RFE IS MISSING ITS OBJECTIVE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP74-00297R000900090047-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 28, 2013
• Sequence Number: 47
• Publication Date: December 2, 1957
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

/ Declassified and Approved For Release @ 50-Yr 2013/10/29: CIA-RDP74-00297R000900090047-6
? ?
RFE Is Missing Ifs Objective
WASHINGTON, Dec. I..?The
public, which puts up the mon-
ey, is given to believe that
Radio Free Europe and its af-
filiated operations perform the
mission of disseminating prop-
aganda of hope and freedom be-
hind the Iron Curtain. '3
This is a worthy objective,
as objectives go, but 'perform-
ance are not always as adver?
tised. ? .
Young Mr. Samuel S. Walker,
Jr.. Is in charge of that branch
oethe Free Europe operations
which sent propaganda balloons
to Czechoslovakia, Hungary
and other satellite countries un.
til the Operation was terminat-
ed on orders from Washington.
He now bas set up several
new ventures without balloons.
Arhong them is what he calls
the "Asian Contacts Program."
This is being carried on in
various Far Eastern and Middle
Eastern nations and from Mr.
Walker's explanation to me, it
CAPITAL REPORT
? By FULTON LEWIS, Jr.
consists chiefly of displaying a
moving picture film, called
"Hungary Aflame." The picture
is a "documentary" of the trag-
edies of Budapest in the blood
baths of October, 1956.
The operating personnel is in-
tereatthg. One Paul Tigrid, a
Czechoslovakian MU) somehow
has not taken the trouble to be.
coins naturalized, was die
=
Kong, and
to Japan and Hong
and exhibited "Hungary
Aflame" at a leading men's club
In Tokyo, which the Free Eu-
rope topside considers a major
coup.
As of the last time I checked,
he still is on the road, with sal-
ary and expense account.
Two others, Reyman and
Gabor, were to have gone to
India but were unable to get
visas to enter the country. They
. were sent elsewhere, instead.
1/layman had just become an
t American citizen, Guam la not.
: A third, Nenoff, also not a ? -
citizen, is a former member of 1
the secret police in Bulgaria.
Kovacs, a Hungarian, also went
to Japan. There is one Ameri-
can, William Pfaff, the subject
' of Considerable controversy.
?
' LAST MAL in a gesture to
cut down staff bPsause the halt
loon operation had been a
oned. the 31-year-old Walk
fired 30 low:salaried Mug
employees, and hired Pfaff
$9,600 a year as an "
consultant." To this salary,
course, is added his full tra
expenses, while he is to
the Eastern world.
In addition 10 the coun
named, the Contacts
frcovers
arra y a, Pakistat, Syria,
banon, Tunisia, Eyisr?L and 'I
dan.
How all this fit* Into a
tern of hope and freedom
pada to enslove.d millions
hind the Iron Curtain in
Is difficult for me to u
This, actually, Is pro
the people of the Free
OuftMo the Iron Curtain,
queition the benefits to Ix*
rived.
It seems to he a consklera
departure from the big.
studded "Crusade For
dom," which collects the "Tru
Dollars" which go to support
the Free Europe operations.
(C aim by Xing Ff?tures Synd., Inc}
Declassified and Approved For Release ? 50-Yr 2013/10/29: CIA-RDP74-00297R000900090047-6