previews would contain, nor were these previews categorized as "family," "mature young people," or "mature." Let me cite a few examples of House Un-American Activities information available on subversion in the U.S. film industry : (1) Eighty-second Congress, second session, Communist Infiltration of the Hollywood Motion Picture Industry, part 8 (1952). (2) Eighty-sixth Congress, first session, Report on the Southern California District of the Communist Party (1959). (Particularly recommend reading page 61, Community Organizations.) (3) Eighty-fifth Congress, first session, House Document No. 227, part 1, Soviet Total War, volume 1, page 160, “Seeing Red in Hollywood," by Maurice Ries. I believe that a more positive measure is needed than to classify films as to "suitability." Only the most stringent “quality control” to screen films, so that they complement the efforts of military commanders in maintaining high standards of moral, personal, and unit discipline in our service communities, will accomplish the objective set forth in your letter. Sincerely yours, 9. This copy of a letter from the Chief of Staff of U.S. Army dated April 2, 1962, outlines the scope and objectives of troop information program as discussed in AR 355-5. I was delighted to obtain a copy of this letter because it shows that new emphasis is being placed on the soldiers' cold war education. The Chief of Staff of U.S. Army had apparently addressed personal lists to each Army commander and I have copies of follow-up action, in this case from 1st U.S. Army which in turn transmitted General Decker's letter to subordinate commands. I have a copy of the letter from the Commanding General at Fort Devens in follow-up to subordinate units. In each case, the wording of these letters indicates that emphasis on troop information may eliminate the previous attitude toward this subject as indicated in General Verbeck's letter, which includes the following statement: "Commanders at all levels are urged to review their programs as they currently exist in order to insure that pertinent directives and regulations are being complied with and that all is being done that can be done to insure the success of the program. In this regard, commanders at the lowest level must be made aware of the fact that troop information is a daily requirement, a command responsibility, and is not merely a 1-hour-a-week mandatory formation. I wish also to stress the fact that wherever and whenever practicable, the weekly troop information topic will be presented by the commander of the unit and will be attended by all members of the command." (This correspondence will appear in the record at this point.) AHPIO. HEADQUARTERS FORT DEVENS, OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL, Subject: Implementation of AR 355-5. 1. I have attached as inclosures 1 and 2 copies of letters which I have received from Gen. George H. Decker, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army and Lt. Gen. Garrison H. Davidson, Commanding General, 1st U.S. Army, concerning the above subject. 2. Since the troop information program has always played a very essential roll in the development of a soldier and bears a marked relationship to his performance of duty, I deem it essential that all commanders thoroughly familiarize themselves not only with the contents of these letters but also with Army Regulations 355-5. I am certain that only through a thorough understanding of the contents of these documents will an understanding of the Army's policy with regard to this subject be understood. 3. Commanders at all levels are urged to review their programs as they currently exist in order to insure that pertinent directives and regulations are being complied with and that all is being done that can be done to insure the success of the program. In this regard, commanders at the lowest level must be made aware of the fact that troop information is a daily requirement, a command responsibility, and is not merely a 1-hour-a-week mandatory formation. I wish also to stress the fact that wherever and whenever practicable, the weekly troop 80752-62-pt. 6- -13 information topic will be presented by the commander of the unit and will be attended by all members of the command. 4. References: (a) AR 355-5. (b) Fort Devens Circular 10-1, April 30, 1958. (c) Paragraph 7, Fort Devens Daily Bulletin No. 7, January 10, 1962. W. J. VERBECK, Major General, U.S.A. Commanding. U.S. ARMY, THE CHIEF OF STAFF, Lt. Gen. GARRISON H. DAVIDSON, Commanding General, 1st U.S. Army, Governors Island, N.Y. DEAR GAR: Although the scope and objectives of the troop information program are discussed in AR 335-5, I wish to amplify this guidance so that the underlying philosophy is clearly understood and is directly brought to bear in its implementation. Troop information serves two fundamental purposes: To make the soldier a better citizen and to make him a better fighting man. It seeks to condition him mentally and emotionally to want to preserve his heritage as an American, to adjust to his current environment, and to accomplish his military mission. Troop information must build on the positive values that have been ingrained in the soldier since his childhood. To be effective toward this end, it must be a balanced and flexible program. It must include, but not be limited to, indoctrination of the soldier in the nature and threat of communism. Clearly, the choice of troop information topics is a task for commanders. The program must meet the soldier's needs; it must be related to the time, the place, and the existing circumstances. Troop information must aid the soldier in adjusting to the local environment, teach him to understand official policies and world events as they affect him, help him to comprehend the role of the Army and his personal role in his unit as part