"Now, more than at almost any time in our history," the committee added, "a clear and fair picture of America and American policy should be heard abroad. "No one will do this job for us. We must do it ourselves. The job involves the use of many media-radio, books, motion pictures, the press--but among them radio seems today the most critically important for the projection of a full and fair picture of the United States." The advisory group was named a year ago by William Benton, Assistant Secretary of State in charge of the program. It includes Mark Ethridge, publisher of the Louisville Courier-Journal; Gardner Cowles, Jr., president of the Des Moines Register and Tribune; Dean Harold Lasswell of the Yale Law School; Roy E. Larsen, president of Time, Inc.; the Rev. Robert I. Gannon, president of Fordham University; Edward R. Murrow, vice president of the Columbia Broadcasting System; Sterling Fisher, of the National Broadcasting Co., and Don Francisco, of the J. Walter Thompson Advertising Agency. The report was made public at the end of a week during which the House refused to appropriate any money to finance the Voice of America and other international information and cultural activities of the State Department for the fiscal year beginning Janury 1. Lack of specific authorization by Congress for the program was cited as one reason for denying further appropriations. A bill to grant this authorization is being considered sympathetically by a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee. Chairman Taber of the Appropriations Committee, one of the chief critics in Congress of the information and cultural activities, conceded at a hearing before the Foreign Affairs group yesterday that the program "might" be all right if it is "cleaned up" and the FBI checks the loyalty of those who handle it. The State Department's advisory committee pointed out that 75 percent of the earth's population lives under some degree of censorship. It added: Radio broadcasting offers the surest way to reach these people, as well as those living in censor-free countries, with information about the United States. GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS Although advising that most of the job of informing foreign opinion about this country should be done through private agencies, the committee said that where they are unable to act, "It is the duty of the United States Government to see that the Voice of America is heard." For a permanent arrangement, the committee recommended that a public corporation or foundation be set up to handle all international broadcasting from this country. The proposed foundation would get operating funds from Congress. Its policies would be directed by a board of trustees "consisting predominately of distinguished private American citizens." A similar plan already has been submitted to Congress by the State Department. BENTON'S QUALIFICATIONS DISCUSSED Mr. Benton sat with his chin in his hand as Mr. Mansfield asked Mr. Taber directly what he thought of Mr. Benton's "capabilities." Mr. Taber, hunching his shoulders up and down, responded: "He has been in there for a year and a half. He has not cleaned the picture up. Whether he ever will, I don't know. If he stays, I hope he does. I do feel it must be cleaned up if it is to go on to be a success." Mr. Mansfield declared Mr. Benton has done "a good job." He cited a letter in a local newspaper signed by Paul G. Hoffman, president of the Studebaker Corp.; William D. Fuller, president of the Curtis Publishing Co., and Marion B. Folsom, treasurer of the Eastman Kodak Co. Mr. Taber told the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee yesterday that the State Department should obtain its news from the Associated Press and the United Press. Representative Mundt, Republican, of South Dakota, said the news services were either "unable or unwilling" to supply the Department with news or broadcasts. INVITED TO PRESENT VIEWS Representative Mansfield, Democrat, of Montana, said both AP and UP had been invited last year to present their views to the committee but that there had been no response. Mr. Taber insisted that "a proper approach would bring about their cooperation." "Those services," he added, "are far more helpful in most regions of the world than the State Department broadcasts." After Mr. Mundt pointed out that some areas of the world are unserved by American news agencies, Mr. Taber said possibly a "restricted service" could be obtained for such places as Russia, China, and the Near East countries. "Frankly," Mr. Taber said at one point, "I don't see how they (the State Department broadcasters) get a listening public. Their news broadcasts aren't up to what the UP and the AP put out." CAREER REVIEWED IN LETTER In the letter, they reviewed Mr. Benton's career in business, radio, and education, termed him the "Top man in the country for the job," and added: "And it would be tragic, for the sake of a political maneuver, to waste the 20 months of experience he has acquired in mastering an assignment that is as new and as unfamiliar to our country as it is necessary." Mr. Taber, his face flushing, snapped back that it has become "increasingly evident" that the "cry of politics" will be raised every time an attempt is made to investigate Government departments. "My interest is not politics," he said. Mr. Taber reiterated his criticism later in a radio debate with Senator Hatch, Democrat, of New Mexico. WEEDING OUT DRONES URGED Asserting that the "drones, the loafers, and the incompetent must be weeded out of the State Department set-up," Mr. Taber declared: "In my opinion the whole thing could be done better by private industry. And if it had to be subsidized by the Government * ** I believe it would be cheaper and would be better handled." Senator Hatch, contending the Government should carry on the program, said "there is a war of ideas going on in the world. It is imperative that our own views be presented by us to the people of the world." He argued that private agencies cannot do the job satisfactorily, saying that "censorship restrictions and communications barriers of various kinds in many areas prevent a full budget of information from getting through in private channels." X HEARINGS BEFORE A SPECIAL SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTIETH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON H. J. Res. 207 PROVIDING FOR MEMBERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION 62061 MAY 15, 1947 Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs UNITED STATES WASHINGTON: 1947 |