SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING SCHEDULE

Senator THURMOND. Mr. Chairman, you were going to run for an hour. I can go right on. If Senator Bartlett can be here, we can go on through and, if not, maybe we can adjourn until next week.

Senator BARTLETT. I cannot stay after 10:30.

Senator STENNIS. At 10:30, the full Senate Appropriations Committee is meeting to pass on the $40 billion-odd appropriation for the Department of Defense. I am a member of the subcommittee, of course, and have been requested by the chairman of the full committee to be there. I will have to go to that. It probably will not take over an hour, though, to dispose of the matter, as I understand it. After that, I can come back. Senator Bartlett has said to the chairman that he cannot stay, but with the possibility that we can get him back, is there any objection to your continuing?

Senator THURMOND. I do not object. Whatever you want to do. Senator STENNIS. I think when I have to leave I will just leave quietly.

Senator THURMOND. I think I can finish today, if you desire. Senator STENNIS. Can you stay as much of the day as necessary, Mr. Sylvester?

Mr. SYLVESTER. All day and all night, if you wish.

Senator STENNIS. In view of that let us try to finish. Senator Bartlett, I will come back as soon as I can and you come back as soon please.

as you can,

Senator BARTLETT. I have a question or two.

Senator THURMOND. I yield to Senator Bartlett.

GOVERNMENTAL ANALYSIS OF SOVIET PROPAGANDA PENETRATION
OF U.S. PRESS

Senator BARTLETT. Relating to a question put to you by Senator Thurmond, do you know of any agency of the Government that has made an analysis to seek to determine if Soviet propaganda has made any penetration of the U.S. press?

Mr. SYLVESTER. I think that there has been work done in that field by the House Un-American Activities Committee. I think there is work done in that field by the FBI. I know that the Soviet propaganda is monitored, because I see the reports of it. The propaganda itself, the analysis of that, I see from the USIA, which monitors it. The State Department also monitors it. Whether they then carry through to see how it appears in the American press, I am not too sure about that.

Senator BARTLETT. And the Internal Security Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee?

Mr. SYLVESTER. Yes; I believe they have.

WHETHER SPEECH REVIEW PROCEDURES ARE WORKING

Senator BARTLETT. How do you believe the speech review policies and procedures are now working?

Mr. SYLVESTER. I believe they are, on the basis of reaction, on the basis of the speed with which we do it, on the basis of the fact that we have little or no comment from either speechmakers or other producers, I think it is working very well.

PROBLEM OF INCREASED LOAD OF MATERIAL FOR REVIEW

Senator BARTLETT. Are you encountering any special problems? Mr. SYLVESTER. No; I don't think we are, Senator. The only problem we have is the problem of load, which does not go to speeches alone, but there has been a tremendous increase in the type of material we have handled. Our congressional testimony this year has more than doubled, our speeches are up, our other stuff is up. We have had new men given us and some increased personnel and I think we are getting on quite well.

Senator BARTLETT. The testimony has been quite extensive?
Mr. SYLVESTER. Yes.

VOLUME OF SPEECHES FOR REVIEW

Senator BARTLETT. Going to the point of speeches and speeches only, would you say more or fewer speeches are now being given, or being sent to you for review?

Mr. SYLVESTER. I would say the same amount. If anything, there may be a few more this year, because we have had armed services, and this time of year, we get a good many because of Memorial Day and Fourth of July coming up. I think there has been a slight increase. Not as dramatic as last year.

REACTION OF MILITARY OFFICERS TO NEW SPEECH REVIEW PROCEDURES

Senator BARTLETT. Have you had any reaction personally, one way or the other, as to how military officers feel about the new speech review policy and procedures?

Mr. SYLVESTER. I have had very little reaction from most of them. Those officers who have talked to me have found their speeches have gone through very well. General Lemnitzer expressed pleasure, the other day when he had a speech, in our handling of it. I don't hear everything down the line.

Senator BARTLETT. Have you had any complaints directed to you personally as to this so-called censorship?

Mr. SYLVESTER. No, we have not.

Senator BARTLETT. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Senator STENNIS. All right, Senator Bartlett.

Senator Thurmond, you may resume.

