MEMO TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FROM THE PRESIDENT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73B00296R000300260069-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 30, 2006
• Sequence Number: 69
• Publication Date: July 26, 1971
• Content Type: MEMO

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UNCLASSIF E N
OFFICIAL ROUTING SLIP
TO
NAME AND ADDRESS
DATE
INITIALS
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ACTION
DIRECT REPLY
PREPARE REPLY
APPROVAL
DISPATCH
RECOMMENDATION
COMMENT
FILE
RETURN
CONCURRENCE
INFORMATION
SIGNATURE
Remarks :
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FOLD HERE TO RETURN TO SENDER
FROM: NAME. ADD
RESS AND PHONE No. DATE
c J
UNCLASSIFIE
S CRET
FORM NO. ')Q7 Use previous editio
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(ao)
t-67 GJ!
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THEE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
From: THE PRESIDENT WD
MEMORANDUM
26 July 1971-
' .eier ence:
!rte?,,
CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENCE:
Letter to WPD from Monagan of 7/ 15
Letters to Monagan from WPD of 7/22 and 7/23
(Re letter to Monagan from, J. Arthur Johnson)
(COPY ENCLOSED FOR DELIVERY TO MR. JOHN A. BAKER)
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WO PARK AVENUE, NEW YORK 10016 0 LEXINGTON 2-8900 0 CABLE ADDRESS: NATFECOMM
The Honorable John S. Monagan
House of Representatives
2331 Rayburn Office Building
Washington, D. C. 20515
Dear Mr. Monagan:
DIVISIONS:
RADIO FREE _:-UROPE
PUBLICATI )f S AND SPECIAL PROJECT'
EXILE POL T CAL ORGANIZATIONS
PUBLIC AF-F.IRS
22 July 1971
This is in answer to your letter of July 15 requesting any
comments I may wish to make concerning the recommendations
of Mr. J. Arthur Johnson of Black Rock Road, Watertown,
Connecticut.
It is brought to the attention of all employees prior to
hire, particularly those in the News and Policy areas, that they
could be subject to difficulties when traveling to Soviet or Bloc
areas as a result of having worked for Radio Free Europe. Can-
didates for Policy Assistant positions have been told that people
such as William Griffith, formerly Policy Advisor, and Fritz
Ermarth, formerly of the Policy Department, have for many years
traveled quite freely to Eastern Europe and the USSR. hhas. been
clearly indicated to such job applicants that no one can predic
what the policies of any Communist government will be with
respect to allowing former RFE employees to visit Commun.~st
countries. This is a risk which is understood and, presu-ma biy,
accepted by those who agree to work here. The fact of Mr.
Eidlin's arrest is now, of course, being brought to the attention
of any "young American" or anyone else applying for an appropriate
position.
As you may also recall, Mr. Eidlin was arrested in part
because he worked for Radio Free Europe, not just on espionage
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(The IIon. John S. Mona-an,
22 July 1971)
charges, which were made but later dropped, and he was acts ally
convicted simply because he worked for RFE.
It may be worth also noting that Mr. Eidlin was specifically
warned by many people, including the Director of RFE, that he
should refrain from traveling to East Europe and that if he
persisted he would be a candidate for secret police action.
Yours sincerely,
William P. Durkee
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STN DIYTRICT, CONNECTICUT
G L
'
DISTRICT OFI'ICEI
209 POST OFFICE BUILDING
WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT 00720
TELEPHONC 209-754-2424
DEMOCRATIC STEER INS COMMITTEE
ZONE ONE
f I 3iit~tc'u. J. 3i . 20515
July 15, 1971
VII
.FI `V G ,A t~JJ'h L ~-Sse Y~+1. 1.4-VW tY'Y+Yoz
Mr. William Durkee, Director
Radio Free hurope
National Press ;3uilding
Washington, D. C. 20004
uREIGN AFFAIRS
EUROPE
I i. CLR-AMERICAN AFFAIRS
NEAR EAST
Enclosed is a copy of a letter I have received f_ro::I Mr. J.
Arthur Johnson, Black Rack Rcad, !-.ate_tcwn, Connecticut, t; ic I am
sending along to you for Your in o'mc_tion and consideration-
I would appreciate Lavin- any comments you may wis:L to
make concerning Mr. J ,hnscn's recor. iendz Lions.
Sincerely yours,
IJOHN S. MTONAC I
l:Iember o.f Congress
.
iMENT OPERATIONS
CHAIRMAN -L ---GAL AND MONETARY AFFAIRS
.O-:RNMENT ACTIVITIES
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P
Y
Black Rock Roac.
Watertown, Conn.
July 12, 1971
The Honorable John S. Monagan
House Office Building
Washington, D. C. 20515
Dear Sir:
I noted with interest some time ago a photograph which appeared
in the Waterbury Republican & American of you and a close persona...
friend, Mr. Fred Eidlin, Rochester, New York. Eidlin was a colic-z, gue
of mine at Radio Free Europe in Munich and, like myself, was a graduate
of Dartmouth College. I was greatly distressed to learn of his tria- :;,nd
subsequent imprisonment in Czechoslovakia, for I knew the situatio'a well
enough to realize that the espionage charges were a complete fabrication.
Fortunately, thanks to your intervention, the story had a happy endin
and his release was secured. Your efforts in this case are greatly a~-
preciated.
