NEW STRATEGY ADOPTED FOR THE WAR OF IDEAS

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Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP80R01731R002600290001-6
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RIFPUB
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R
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19
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
May 2, 2012
Sequence Number: 
1
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Publication Date: 
June 24, 1951
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NSPR
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PDF icon CIA-RDP80R01731R002600290001-6.pdf1.49 MB
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IOW STRATEGY AQ(iP1FD FOR ;TIE ~V AR".) ,Ej IPOE, Board Headed by Gordon C Be Able to, Give In4)et to Fight on Commusn in Captive Countries PAST ERORS CAN BE AVOIDED B AIT UR wwR.A WASH (flQN. June 23-The designation by the President i1p of Gordon GIMY to make consistent and consecutive Use of our weapons is the warfare of Ideas with bolshevism puts a very able public servant in charge of a strategic effort which was ensentlal and overdue Mr. 'Gray. who was Secretary of the Army and mw is president of the University of North UtroBna (on peke leave )), will have as fellow-members of.his board the Deputy Sec- rotary of Defense, A. A. Lovett; the Under.8ecmtary of State, James Webb, and the director of the Central Intel-AS m,e Agency Lieut. Geo. W. Be" Smith. And this personnel, if it realises the opportunity, can accomplish these things; (1) Its plans and'directives will have thestaper-C;a~Aoetweight{ of iecisions by the National Secu-?--- {{ t 41 y I ot:nC11. and this should greatly assisr the board ir. carry. Ing out its principal objective which is now obstructed by dlffu. Sion In the psychological, Cold war strategy of the Government. (2) It can commandeer and ob. t ain the full use-of all the areawee of Government to carry out Its plans and programs. (2) The Gray board can devote l' SCI( to broad planning in a wide range of eubjec'te because it will not be burdened with the detail of operations. (4) Psychological warfare, both overt. and covert, will be meshed by the board into smooth asaohin- ery of which the other parts will, be the military and economic phases of foreign policy To help) assure this a representative of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will sit with the board Here is an example of how the new establishment would work is a hypothetical case, If It worked Ideally: A satellite Sovi.t government is proceeding against United States citizens and interests in a vray that makes it a hopeful target for our psychological warfare because this government is well known to reign by force and terror and to rspre- sent far less than a majority of the people. The Gray board, after con- sultation with the various agencies (its own staff is expected to beI small i draw's up a strategic pro,) grim for this purpose, first takfngi care that this is consistent with the over-all foreign p,,lky of the :halted States. than of Action The Army, which has a broad- basting system and an administra- tion for defected citizens from Iron. Curtain' osmttetea; th. a(eacy pert, displaced persons; the private groups which, with the blessing the State Department, are , ing on the people in the SoVfPt' orbit; the Voice of America and'. other State Department instru- ments of information and propa- ganda; the C. I. A. in, the area aI covert strategic warfare--ell these are shown the score so than they will surely play the same iriSsicl tL the satellite which is the im- rMiate target. This harmony has not yet been achieved by the UovernmeM of 044 United States. As a recent incident' demonstrated, it has not even been achieved by a single department, that chiefly concerned with lomsign, policy. In a speeeb is New Twit; Assistant Secretary glean usk said the Communist region at Pei- ping did act meet the first test of being a "government," leavislg the inference, at a time when efforts were under way to segdtiete a cease-fire in Korea with A" regime, that we would never deal with it on anything. That upset our European allies and the Do. partment of Defense; and Secre- tary of State Acheson was obliged to mak, a public statement that, of course, since the Chinese Com- munist government was the one at war with the United Nations, any negotiations 1o0d h svm' to with it. host-R.te Staff Need" This kind of incident the Gray board was established to avert; also to improve on our selection of battlegrounds in the warfare of ideas as well an on the methods to carry it out. These assignments will require a first-rate staff and imaginative work which thus far Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 gas aft-'hot best oo..pcasrs-ea our parebologlcel strategy treat >A the cam war. As the flab pro~.fils the problem of the di eOll a b[ tie Voims et . Amarlea mast be solved. it An now iodged is and directed