DISCUSSION ON ARTICLE IN NATION MAGAZINE

Senator THURMOND. Mr. Secretary, we were speaking about the Nation magazine. The issue of October 28, 1961, is of particular interest.

You are familiar with this article, and I believe you made some comments on it. Did you have any other comments to make on that? Mr. SYLVESTER. No; I don't.

Senator THURMOND. It makes a special target of the U.S. military, our national security, and our free way of life, as I said a few moments ago. You are familiar with this.

On page 330, this article points to General Walker as a key issue of “the military meddling in domestic politics.'

I do not know how closely you followed the entire hearings, but I believe you will know the main issue is not General Walker and the problue program. The latter caused him grief, in my opinion, only because he did not have a qualified psychological warfare trained operations officer or a trained intelligence officer to maintain a high degree of quality control.

It is unfortunate that your office provided a link with that element of our press which, either because of their own limited knowledge of communism or because of their intent of following the pro-Communist line, have attached undue importance to the Walker problue program. You know, of course, that the editor of Nation magazine has a record with numerous Communists fronts and that his obvious purpose in this issue, as well as others, is to peddle the anti-U.S. military campaign, to deride and ridicule the military services, and to disgrace anybody who believes in patriotism and loyalty to this Nation.

Do you have any comment on this evaluation of this article?
Mr. SYLVESTER. I have no knowledge of what you are talking about.
Senator THURMOND. You have not read that article?

Mr. SYLVESTER. No; as I understood, Senator, you made a statement of what the purpose in the mind of Mr. Cary McWilliams is, and I can't read his mind.

Senator THURMOND. You have not read that particular article, so you could not comment on it.

Mr. SYLVESTER. I didn't say that. You are speaking of the "Juggernaut State," by Fred Cook?

Senator THURMOND. Nation magazine, October 28, 1961.
Mr. SYLVESTER. Isn't that Fred Cook's article?

Senator THURMOND. That is right.

Mr. SYLVESTER. I think the record shows I did read it.
Senator THURMOND. You have read that?

Mr. SYLVESTER. I think the record shows that several times I said I did read it.

Senator THURMOND. Do you have any further comments on it? Mr. SYLVESTER. No, I have no further comments.

LETTER TO REPORTER MAGAZINE ON ARTICLE "REVIVALISM ON THE FAR

RIGHT"

Senator THURMOND. Mr. Secretary, let me read from a copy of a letter to the Reporter-you are familiar with the Reporter magazine? Mr. SYLVESTER. Yes, I am.

Senator THURMOND. This is from a retired Army officer concerning the article by Philip Horton, "Revivalism on the Far Right," which appeared July 20, 1961. Col. Donovan Yeuell, Jr., had been asked for comment by the Reporter on that article. A part of his letter read as follows:

DEAR SIR: In response to your request, I have read Philip Horton's article, "Revivalism on the Far Right," in the July 20 issue of the Reporter. Frankly, I found the article to be loaded and slanted in a strange manner, and factually on thin ice. Differences of opinion we still hold dear in our Republic, but we have traditionally managed to steer clear of the cult of suspicion and half-truth to support one side of an argument. The subject article smacks of j'accuse. In the first place, I don't know what the "right" in America is or who belongs to it. If you have a definition and a list of members, I would be most grateful to have same so as to be more aware of this apparently untoward influence.

Next, as a professional Army officer for most of my adult life, my overriding and deeply ingrained impression of the political orientation of the officer corps in the United States is that his credo demands and achieves scrupulous avoidance of domestic politics in any and all shapes-left, right, center. In fact, so instilled is the nonpolitical tenet in the American officer's code that until very recently that vast majority abstained even from their citizen's duty of voting. Actually, the officer corps has been overly indifferent about those political matters implicit in the solemn oath taken at the time each officer is commissioned. That obligation is, of course “*** to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic." If there had to be a general characterization, it would be that the majority view of U.S. military officers is firmly middle of the road.

MILITARY DISTRIBUTION OF REPORTER MAGAZINE

Mr. Sylvester, what is the official Department of Defense evaluation of "The Reporter" and is it recommended as reading for the military personnel?

