MEMO OF CONVERSATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP72-00337R000500270058-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 8, 2006
• Sequence Number: 58
• Publication Date: February 11, 1971
• Content Type: MEMO

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MEMO OF CONVERSATION
February 11, 1971
with: Carl Coleman -- on staff of Congressman Michael McKevitt (sp?)
Coleman phoned (late morning) to ask for information to help
him in answering letters received by his congressman from consti-
tuents who had read the New York Times story on Senator Case's
statement.
He explained that ii1icKevitt was a freshman representative from
(I believe) Colorado...at least somewhere beyond the Mississippi...
party not stated. (He didn't spell the name, and we don't have a
new Congressional Directory available yet to check it.)
One letter he referred to only vaguely; apparently it was
from someone expressing displeasure that the funding of PFE had
been "concealed" from the American people. Another he described
in more detail: it was from a radio-station owner in the congress-
man's district who was angry at the secrecy, but mainly indignant
that the taxpayers' money was being thrown away, without their
knowledge, on operations which "did no good." He said that he
or any other competent American radio station operator could do
the job of both RFE and RL for "a couple of million dollars a
year." (Coleman didn't indicate that the station owner had been
asked to run our ads, or had any complaint on that score.)
Coleman said that he himself was a radio man, and had always
been sympathetic to the work of FIFE and RL, and without knowing
a great deal about their operations in detail was quite sure that
----they couldn't be run for "a couple of million dollars." However,
he needed some information in order to answer the letters somehow.STAT
He said he supposed the figures given by Case were approximately STAT
correct (I didn't comment), and assumed that did raise oui e
a hit of money from Amprirnn hu-,inesp,
However, he said what he wane was enough o a p c ua e
to politely explain to the station owner that the operation was
a good deal more complex than one might think: what were the
elements that made it costly? (I pointed out that RFE in effect
operated five different stations, wjth distinctive content for
their individual target areas and separate editorial and annovnc-
Ing staffs, etc., while RL operated not only in Russian but for STAT
short periods each in a large variety of regional languagesoao
that against his constituent's one or two or three transmitters
i suggested we send him
2se and possibly some others, as well as our brochure and
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fact sheet.) Coleman said this would be excellent, and all he
would need, and was grateful for our assistance.
The material should go to:
Carl Coleman
506 Cannon House Off ice Building
Washington, D. C o
20515
Although he didn't mention RL, I did a couple of times in
very general terms, since the Case figures were for both of us;
however, he didn't suggest that I send him anything about RL or
indicate that he was going to phone them.
It seems to me that we might consider getting (say) a fact
sheet and perhaps one good press article about RL from them, to
include with our own material, since (particularly for the
radio-station man). it would help explain where part of the money
goes.)
Overall, I have no doubt that Coleman at least (he didn't
say how his congressman felt) is really sympathetic, and concerned
only with handling his constituents well. pad putting us in a
favorable light.
STAT
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