by the Stet. Deparmtsnt, but these are groupw in and out at Government which beneve that an' ace" propaga aim mechins six"" be excluded from the dspartmmeil, equipment. Their contention to that the State Department should, be a policy-mdiing unit and have 'So more to do with operations than (}easier Argoaaat 1 If Congress takes the same view, the creation of the Gray board will permit it for the first Ume to, counter the principal argument of-i fared by the State Department for retaining control and direct opera- tion of the Vvtce of America. This Is, that no facility exists for sure coordination of the Voice with Polley as it is beiup made, and that this coordination is almost as es- senttal as to effect it after policy has been determined. But Messrs.) L sett and Webb and General Smith will be continuous pipelin'e' into the departments and agencies during the formulation of poll ;p, '. AM Mr. Gray and ,his staff vea'l' thus be able to lay out programs' which are consistent and consscu? tire at an times with the steps to- ward policy. Thereby the Voice of America, though separated from the State Department, would be briefed as it is now at all stages ad the proeosa. The department has other argu aap~dp inlets why it should contain Aerate ties Viicit hlr& It is no A-. Worthy that a -dmnbii at dWnter+. ested outsiders who have studied the issue, begiruling with the view ..' that the Voice should be separate, have eroded wUk the oppose be. east that, however, was before the .Gray board was ee'-blisha4 byi rterdeat. Overburdened GroupI One concern is being expresses about the Mahe-ap of the board bt .bssreess whe have the highs.. opinion of Its members in every particular, w4kidi. t their grasp of the problem and their capacity to sniff SL %W obowvem nine ago* that the :okular assignments these members put than in an ee- pscially Stied posit se to carry eats the task. The concern I. that they are elf se bdidefted with wed at- rsady that they, win not have thtas, said the coneeatmtlan teal,. from the Foreign Office. Mr. Lovett ~iid ebb and General SmiiLh ere. tiaivedt enough boors In a to meet their schedules. Asd lb (hay, though he has arranged with his urivereity trustees to be in Wash- ington a great deal of the tone, re- mains the responsible bead of the great Institution at CheQ'el Hill. But the fact is that men par- ticularly fitted for membership. on the new board were bound to be the very ones with such obligations and demands on their lima The alternative would be to chooses members who lack the esseiU.si requirements. If the staff they rive crult its up to the Jab, the "Blvd anxiety over the part-time factor Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 c Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 Now York Timor reor several wiewthe while 14r. 1TJ-I man and his principal aides sought ? man to rum it. The job ww ? Offered ter- MMir lthrtdge. pub-. lisher of The Lsuisvllle courier- Journal acid Tlworbt he dacills"1 with retreta. - Aonlon Gray WN Meal Group to .Direct Op" anf Cblwrt St:atba. of 'Coil War' and Dedtsaa. aay the director di C.I.A.. sail the low bard would national pmy hologioal objectives, olices sad prodarms. and for the By W. IL LAWSt W p as.ew a Teo MM 1b.a Ti aeoordtnatiee died dvaulatlon of the W,ASHIgaTON, June 201--Presi- national psycholagieal effort..' ,Mint Trt today created a Ply" The president lw base d[aaat- I %---A .red ---_ "- ith the A0. w t~ of na among various Goverawuntal agen? rtat. lrteb' d tM A1rny, rise carrying at bolt open and se- U an glister. cret psyehological warfare agalnet' The bad is Wend" to pia!" U the Soviet "bioe. it was felt that ItaJer Isle as the 'Meow war" the State Department's Nati6nal jaS?irto tb* Soviet Uliton and its psychological Strategy Board was sabefttes. ' pMlgilag, cisrdlnating not able to bre?S this eoord>asuon Sand supWvNhW both op" and lh.+ vq" be possible lmddn M?, eft ~M air ~tical agercy wren! responsible to the,. ar-Iftle- ' ,,t sttatastty Oounek. reato.'tyea. WaItOr 1?adsl 1 ? - ward to Ashha Veles va"dor of no Ces AMI xmtsillf rice _ Agency, was ttawtad acting air- : to taoa t board .i1Mw ei the boird. which will re. RhI cotplitwe 04 An directly to the 1vMtlonal Be- adviser to the Voice of America yrjty qunnfl. Serving with him r and other toreigil inforniiation pro- Jaws a. Webb, Under. grams but it now will aeeeive its CC Bute out *obert A. broad general guildance from the ' ,fit ty Seid " Y ei De- new board. tense Under tee ezseetttve d" ve Va. at g['' Use :,Joint Mr. Gray will receive a salary of hilb t a.r+w . d ?taft ails e of wet ;tell, with - `1 ~~ w~ tordered le~riad~t Chle the board "es. and tW its ob- service qualifications. His agency shall be a related t to amov pogroms will be financed front emergency for shall a ts." rd pleas funds available to the Pre ident. military atnant d ? let. Gray Mr. Gsa is ? publisher of The The anounc d b Winston-Salem (N. C.) Journal Rouge woe use today sta attarlt M by bid d the' dada Whitor- e and Twin-City Sentinel and owner rang atg wl tenotewt of the l of a radio station. formedy Umber try Of Ngrth Cato", to practiced Iavlt lZpw. di~ de ~ on Ws tew' sk tM *ill -con- hated in the pmv as 4 Rf--teMei take tir,no to devote Put d Sla-Ume to May. 1942. diving ostyiraeea. sad his unlvertit ~Itoa"44 Chapel emerging with the rank of cap- tl it. but a hita'1Mris spokes- tern. He -wpm named Assistant man said that Mr.' 