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Mr. SYLVESTER. I think the question is based on a misconception. It states a conclusion that I don't accept.

Senator THURMOND. Mr. Secretary, antimilitary propaganda is based on turning civilian opinion against our own services and military defenses. How can you do your job without knowing the specifics of this all-out Communist propaganda effort directed against the U.S. public to destroy recognition for the need for support of the military and military preparedness in the conflict with communism?

Mr. SYLVESTER. I see no sign of any success. The Congress of the United States voted last year and I presume will vote again this year a $50 billion budget. They are close to the people of the country and are reflecting their constituents. I see no success on the part of the Communists or anyone else in deterring us from building up a strong military installation.

Senator THURMOND. The Congress appropriates money, all right; but it is up to the Defense Department to perform their duties. That is what I am trying to bring out this morning, some of the things I feel are important.

Mr. SYLVESTER. I think the Defense Department is performing its duties in giving this country the strongest defense it has ever had. The Defense Department has said we can take and absorb any blow that comes and destroy the Soviet Union if it creates such a problem. This, it seems to me, is the job of the Defense Department.

Senator THURMOND. Do you feel there is an all-out propaganda effort against the United States to destroy recognition of the need to support military and military preparedness in the conflict with communism?

Mr. SYLVESTER. Yes, undoubtedly, that is one of their aims. It seems a pretty feeble effort to me. I judge things on their results. It seems to me, on the results, they have wasted a lot of time and effort.

CURRICULUM OF INFORMATION SCHOOL AT FORT SLOCUM

Senator THURMOND. Has anyone in your office visited the Information School at Fort Slocum to determine the adequacy of this program?

Mr. SYLVESTER. Again, the question has a misconception in it. I have visited it to acquaint myself with the operation but I have no control over it. It is operated by the military department.

Senator THURMOND. The efficiency of its work, there, though, is important in your work, is it not?

Mr. SYLVESTER. The school turns out public affairs officers for the Army and I, of course, have a very deep interest in seeing that public affairs officers, regardless of service or uniform, are good, successful, and can perform their missions. But I do not have control over these officers. I think, from what I saw, generally speaking, I spent a day. there and on the basis of that, which after all is not tremendously broadbased; but discussing with the officers and looking at the courses, talking with the men who come out of it, I think they do a fairly good job.

Senator THURMOND. Can you outline the curriculum for us?
Mr. SYLVESTER. No, I can't; this was over a year ago.

Senator THURMOND. Mr. Secretary, currently, approximately 80 percent of the curriculum is designed to turn out public relations and

newspaper men. We do not have at this time a school in any of the services which turns out troop information instructors or research specialists in this field. We consider this one of the basic reasons why the troop information program has been a failure today, especially in the Army.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND TROOP INFORMATION

Have you discussed the problem of training public relations specialists or troop information instructors with the Chiefs of Information of the services as your mission might require you to do?

Mr. SYLVESTER. My mission doesn't require me to do that, Senator, and gives me no authority to insert myself in it.

Senator THURMOND. You do not construe that it does?

Mr. SYLVESTER. As a matter of fact, I don't, and no one else does in the Defense Department. And the field of troop information and education is one which I don't intrude in, and am well kept out of and should be. I think we should draw the line between public information

Senator THURMOND. If you don't think this is your job, whose job do you think it is?

Mr. SYLVESTER. I think it is clearly spelled out. It falls under the responsibility of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower. Senator THURMOND. His works ties in closely with yours; does it

not?

Mr. SYLVESTER. Yes; we work together and advise with each other. Anything I can do to help, of course, we do. The tie-in courses, and so forth, are not a function of mine.

DOD PUBLIC AFFAIRS GUIDANCE

Senator THURMOND. I believe you do advise the Secretary of Defense on matters involving public affairs?

Mr. SYLVESTER. I try to; yes.

Senator THURMOND. Are you not supposed to

provide policy guidance to the commands and other organizational activities established by the Secretary of Defense for all public affairs activities.

Mr. SYLVESTER. To unified and specified commands, directly. Senator THURMOND. In this Department of Defense directive, I take subparagraph number 2, to indicate assumption of control by you of "any informational programs directed in whole or in part to the general public." This is a new paragraph added to the previous directive, 1959. The new directive, 1961, expands your scope and power enormously. It detracts from the command authority at all levels throughout the services. How can you prevent it becoming a muzzle operation on all lower commands?