of the Army, and motivate him to fight in the tradition of his forefathers. A program of such import involving close personal relationships logically belongs in just one pair of hands, those of the commander to whom the soldier looks for counsel and leadership. Under normal circumstances, troop information periods should be conducted personally by the troop, company, or battery commander. The conduct of this instruction should not be delegated except on infrequent occasions where personnel exceptionally qualified in a particular subject are available as instructors. Even then, the commander should actively supervise and participate in the instruction. Troop information is as essential a part of military training as tactics or marksmanship. Thus, it is manifest that the commander is responsible for making it a meaningful program that will produce a better soldier with esprit de corps and greater combat potential. With regards and best wishes, G. H. DECKER, General, U.S. Army, Chief of Staff. HEADQUARTERS, 1ST U.S. ARMY, OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL, Governors Island, New York, N.Y., April 13, 1962. Subject: Implementation of AR 355-5. Fort Devens, Mass. 1. Inclosed is a copy of an interesting letter I have just received from the Chief of Staff explaining the philosophy underlying the troop information program prescribed by AR 355-5. 2. He has been assured that the implementation of AR 355-5 in the 1st Army area will provide a meaningful program. 3. As you know this problem has received considerable notice at national level. It is important that we implement AR 355-5 in an appropriate, realistic and effective manner. Please be certain that your program meets these criteria. GARRISON H. DAVIDSON, Lieutenant General, U.S.A., Commanding. 10. I have a copy of the letter of the Department of Defense dated May 21, 1962, in reply to a letter from the subcommittee dated April 17, 1962, concerning the Air Training Command Manual 50-7, "Freedom and Professional Leadership." In earlier testimony by Air Force witnesses, it was developed that this manual could have extremely adverse effects on the education of military personnel. Specifically, the references to the FBI as being a "national secret police agency," and the chart entitled "Distressing Similarities Between Communist Doctrine and American Behavior" were considered to be particularly detrimental. The Department of Defense agreed that this material was harmful and some of it was eliminated in 1960. What concerns me, however, is that the corrective action taken by Headquarters, Air Training Command, eliminated only a portion of the most harmful information contained in this publication. This indicates to me that whoever reviewed this material could not have any real comprehension of the great number of additional items of detrimental nature contained both in the chart on "distressing similarities" as well as in the rest of the text. This material included the distribution list of the "interim change No. 1" to ATC Manual 50-7. The original distribution of ATC 50-7 was approximately 5,000. However, only 2,500 correction sheets were distributed. Needless to say, the interim corrections, inadequate as they were, did not reach all the recipients of the manual. The DOD letter further indicates that the original manual was replaced on May 1, 1962, by the revised version which eliminates the items found objectionable by the Air Force in 1960 as well as the items found to be objectionable during hearings before this subcommittee. The revised version is a very creditable and improved publication. It is, however, almost identical to the original Department of Defense "militant liberty program" which was implemented in 1955. It is incredible to me that despite the early publication of "militant liberty program" the Air Force experienced these difficulties with the ATC Manual 50-7. It indicates to me again the need for a coordinated effort at departmental level in which interservice coordination can be effected and where intelligence screening can be brought about to prevent the dissemination of harmful information to the services. (The correspondence from DOD will be printed in the record at this point.) GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, Washington, D.C., May 21, 1962. JAMES T. KENDALL, Esq., Chief Counsel, Preparedness Investigating Subcommittee, DEAR MR. KENDALL: Your letter of April 17, 1962, requested a copy of Air Training Command Manual 50-7 and certain information about that manual. In response to your letter, the Department of the Air Force has informed me that: "Outlined in general content by the Vice Commander of the Flying Training Air Force, Air Training Command Manual 50-7, 'Freedom and Professional Leadership' was written by a chaplain at Webb Air Force Base, Texas, assisted by the base commander. It was published by the Air Training Command in March 1959 for test use in the training of officers in the Flying Training Program. "This service test edition, as indicated in its foreword, was intended to be used on an experimental basis and later modified as experience might dictate. The service test was conducted for approximately one year, at which time a comprehensive revision was begun, based on recommendations from Air Force Headquarters, the Air University, the U.S. Air Force Board of Chaplains, the Air Training Command Chief of Chaplains, the Air Training Command Office of Information, and evaluations from the field. The revised manual, copy attached (tab No. 1), was published on May 1, 1962, to replace the service test edition. "During its test period the manual was generally very well received by instructors and student officers. It was cited, in fact, when Air Training Com mand was awarded a George Washington Honor Medal Award in 1960 