USIA CONCEDES ROLE AS SECRET SUBSIDIZER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000500190002-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 31, 2004
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: February 16, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

;prohibiting .the USIA from,
sides the, Central.,intelligence
undertaking propaganda a work;
Agency (CIA)1:
inside theU.S.
,6xionthe united .Agency
States Iiifdrinat "Where an audience over- '
1. t (USIA).has been secretly iub.;' seas reads a book with the
label of the U.S. Government,
individuals with influence
and they look upon it in a . parti
on campus grid public.opinion, cular m 'a n n e r," he'_.?said,
In. testimony before tire :' .
"Where they read `a book 'that`
House..Appropriations Coin
is... published in the U.S.' and:
niittee, the USIA has conceded .
we ,distribute it, they. look up-~
that it covertly paid money to on it differently'- as, the ex-4
authors and publishing douses pi?ession, of'the, author,"
for certain books sold ' fr this
Yet, he conceded that book-
i abroad.
country.as well as readers in the 'U.S. also coul
As in the case of CIA sub- d'
buy the same book. and take;
it as ""an` expressin of , the'
sidiz a t i on of the National
author" without ever knowing'
Student Association (NSA,
tile government's financial that the book had been orig.
role was deliberately kept nally?'solicited, even "edited"
secret by USIA. before publication' and ?sup?
ported% by Federal money in
The explanation was brought an
attempt to convey certain
out by'
Representative Glenard
P. Lipscomb, -California Reliub- govern nme.nt opinions and .con,!
elusion's.
ing US . IA Di- lican, in question
Leonard Marks insisted the ;USIA:;
rector "Why does not directly "hire" such ..
American people know; that authors.. But. it conveys to,..
when they certain publishers and
book that it was developed writers the understanding
u n d c r government sponsorthat, in his ' words, "if this
sliip'~" Lipscomb asked book is written on this sub-
"It minimizes their value," )cct, we are a customer for- {
1 Marks replied.
You and will buy X copies."
At Elie committee's request As it frequently , works aut;'
a few months ago, Marks sup-
plied tl titl f b 4 e raw material for the book.
he es o the goks
J. under a 'classified label in:,
and the Federal subsidy, $90,-
a government agency, or has258, for commissioning the manuscripts fr6m the authors
otherwise been withheld from
i,iiblication. When a book deal'
land
s of the print-
expenses is made, the restrictions are lifted so the prospective au
Ing firms involved. These books - 16 of..them thor can have access to the
in I965 were among the, material. In returh. the agency;i
1,500 titles on ?wamo USIA usimally demands the ri;'ht to
paid approximately $G million 'edit the author's manuscript
for distribution: through its Among recent books sub
overseas libraries.' sidized .or, inspired by he
USIA, according .to the House
MARK'S explanation of- the Committee,- were "The Truth
,p ga3~5, ,particularly in About the "Dominican RepUb
erestmg in view the law lie," by Jay Mallin; "preset
dent.Kennedy in -Africa ' bYl
i ,, Robert Marshall., "The Swords
1~ r+ " land the Plow by
.yRalph~Ptj
' 4q _s dater'; he Communist S xi
Fm ont
As a Weapon of Political War
fare h
y n w k j dry. r' y J E. ~ Atkinson' Jn
x ~ ?: Pursuit of World Order~'h"4
ichard N .Gardner