'iceman bad Seri elaiy of the Army in 1947 and been assured be watld be able to . Secretary of >the ?nnyi in 1949. ; e Mhr M yMtre rid h h . en . wis time in Washington w oorganenough ize the new activity. When M tesiped iN Aidfr 1101 to aMWMS tae, iddeatioMil post Salt laag some" ? Creation of the new coordinating We mauve date. the President per- suaded Was to remain on for a few a it&fd*sh ~~,a~ A lapWt bew+ll~ig a 4sd-re guf 'sIoo NO f~.J ~tJ. _t.O r I~. .1 1vitc,S one. 2l.51S'SI Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 du) yOr~. ~t-r'4Lj ietbu4e. ~aw~ Zt r i'i l Teeurr~an Names Strategy Board To Step Up Ps chological War Gordon Gray to Set World-Wide Propaganda 'Policy; Bedell Smith, Webb, Lovett on Staff By Robert J. Donovan WASBINOTO.N, ITune 40 -President Truman moved today to he.'gAten the tempo and effectiveness of Amertcs's psychological wik'rfare against Soviet-directed international communism by Wt-14 ''ti t up a psychological strategy Iboyrd, with former Secretary of the Army Gordon Gray as di-I rector. The board, which has been lik- ened to a political general staff to direct the Information. props- ganda and certain undercover activities of the United States in the cold war; will be an iudepead *at agency reporting to the 2411- tional Security Council, the na- tion's top security agency, headed Mfg the President. Mr. Truman's directive loch provided that the psychological strategy board--the word "war- ;ire" we. purposely omitted from the till, because tits United States is. technically at least, at peace w l,.h Russia and its satellltea--be oanpoeed of three members. .'hey are Under Secretary of Plate James E. Webb. Under S:c- ret.Lry of Defen.Ke Robert A Lovett and Lt. Gen Walter Bedell Smith. director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Mr. Gray, in his $16,000- a-year post as director, will work under the board and will be the ,utual operating head of its work. b ird May Expand From time to time, the Presi- dent provided, the board may add to 14 membershetp representatives of other government departments and agencies. Mr. Truman also directed that a representative of the Joint Chiefs of Staff sit. with the board as its a rttef military adviser "in eider I, hat the board may insure brat its -~r'$ctlves, policies and pr.'irams It :Vatinrted an page is. column 1) Coll War Board t /Coaftnp t /roes page one) shall be related to approved plans far'Rarl1ltarydirecti sa opve humansid." that the Preslidstlt's purpose was "to au- themes and provide for the more effective planning, co-ordination and conduct, within the frame- work of approved national policies, of psychological operatiogts." Over-A/ rob" Unit Mr. Truman charged the board with responsibility "for the for- mulation and promulgation--as guidance to the departments and agencies responsible for psycllp logical operations-of over-all na- tional psychological objectives, policies and programs and for the co-ordination and evaluation of the natlpnal psychological effort." The board will evaluate for the rational Security Coutcil the psy- chological werfgje activities be- ing conducted by various agencies of the government. Indicating his desire for improvement of these activities, the President ordered: "The heeds of the departments and agencies eoncerned shall ex- amine Into present arrangements within their departments and agencies for the conduct, direc- tion and co-ordinatbu of psycho- logical operations with a view toward readjusting or atrength- ents, them, if necessary, to carry out the purposes of this directive." WOald Affect Korea We policies laid down by the now board would govern the setiv- itles of such instrneaents of Pay. P'wraa AOemdlpg to stun)' ce.. elals, psychological warfare tacticsI in the field in Korn also would be i ld'led by the board's over-an policies. Mr. Gray has received a leave of absence from his post as president of the University of North Caro- ling to become the psychological strategy director. A Winston- Salem newspaper publisher and radio station owner, Mr. Gray once practiced law in New Ynrk City. During the war he enlisted in the Army as a private and rise to the rank of captain. He was a;. pointed Assistant Secretary of 'ie Army In 1947 and Secretary txo years later. He Is forty-two years old. Other Board to Stay On Since August there has been in exleetnce an inter-departmental group known as the National Psy- chological Strategy Board-in ef- fect a committee with represen4a- tives (roes the Departments of State and Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Tioonomic