by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, for 'outstanding achievement in helping to bring about a better understanding of the American way of life during 1959.' "Among the changes made in the revised manual were deletion of two passages which also had been questioned during hearings of the Preparedness Investigating Subcommittee. One of these, on page 7-4 of the manual, dealt with the undesirability of a national secret police agency. Although well intended, this section had been poorly worded, resulting in a misleading implication. An official change was made to this by an Air Training Command message to all users, dated January 4, 1960, followed by a formal change published on March 25, 1960 (copy attached, tab No. 2.) The other passage, also questioned both in the subcommittee hearings and by those who revised the manual, was a chart dealing with the 'distressing similarities between Communist doctrine and American behavior.' The lines in this chart referring to 'comprehensive secret police network' and the 'growth of the FBI' were deleted in March 1960, as indicated in tab No. 2. The chart was deleted completely during the revision. (As requested, all revisions are indicated in tab No. 3.) "The Air Force believes that the test edition of the manual, when evaluated in its entirety, reflects an earnest, and largely successful effort to list and explain the fundamentals and values of freedom; the contradictions, evils and threats of communism; and the elements of military doctrine, military leadership and moral conduct. "Nine thousand copies of the newly revised manual have been published for distribution to all Air Force technical training centers, all flying training bases, and the medical school at Gunter Air Force Base, Alabama. In addition, 600 copies are being distributed to Strategic Air Command." FREEDOM AND PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP Pending the revision of ATC Manual 50–7, 16 March 1959, the following change is published. * Page 7-4 CONCEALED COMMUNISTS It would be a grave mistake to underestimate the effectiveness of Communist activities in this country. There are approximately 10,000 Communist Party members with who knows how many dupes and sympathizers that they can and do influence. The approximate 6,000 FBI agents cannot watch them all twentyfour hours a day. Since the literature on Communist activities in America is so extensive, we will not attempt to summarize it here. It is an internal threat of grave significance, and one which we are attempting to control through the FBI and other security agencies. SUBVERSIVE ORGANIZATIONS The development of any subversive organization in the United States, such as these which thrive in countries dominated by Communism, are a serious threat to our inherent freedom and liberty. Such organizations are permitted to exist under Federal Law in this country. Therefore, to enforce our Federal Laws, this country has organized Federal Investigative Agencies to serve specific purposes in the investigation of violations of Federal Law in cooperation with State *This change supersedes message, Hq ATC (ATFTM) 50401, 4 January 1960. and local police. Among these are the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under jurisdiction of the Department of Justice, and the Secret Service and Customs Agency Service under the Treasury Department. These organizations are dedicated to the protection and preservation of American civil liberties. Their growth in the National interest has placed grave responsibilities on their leaders and government officials. The American people have placed complete faith and trust in our Federal Investigative Agencies to uphold the validity, effectiveness, and practice of moral principles in our Government and society. * Page 7-6 * * * Delete line 15 which reads: “Comprehensive secret police network—The growth of the FBI". OFFICIAL: ROBERT A. SCHAAF, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF, Part 1: JAMES E. BRIGGS, Lieutenant General, USAF, Commander. OUTLINE OF REVISED ATCM 50-7 Chapter 1 is a revision of present Chapter 1. Chapter 5 is a rewrite of present Chapter 7. Chapter 7 is a revision and combination of present Chapters 9 and 11. Part 3: Chapter 9 is a revision of present Chapter 13. Part 4: Chapter 11 is a revision of present Chapter 15 deleting pages 15-13 through 15–24 containing Col. Heinl's article. Chapter 12 is a revision of present Chapter 16. Chapter 13 is a revision of present Chapter 17. Present Chapters 5, 6, and 12 are deleted. 11. During these hearings we inquired about the use of film footage originating in Communist countries for the purpose of orienting U.S. military personnel in techniques and nature of Communist propaganda destined to generate "hate America" and other hostile agitation against us. The reply which I shall place in the record includes six Communist propaganda films, portions of which have been included in U.S. military films. My point, however, is that such films as "Battle for China" in its entire length would be of great value to obtain a thorough comprehension of Red Chinese propaganda techniques both for internal consumption and that which they direct against us. The other film on bacteriologist warfare is also of great value to U.S. military services in describing propaganda confessions made by U.S. Air Force flyers captured in North Korea and the manner in which the Communists exploited their false confessions of these Americans. (The correspondence from DOD concerning Communist propaganda films will be printed in the record at this point.) SAMPLE DESCRIPTIONS AND INFORMATION PERTAINING TO CERTAIN SINO-SOVIET FILMS ON FILE AT THE ARMY PICTORIAL CENTER 1. Meeting at the Elbe-A Russia feature film with reenacted portrayal of the meeting between victorious American and Soviet soldiers at the Elbe River |