Mr. SYLVESTER. How can I prevent it becoming a muzzle operation? The whole drive of the operation is to increase the flow of nonsensitive information to the American public. The Secretary stated that formally and informally at the very outset.

Senator THURMOND. I can readily see why such dictatorial authority in the services would not only be misrepresented, but also would bring about conditions of which I complained last September.

XIII ARMY CORPS NEW HAVEN SUBSECTOR INFORMATION BULLETIN

Let me direct your attention to paragraph V(2) of your new directive. Headquarters XIII, U.S. Army Corps, Subsector New Haven, issues this weekly information bulletin. This is an extract of No. 48, dated November 30, 1961. You might want to study this bulletin. It is a direct outgrowth of your muzzling paragraph V(2). What is your reaction? Have you read it?

Mr. SYLVESTER. I am reading the last paragraph.

Yes, I have read it. I don't know what this New Haven Subsector Command is.

Senator THURMOND. Well, they no longer have a military district in each State. Now there are several corps headquarters in each Army area. Each corps has sectors and subsectors.

Mr. SYLVESTER. Yes. But I mean I don't know this command, the size, the subsector command, or what their mission is, at any rate. Senator THURMOND. What is your reaction?

Mr. SYLVESTER. Well, my reaction to paragraph "A" is that this is a statement of fact. It is my understanding that the Army did make addressees of these various components.

On paragraph "B," it was directed to all members on active duty, the civilian employees of the Department, and I assume, since Reserves on active duty are active, it would include them.

On paragraph "C," I would say that the first sentence introduces an element not in the memorandum but something that had long been a Defense Department procedure, that all information released to the public be cleared with appropriate headquarters. That has been in effect for years.

The second sentence of "C" cautioning good judgment, that certainly was in the Secretary's memorandum.

Paragraph "D," suggesting that this goes to reserve personnel, is something that apparently Captain Blodgett has deduced on his own. I know of no basis for that.

Senator THURMOND. On February 3, 1962, the Special Preparedness Subcommittee inquired about paragraph 6 of this Information Bulletin in a letter to the Department of Defense, as follows:

Hon. CYRUS R. VANCE,

General Counsel, Department of Defense,
Washington, D.C.

DEAR CY: Attached weekly information bulletin disseminated by Headquarters, New Haven Subsector Command, XIII U.S. Army Corps, 200 Wintergreen Avenue, New Haven 15, Conn.. has been sent to this committee by a Reserve officer serving in this Army Corps Area. He transmitted this document indicating that he felt paragraph 6-D of this bulletin is erroneous in the interpretation that a reservist conveying information to the public becomes quasiofficial when linked with their Reserve status.

It was pointed out by this reservist that in occupations such as his he would find great difficulty complying or agreeing with such guides.

We would appreciate it if you would provide background information and origin of this XIII U.S. Army Corps bulletin and whether it is an accurate reflection of Department of Defense policy.

Sincerely,

JAMES T. KENDALL,

Chief Counsel, Senate Preparedness Subcommittee. We have not received a reply to this letter, Mr. Kendall, as I understand.

Mr. KENDALL. We will have to check.1

LETTER OF RESERVE MARINE COLONEL ON PROGRAM AT CULVER MILITARY

ACADEMY

Senator THURMOND. Let me ask you to read this letter from a Marine Corps Reserve colonel and tell us if in fact this officer is authorized to do what he has described in his letter. Would you read that aloud?

Mr. SYLVESTER. Yes, indeed. [Reading:]

From Col. Melvyn A. Estey, COVTU.

CULVER SUMMER SCHOOLS,
Culver, Ind., March 5, 1962.

Enclosure A, Schedule for America's Democratic Heritage, 1960-61; B, Schedule for America's Democratic Heritage, 1961-62.

As chairman of the America's Democratic Heritage Committee, I have the responsibility under the Superintendent, Maj. Gen. D. T. Spivey, U.S. Air Corps (retired), of drawing up and administering the series of lectures, schedules of which are inclosed.

These lectures by which we attempt to inspire regard for our form of democ racy, while critically examining communism and its activity, are delivered to all first-class men in the academy, about 200 students.

Lectures which I deliver I have starred.