Co-opera- tion Administration, and the C. I. A. Under the chairman. Ship of Edward W. -34a,"ett. As- sistant Secretary of Stat*?for Pub- lie Affairs, It has been reviewing and co-ordinating psychological' strategy activities. Mr. Webb announced today that this group will be continued ui:':er the name Of the Psychological op rations Co-Ordinatirtg Commit r "wt''t responsibility for co-ordir...' ing'the execution of United Sta:,ee foreign information programs." "Other activities in State Dr_ partatent will continue as pres- ently orgapised," Mr. Webb sod , "under the broad guidance of the new psychological strategy board tnaotttteed by for President to- Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 June LI1 1 ( I .h. !1o.s uington Post GEaytoll~ad Bari For War of Ide~s of Dde.se. gsaa:e Agency, and the Lrcoe e Cooperation Administratbn. But this board has been unable tprovveed . any arorfied through at the highest government leveL It bM suffered, too, like maw other as- ter-agency boards, from the con- Attu of departmental loyalties. The President's directive - rie- terday did not sub clear whether Gray would duplieite the work of the old board or use use saw one to get government-wide action on the projects recommended from below. Those who know Gray aspect We a pox tits aesesu OR notion. The d{rssttve frees the Vhlta now yo dav, no" the I "IF board rbio,far "than SOP to the departmaeft ags~ adeis r++Pese~M fen' 0ves 1ember agencies to which REST,-"-= Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80RO1731 R002600290001-6 -10. to which operational action has been assigned. As appropriate, either the approved PSB plan or the operational plans evolved therefrom are sent to field missions in order to provide policy and operational, guidance to such missions in implementing the plan. It is the responsibility of the area which has been assigned action responsibility for a PSB project to see affirmatively that necessary PSB Information and materials reach all appropriate missions in the field. It is important to keep all missions currently informed of pertinent and approved PSB plans and actions and it is likewise essential to provide missions with appropriate PSB documents in those cases where the missions have been delegated responsibility for implearenting PSB plane. From time to times the Exaoautivo Secretariat will circulate to the staff assistants of appropriate areas of the Department a list of approved PSB plans which will aid in determining the necessity for transmitting to the field those documents for which each area is responsible. It may also be determined from the list which PSl3 papers should be transmitted for information to "looted missions in areas not having primary responsibility. It is also the responsibility of those areas and bureaus assigned action responsi-- bility for !SB projects to keep U.S. representatives on appropriate regional and international organizations fully informed on PSB activities and approved plans of special interest to their particular assignment. In order to provide a central point in the Department for all Informa- tion regarding overseas distribution of PSB documents, the following pro- cedure will be followed: Staff assistants or policy information officers should inform the Flolioy Reports Staff (S/t-R).of all PSB materials prepared for distribu- tion to appropriate missions in the fielldo When such materials are prepared for field distribution, they will be sent to the Policy Reports Staff for review and recording after which the materials will be transmitted directly to the field mission. When PSB dooumants are attached to instructions, either for action or infor- mation of field missions, they likewise will be sent before final trans- mittal to the Foliay Reports Staff as indicated above. In preparing PSB materials for overseas distribution, responsible officers and staff assistants should determine whether the entire doom. meat or only selected portions thereof need be sent. Depending on the security . RESTRICTED Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 lam security classification and the sensitivity of the subject, such officers should use their own discretion as to how much of a PSB paper should be sent to the field. G. ht D tribution gP Tels?rame and Despatches g t M The Department provides the PSB Staff with a regular classified telegram and despatch distribution covering subjects primarily of psycho.. logical or public affairs interests. In addition the Department provides a selected distribution of telegrams and despatcbes.to PSB panels. A PMB staff officer attends the dailtiq sessions of the OIR Reading Panel and neleots.despatohes of interest to the PSB Staff. To regularise the traasmittal'to the PSB panels of telegrams and despatches which are required for the effective conduct of panel assignments, the following procedures will be employed: 1. Departmental representatives on ISB panels during their daily. review of incoming cables and despatches will,note those a mmumioations which, In their judg- ment,.are appropriate for transmittal to the panel members. 