Mr. SYLVESTER. My office, as you know, has no part in recommending reading for the military personnel. If there is such a department, that is completely outside my responsibility.

"The Reporter" magazine, I believe, is now on sale at stands ofI know it is on sale in stands in the Pacific; I am not sure whether it is on sale on the stands in Europe or not. I believe it is.

Senator THURMOND. It is on sale now?

Mr. SYLVESTER. I believe it is.

Senator THURMOND. In Army bases and PX's?

Mr. SYLVESTER. Well, the distribution

Senator THURMOND. It is in libraries?

Mr. SYLVESTER. Again, the libraries are outside my jurisdiction. Senator THURMOND. I just wondered if you knew whether it was. Mr. SYLVESTER. I don't know about libraries. The sale in the European theater is handled through the Stars and Stripes distribution system. In the Pacific, it is handled commercially.

SYLVESTER INTEREST IN PUBLICATIONS THAT UNDERMINE MILITARY

Senator THURMOND. You would be interested in any newspaper or magazine that carries articles that tend to undermine the military, would you not?

Mr. SYLVESTER. Yes.

REPORTER ARTICLE "REVIVALISM ON THE FAR RIGHT”

Senator THURMOND. Just as this article in "The Reporter" which this Army officer evaluated.

Mr. SYLVESTER. Well, that is one evaluation. It wouldn't be compelling. It is one person's point of view. You might get a view from another officer different than that.

Senator THURMOND. Did you say you read this particular article? Mr. SYLVESTER. You would have to show me. I don't recall whether I read it.

Senator THURMOND. "Revivalism on the Far Right," in the July 20, 1961, issue.

Mr. SYLVESTER. Let me take a look at it.

Senator THURMOND. I have not got it right here.

Mr. SYLVESTER. Without it, it doesn't make much sense.

Senator THURMOND. I thought you would remember if you read it.
Mr. SYLVESTER. Well, I read a great many things, though.
Senator THURMOND. You do not remember it?

Mr. SYLVESTER. No, I don't. My recollection from the title is that I did, but I could remember if I saw the article.

DOD ACTION TAKEN ON PUBLICATIONS HARMFUL TO NATIONAL SECURITY

Senator THURMOND. If this downgrades and derides the military, as it apparently does, you would be interested in it?

Mr. SYLVESTER. There is an "if" and a presumption in your question which I don't accept. I would be interested in anything that downgrades and derides the military, whether in that magazine or any other.

Senator THURMOND. You would be interested in initiating some analysis, would you not, if you felt that a magazine was harmful to national security and recommend it not be distributed in military outlets?

Mr. SYLVESTER. I would act quickly in behalf of the national security in any field. You must remember that who decides whether those magazines are sold or not rests with the commander in the field. This is his responsibility and his power. I don't have that power.

But if I found a magazine or if I found articles that degraded, to my mind, without basis, I would certainly urge that we take a hard look at them and look at them from the point of view of whether we wanted to continue to sell them. But in the sort of society we live in, there is a large body of opinion all across the spectrum, and it is rather difficult to determine what everybody is going to think or write. And I doubt very much that that is my function.

ADVICE TO SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ON PUBLICATIONS

Senator THURMOND. Do you advise the Secretary of Defense on matters of this nature?

Mr. SYLVESTER. When they come up, he asks my advice, yes.

Senator THURMOND. You do not volunteer the advice to the Secretary of Defense that "The Reporter" contained articles which undermine pride in the service and deride the military—

Mr. SYLVESTER. I don't think I said that.

Senator THURMOND. I am just asking you if you would.

Mr. SYLVESTER. I would bring to the attention of all interested officials in the Department anything of that sort that I thought they should know about. Some things I could act on on my own.

Some I would call to their attention. I do not know of the case against the Reporter. I know nothing about it that would make me act against it.

Senator STENNIS. Gentlemen, may I interrupt a moment? Under the conditions I have already stated, I have to leave the hearings now, but I expect to be back within less than an hour.

BASIS OF INTELLIGENCE EVALUATION OF U.S. PUBLICATIONS

Senator THURMOND. You might be interested in reading this particular article, "Revivalism on the Far Right" in the July 20 issue.