MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP74-00297R000200560011-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 22, 2013
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: June 14, 1957
• Content Type: MEMO

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/10/25:
CIA-RDP74-00297R000200560011-0
14 June 1957
l'EMORANDJM FOR THE DIRECTOR:
1. This memorandum is for information only:
2. Andy Berding, Assistant Secretary of state for Public Affairs, gave
an informal address today at the YWCA (correct) at a Government Public Informa-
tion luncheon. His subject: "Thinking Out Loud on Public Affairs". Lincoln
White, Chief of News Division, State Department, who was to have introduced
Berding arrived too late to do so. Abbott Washburn, USIA, was one of the guests.
I had John O'Brien, Chief of Washington bureau, The RhILADELR.dIA INQUIREh.as
my guest.
3. herding's high-lights were:
The "unfavorable" will always get Press play over a "favorable" news story.
It's human nature.
One Washington columnist says he takes an anti-Government attitude on all
subjects so as to "balance"the news, since he considers himself in competition
with the large "Governmental press corps".
The commercial media -- press, radio, etc. -- should be given the story because
they are not "suspect" as is a Government, and stories media use get the widest
dissemination and greatest acceptance by the public.
Not enough attention is paid in Washington to foreign correspondents -- nor by
the U.S. to correspondents abroad. ihese people use their employer's funds to
pay for their cables so their papers, radio, etc. will use what they send.
State has, as has USIA, difficulty at times in its use of words and expressions
because words mean different things in different places to different people.
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/10/25:
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Example: State has an sctst-west affairs office; it does not mean that the West
is opposing sastern countries -- but East to us means Soviet Eussia but not to
people overseas. (No one asked why State hasn't changed the title). "Socialism"
in the USSR means "communism" -- but not so in America. India calls itself a
Socialist country.
The 'oviet reacts more quickly than we do to statements against them. Example:
John Foster ijUlles talked to The Associated Press Lditors in New York, critiz-
ing some oviet plans; when he reached his office in aashington, some two hours
later, the wire services had already carried the s,oviet reply. 4e should be
quicker on our feet, he said.
He is against "leaks" and feeding news to favored individuals or publications.
He is for "background" conference but such meetings must not be used to release
"spot" news. They must be solely for explanation of why -- ie. background.
We are getting more exchanges with the .joviet Union in persons, like agricul-
turists and construction people, than heretofore.
State sometime ao offered the .Dovitt Union to exchange once a month half-
hour information programs, using records, but the '''oyiet did not accept. Some
17 plans were offered and only some four or five were accepted by the USSR.
He paid praise to his former employer, the USIA.
Returning to the difficulty in the use of words he said that a Burmese
student, now in aashington, at a recent get-together with Americans, was
"making time" with an American girl and he wanted her to know he liked her,
so he said, "hen I see you and talk with you my heart goes cold." She
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/10/25:
CIA-RDP74-00297R000200560011-0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/10/25:
CIA-RDP74-00297R000200560011-0
STAT
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walked away. A friend explained he should have said his heart "warmed".
The Burmese said in Burma it is so hot one is complimented when the heart
goes "cold".
In Atlanta, beorgia, recently, he said, Line 'white gave a talk. he was
asked, "How do you distinguish between John tbster Dulles and Dean Acheson?"
with but a second's hesitancy, he answered:
"Dean Acheson is a tall man with a blnrk mpq+Aphp
Hi NY J. GhOG
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seistrit to the ijirec ,or
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/10/25:
CIA-RDP74-00297R000200560011-0