2. Since the Departmental member on each FSB panel in in a position to know beat the substantive needs of his particular panel be will, on a daily basis or.as often as required, prepare a list of cables and des- patches appropriate for transmittal to the Panels. He will forward such lists to the designated person in IAD, who in turn will secure the telegrams and despatches from DCA and DC/k respectively and after recording same will transmit them to the PSB staff for distribution to other panel members. The following RESTRICTED Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 4-'ia following information should be included in the lists mentioned abov--, '.~?tOiMs Bureau Message Center `PO: IAD - (to designated person) ` BJECT: Distribution of Telegrams (or despatches) to PSB Panels (Insert here code new of panel) It is requested that the PSB Staff (name of designated.PSB Staff officer) be furnished the following for distribution to PSB Panel ab From or to Serial No. Control No. Nom, of (In case of copies telegrams required only) -En order to service requests from the PSB Staff for copies of telegrams or despatches which are not normally provided either through regular telegram distribution, by the special panel distribution procedure described above, or secured by the PSB staff officer on the IAD reading panel# the PSB Staff will submit their requests directly to the Pblicy Reports Staff (S/S..R), 8, ULUs .Arrangements vM.VM MI-3 ftrg- The Departmental Coordinator is responsible for the direction and maintenance of liaison arrangements with the PSB staff, In order to regularise the liaison pattern between the Department and the PSB staff and in order to expeditiously service PSB staff requests for certain information and intelligence matez'ials, the following liaison channel. have been agreed to: 1liiwnce Tq~gg r,teg - PSB Intelligence. Officer to Assistant Director, OIE 2. Polio P?g - PSB Staff to Departmental Coordinator 3. &20 and2jg!M stribution - PSB Staff to Chief, Policy Reports Staff S77S-R). The Department, through the liaison channels outlined above, and in, accordance with the directives of the Departmental Coordinator, maintains close and informal contact with the PSB staff. The PSB staff is likewise constantly Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 `~../ RESTRICTED a.13.. constantly in contact with Departmental officers involved in FSB activities. However, such contacts should not be carried on in such a way as to bypass the established liaison channels between the Department and PSB staff. I. Miffn Intormation 1. Frequently when Chiefs of Mission in the field return to Washington for consultation, arrangements are made for them to brief the PSB staff on the political and psychological situation existing in their particular area. Public Affairs Advisers in the regional bureaus are requested to notify the Departmental Coordinator of the presence in Washington of such Chiefs of Mission in order that he may, as appropriate, complete arrange- ments for the PSB briefing. 2. Members of the PSB and the Director have developed the custom of holding informal luncheon meetings on a weekly basis. Prior to these luncheon meetings, the Executive Secretariat and the Departmental Coordinator prepare for the Under Secretary a briefing memorandum containing information which he may wish to use at these meetings. Offices of the Department possessing information on items which may be discussed at such meetings or Which may wish to have the Under Secretary bring up appropriate subjects at such meetings are requested to report such information to the Executive Secretariat or the Departmental Coordinator for inclusion in the briefing memorandum. ACTED Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6 Appendix A Deffirti 4tal ger112M s onai a PSG W Ifr. David K. E. Bruce - Under Secretary SU Floor New State, Ext. 2101 nate -Hr. Rowland No Sergeant Assistant Seoretary for Public Affairs Room 4166 New State, Ext. 2115 Deoert ta1 -Nord for Mr. Joseph Phillips Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Room 4168 New State, Ext. 3121 lb'.Brradley Ho Patterson, Jr., Staff Assistant Roam, 4166& New State, Ext. rem t- S S 4 nab (22.0 0. M AaamisitiCM j lion 777 . 'WO JO Mcwiuiame Zt ripator of 8/6 RAN* 5131 New State. Ext. 538 Mr, 'Earl D ._Saba Room 5017,New State, Ext. 5291. Mr. Leonard Jo Horwitz, sjS 8 ) R~poaht 5 0 1 1 N e w State, . Roan 5269 New State, EXt. Mr.' Arrthmc C. Nagle Chief of S/S , t transmitting requests from their areas to S/So Roam 604, Si-1, Ext. 326? Room .123, SA-1, xt. 2745 In ddition, the staff assistants in each of the areas of the Department *,I Al Evans Assistant Director Mies L. 4 Eiring are reap ib3e far distribution of ?SB documents within their areas and for Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/02: CIA-RDP80R01731 R002600290001-6