ah. Tho'nembers of the visiting
quartered at the homes of
ed with the mu movement...
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CPYRGHT
since many notable Japanese have been taken
ere or during their trips abroad, Tor this
reason, there is the fear that the members of
the mlesion will AO* only the homes of the
upper olass, and will drew erroneous eonclu-
sions ,,bout the current eituation in Japan.
In Madras, the MRA visit, and the play, reeelved
a rather 000l reoeption, provoked, in the opinion or
our diplomatta representative there, by the Insistence
of the MRA group on attempting to identify Indian leaders
With the MRA platform, pressure them into attending MRA
funotions, and take advantage of their hoepitality and
pooketbooks. One of the few Asian reviews to deal Grit& -
caily with the message of 'lb* Vanishing Islane appeared
in the Meares newspaper Swatantra, the most intelleetually
sophistleated journal ornarTildia. Thd review said,
in part:
CPYRGHT
...It Is net possible to consioe?, Appreci-
ate or eriticisa 'The Vanishing IslandA es
4ust A play. It is the latest attempt of the
Moral Rearmament movement at oramatic articu-
lation, and haa to be judged as euch....'The
Vanishing Island" is not a first-rate play;
It is not even one whiah just tails to make
the grade. It Is medioere and ordinary. The
main reaeon for this Is tte oonstant preoccu-
pations with it mage about new type of
me& and ''st still small voice. It hae no
chaeaoters1 there are only same trilea. It has
no theme or etory.0. it has only a moral. But
its most inexausable fault la its childish
approaeh. No play which underestimates the
int,lligenee of its audienee to this extent
aan ever hooe to succeed.
Publicity for the play was extensive. In Xaraehi?
for instanee, engraved invitationa were sent out to thou..
sends of GOvernment *frit:able, prominent busineasmen, high
Pakistani officials and members of the diplomatic eterps.
Brochures containing testimenials to MA and a brief ex-
planation of the moral of 'Pee Vanishing Island"' accost.
panted the invitation. The invitations were worded to
imply delicately that, while tiokets for the play were
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free, dor3atton would be welcome) there were even re
-
porta thftt seat locations might depend on the size of
the donation. Initarechi, is almost everywhere else,
the east of 1The Vaniehing lalendspade its vreatest
hit with its audience* by ei ins a on especially
composed for the *cession a in the local lanvage.
presentation of ',he vanishing Island- was
d by every effort to imply that the meseage
was sponsored by the United States, and by
Of practically every Mien nation. Not only
?S. Air liarce planes for transportatiOn,
believed indicated U.S. /support, but also
leader to present the erews of these
f the A grosip, wee calculated
ponsorship. at were or$4-
ions on the parts of national
visit the variou* Asian
Of their trip were represented
t for 14RA principles. ?elite
national loader would be
t leader,* adherence to MA
)trntLy, a message fret% three importan
r. &nom of Repmentatives, Speaker
or Joseph W. Martin, Jr., and
04_ was read its aesurim
trip and the svossage
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