Unfortunately, Eidlin's case is not an isolated incident. One reads
from time to time of similar instances, and I? suspect that others are
not deemed sufficiently important to make the headlines in our papers.
As a former RFE employee, however, I believe that organization (ard
through it the U. S. Government) has a responsibility which has not b. en
met in the past. RFE management knows well the laws concerning espionage
and activity against the state in each of the broadcast target nations --
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i. e. the doctrine that an individual is responsible for anti-state ac-t-3
which he may have committed some years past and while on foreiF,n soil.
Yet, no mention is made of these possibilities when RFE is recruiting
young college graduates fo'r work in Munich. Eidlin and myself were both
serious students of Communist affairs and of Eastern Europe in pibrticular.
To pursue these fields, study and travel in Eastern Europe is essc!rtial.
Yet, by brief employment at Radio Free Europe both of us have fo feited
our right to travel in certain countries for the rest of our lives. 'Lis
is a stiff (and unnecessary) price to pay for the privilege of workir_g
at an organization which attracts budding scholars because of its extensive
collection of information on modern Eastern Europe.
I would submit there is something radically wrong with the p sonnet
department of RFE when it fails to make these possibilities crysta:_ clear
to all prospective employees. Unfortunately, this shortcoming is :nzt one
of many serious deficiencies in the operation of this radio station. But,
it is perhaps the most regrettable shortcoming in that it can haunt a
individual for the rest of his life, or, evenworse, place him in ve.-y
real physical danger, as was the case with Eidlin.
Again, many thanks for your intervention in the Eidlin affair and
for the opportunity to express my views on this problem.
Very truly yours,
/S/
J. Arthur Johnson
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NO PARK AVENUE, NEW YORK 10016 tl LEXINGTON 2-8900 0 CA13LE ADDRESS: NATFECOMM
.:.-,~z 1 rP,
01
DIVISIONS:
RADIO FREE EUROPE
PUBLICATIO:JL AND SPECIAL PROJECT:
EXILE POLL CAL ORGANIZATIONS
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
23 July 1971
The Honorable John S. Monagan
House of Representatives
2331 Rayburn Office Building
Washington, D. C. 20515
Dear Mr. Monagan:
In connection with the reply which I have written you on
22 July with respect to Mr. J. Arthur Johnson of Black Rock
Road, Watertown, Connecticut, the following is for your back-
ground:
Mr. Johnson was employed on 1 July 1968 as Rumanian
Policy Assistant. He was terminated on 31 July 1970. He wz.s
asked to leave because Mr. James Brown, head of the East
European Research and Analysis Department where Johnson
worked concluded ''after nearly two years of working closely
with him that he had neither the energy, interest, nor talent to be
successful in his work or to make a real contribution to the work
of the Department. " The situation was discussed with him a. d
Johnson was given the opportunity to resign as of 31 July 1970,
giving personal circumstances as the reason. Mr. Johnson's,
character was beyond reproach while he was employed and he was
a likeable man.
The Mr. Brown referred to is a British subject, a wideh,T
known. and respected expert on Eastern Europe and the author of
numerous books on the subject.
Yours sincerely,
e ?? u
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JOURNAL
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL
Monday - 26 July 1971
ane, Sta e Department INR, called again to inquire as to the status of our
position paper on the Cooper (S. 2224) and Church (S. 1887) bill,. I told
Coerr we had asked for views from our people by Wednesday anc we would
be back in touch with him at the end of the week.
Mr. Wymberley Coerr, Deputy to Ray
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MEMORANDUM FOR: C"-Ai-!f , Eas Division
SUBJECT: State ,ii, r :agent's Response to
Sen.ato-r F',.albright on Downey/Fecte rJ
1. Mr. William f rots. ,, EA/ACA at State, proviled ;.e
following information ret a 7 ding action the Departm-int l as
taken in responding tc Ss r t sr Ful.bright's letter :or- rn.
ing Downey/Fecteau:
a. Mr.. David M 'Oshire, Assistant Secre:ar- for
Congressional Relat cues? talked with Mr. Carl Ma i t
of the staff of Senwor Fuibright's Foreign 11=31m 'ans
Committee on 16 Jul- uegardi-ng the Senator's lue.
Mr. Abshire advised INI.. Marcy that the matter wa 3eirg
looked into and as g. ryr delicate, and that cart
moves are underway i.t the moment which are ai-aed a t
attempting to s !cu:re ~~ a early release of the pr .no
b. Mr. Brown 13a.i that having privately ~,nf ,F rued
Senator Fulbright's ~!,aff of the above, a pro fo it
letter would be sent. 1 ,or him (he had not yet d.-af 4 ,11, it; `-
in response to the ,enator's letter to State. M
Brown's letter woul(. )t: refer to present in:i is_ ;es,
but would take the =ar of the standard State it
1-
gnat-to queries of this
c. Mr. Brown a(.ei that Mr. Harrison Sy*aes of
Abshire's office) hj.d also contacted Senators Ri :ofi
(Conn.) and Mathias (Maryland) and provided teem ith
essentially the same- .:fermation as had been jiv- to
Mr. Marcy. Symaes r..l a ) planned to advise Sen.-e'to '(ei( kit
(Conn.). All of tht-se senators have shown spci
interest. for one ret n:a or another, in the cu;e these
two prisoners.
2. You ma,' wish to L'4 trig this to the attent:--)n these
higher up the line.
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