On April 19, 1961, I served as master of ceremonies on a panel discussing the Communist menace. Featured on the panel were Dr. Fred Schwarz, president, Christian Anticommunism Crusade; Dr. Gerhart Niemyer, of the Notre Dame Political Science Department; and Dr. R. Barry Farrell, of Northwestern University. This discussion was presented to the student body of about 850 boys and was open to the public. I was instrumental in securing the services of Dr. David M. Rowe, of Yale University, who I introduced to our students on December 1, 1961. He spoke on the subject, "Communism in the Far East."

All above activities are part of a 10-year-old program at Culver Military Academy, where I am chairman of the history department and director of the woodcraft camp. Lt. Col. Keith Felex, a member of VTU (S9-5) was instrumental in securing the services of Dr. Fred Schwarz for a public appearance in Plymouth, Ind., on April 20, 1961.

MELVYN A. ESTEY, Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps.

QUESTION OF MILITARY CONTROL OVER RESERVE PERSONNEL

Senator THURMOND. Now, Mr. Secretary, is this officer authorized to do what is described in this letter?

Mr. SYLVESTER. We have no control over this officer. He is a retired officer.

Senator THURMOND. You say he is retired?

Mr. SYLVESTER. That is what it says there.

Senator THURMOND. Where does it say that, Mr. Sylvester?

Mr. SYLVESTER. I beg your pardon; I misread it. It was Major General Spivey who was retired-no, colonel, U.S.M.C.R., at the bottom, right.

Senator THURMOND. Where does it say "Retired”?

Mr. SYLVESTER. U.S.M.C.R. He is a reservist.

Senator THURMOND. What does that stand for, U.S.M.C.R.?

Mr. SYLVESTER. I think it stands for Reserve, or retired.

Senator THURMOND. No, U.S. Marine Corps, Reserve.

Mr. SYLVESTER. All right; reservist, then. He is not under our control.

1 See "Military Cold War Education and Speech Review Policies," pt. 3, p. 1116.

Senator THURMOND. Is he authorized to do what he has described in his letter?

Mr. SYLVESTER. Senator, my answer is, as a reservist, not on active duty, we have no control over him. So obviously, if he is satisfying his employers, the Culver summer schools, I presume he is. But he is working for them.

Senator THURMOND. Would that be your answer, also, to the letter that was written by Mr. Kendall, our chief counsel of this committee, to Mr. Vance concerning the Reserve officer in XIII U.S. Army Corps!

Mr. SYLVESTER. No, sir; it is my answer to your asking me to read this letter and on the basis of what this gentleman says and on the basis of his being a reservist, my answer is directed to that.

Senator THURMOND. They are both Reserve officers in the same type situation-both thought it would be a similar answer. Mr. SYLVESTER. I don't recognize it.

Senator THURMOND. Mr. Secretary, would you tell me how a Reserve officer who is a teacher could lecture his classroom in communism? Suppose a school curriculum called for a specific topic and he used Department of the Army Pamphlet 30-101, an unclassified pamphlet, as source material. Can he do this under the instruction contained in this bulletin?

(XIII U.S. Army Corps bulletin is shown.)

Mr. SYLVESTER. I assume from your question, Senator, that this is a Reserve officer not on active duty.

Senator THURMOND. That is right.

Mr. SYLVESTER. And we have no control over what he does.

Senator THURMOND. So he can, then, lecture on communism?

Mr. SYLVESTER. I guess he can lecture on anything.

Senator THURMOND. There is no question about that?

Mr. SYLVESTER. We have no control over Reserve officers not on active duty.

Senator THURMOND. Let us assume that the American Civil Liberties Union complained to a military command that Teacher X, a Reserve officer, had said the folowing to his class:

"Unfortunately, many people have been deceived about the true purpose of communism and, because of that deception, have given support to it in the mistaken belief that it would help to make their lives better. Such, for example, was the mistake made by a large portion of the population of China. The same mistake is also being made today by people who believe that communism is the solution to every imperfection of society and government. If these people realized the vicious objectives of communism, they would no doubt oppose it and dedicate their lives to its destruction. As citizens and soldiers of the United States of America, we owe it to ourselves to take a very good look at communism-its real purpose, its teachings, and its methods of deluding and influencing people."

What would your response be to the ACLU?

Mr. SYLVESTER. I am not clear whether this is a statement by the ACLU.

Senator THURMOND. No; the question I asked you is that assuming the American Civil Liberties Union complained to the military command that Teacher X had made such a hard anti-Communist state

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