'TRUTH DOLLARS' FOR JUNKETS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP74-00297R000900090025-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 28, 2013
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: November 14, 1957
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release @ 50-Yr 2013/10/29 : CIA-RDP74-00297R000900090025-0
'Truth Dollars'
For Junkets?
By FULTON LEWIS, Jr.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1.3. ?
The 'Crusade for Freedom is a
fund-raising organization, the
show-window of which is an ar-
ray .of respected names such as
Harlw Curticc, Ben Fairless,
Roy Larsen, Frank Stanton and
Arthur Page. Whether they
ever actually attend any board
meetings, I .would be inclined
to doubt. Most of the work
seems to be done by a young
man named ?lack Patterson who
Is 1.1. steel hz "Earcutive Vice-
Presi dent!'
T he ,organintion is tax-
exempt and contributions to it
are deductible, for income taX
purposes. Corning up shortly is
a nationwide campaign on a
dooete-door basis by newsboys,
collecting so-called "truth dol-
lars" to spread the word of free-
dom behind the Iron Curtain.
It Is More than passing
strange, therefore, that the Cru-
sade makes no public financial.
report, and neither does the or-
ganization for which it collects
the contributions, the Free
Europe Committee. A citizen
BEN FAIRLESS
Show-window piece..
and taxpayer is not permitted
to know how much either or-
ganization takes in, or how much
the Free Eu rope Committee
spends.
I find, however, that a sizable
amount of the collections by the
CrUsade go for an annual Octo-
ber junket to Munich. Berlin,
and ,other Western European
cities where FEC operations are
Under way, to "inspect" the ac-
tivities. On the way home, the
party stops for idur days of
sightseeing in Paris,
?
THIS YE A R, for example,
there were .56 invididuals in the
party, with transportation and
all expenses paid, all of which
came from the "Truth Dollar"
contributions. I doubt that the
people who gave them did so
with any such purpose in mind.
The r as on ,given for the
financial secrecy )s that "the
enemy" could then know the
scope of their operations and be
better able to counter them. The
real reason is that the A.
?Allen,. Dulles', cinalearakiagger
game, the Central Intelligence
Agency?is ? secretly.' contribut-
ing about three-fond/a of the
money that the Fr en Europe
projects spend, but Dulles
doesn't want, it-known,
Every intelligence organiza-
tion behind and outside of .the
Iron Curtain knows the truth,
but Mr. Dulles won't tell the
American taxpAYers? Even C'Qn'
gr?ess cannot find out. Tit a t
seems odd, too. ?
The explanation of ,the
junkets is that they are for the
people who are going to head
the Crusade's fund-raising cam-
paign for the year.
This year's list includes Karl
E. Feller, president of the AFL-
CIO United Brewery Workers of
America, with headquarters In
CAPITAL REPORT
ALLEN .DULLES
He's got a secret.
Cincinnati, 0 h lc); William P.
Crowell, president of the Key
OW) International, of Dallas,
Tex., and Mrs. Rul)y Godbey, na.
Ronal president of the Ladies'
Auxiliary, Veterans of Foreign
Wars.
*
IT WOULD sErm to me that
these individuals are entirely
capable of paying t heir own
Way, if an "inspection tour"
Is really necessary in order to
solicit contributions to a tax-
exempt cause.
The same' would seem to he
true Of William G. Brumder,
chairman of the hoard of the
First Wisconsin National, Bank
of Milwaukee, and Robert D.
Jackson, president of the Pil-
grim Life Insurance Co. of In.
dienepolis. And tittnne are only
a few. .
In effect, of c o Ir s e, the
junketing is being Odd for by
the greet American, A taxpayer,
because whatever Is, riot co.ntrib?
uted to the/ Free Etrope Com.
mitten by Grusade,7 f o r Free-.
-dart, hes to be fluidal . by Allen. ..
1iiUe% IttimAle CI:. -.
i
And,C.L.A.?ls s.-41' valet It
Is immune try any f , t, i such as.
it
other agencies ? of?) gl*Arninent '
are subjected to..,4 .! IPN2..inmtine '
to any investigaijOA Ot?t, ;quiry .
by any CongrefilittaY1 Inmit. '
tee.
cc 1957, by King FtiA,Vb, Synd.,
)01
?
? 4--,),(41
Du p Declassified and Approved For Release @ 50-Yr 2013/10/29: CIA-RDP74-00297A00900090025-0