DIRECTOR'S QUERY RE AMERICAN PRESTIGE ABROAD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79B01737A000800070001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 29, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 1, 1953
• Content Type: MF

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SECRET
SECURITY Iu CRMATION
1 August 1953
MEMRANDUM FOR: Assistant Director for Current Intelligence
SUBJECT: Director's Query re American Prestige Abroad
1. Pursuant to our telephone conversation late Thursday
afternoon, I have instructed the Area Divisions of DD/P to
send to you, with a copy to the Assistant Director for National
Estimates, all replies received from our Stations in answer to
the Director's query regarding the decline of American prestige
abroad. As you know, the Director has asked that the Field
Stations send their replies to Washington prior to 21i. August 1953.
2. Attached for your information is a copy of the message
which the Director caused to be dispatched by cable and pouch
to the following Stations:
Attachment
SECRET
M1101TV 10.:rnninrenu
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COPY OF DIRECTOR'S QUERY DISPATCHED TO FIELD STATIONS BY
le Reports we have received particularly from returning
travellers abroad indicate that in varying degrees the general
American position abroad has deteriorated and that there is grow-
ing hostility to this country in the free world. We recognize
that this varies in different countries and areas of the world
and as this is a circular message going to many Stations we
cannot in a message of this nature deal with the particular
situation in the country where you are stationed and in certain
areas this comment may not be applicable. We desire, however,
that you should discreetly review the situation in your area of
responsibility and send us your views on the following points:
a) Whether or not American prestige has decreased
abroad.
b) If so, when did decline start?
c) What were major causes contributing to it and
their relative importance?
d) When did it reach its lowest ebb?
e) Has it undergone any change in the last six
months?
f) The measures which you feel could be taken both
in this country and locally to help meet this situation.
,2. We propose to prepare an overall intelligence roundup
3. The fact that this message has been sent you and that
you are making such a report should be kept entirely secret ex-
cept on a strictly need to know basis-in-your own office
1i.. We desires however, to have your views and do not wish
you to pull your punches in informing us of them because only a
completely frank presentation can be of real help to us. We
need your pouched reply by 214 August. Cable us when dispatched.
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SECRET
SECt U I I'lifulJ AT1ON
$3
T MM1WW FOR: Assii
SUBJECTS
y re American Prestige Abroad
1. Pursuant to our telephone c,
d the Area Divisions or DD/F to
replies received from our Stations in
the Direct' a query regarding the decline of rican prestige
abroad. As
a asked that the Field
d their replies to Washington prior
2. Attached for your information is a copy of
hich the Dirac
to the following
Attacheent
the Assistant Director for National
epatched by cable arid pouch
SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
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.Security Information `W
NSC ACTION 867 dated 30 July 1953
REPORTED DECLINE IN U. S. PRESTIGE ABROAD
Directed the Psychological Strategy Board to prepare
for Council consideration before mid-September a study
of the reported decline in U. S. prestige abroad, with
particular reference to the following questions:
a. When did the decline in prestige commence?
b. What were major causes which contributed to the
decline, and their relative importance?
c. When did our prestige reach its lowest ebb?
d. Has our prestige in the world undergone any
significant change in the last six months?
e. What action should the U. S. take to improve the
existing situation?
NOTE. The above action subsequently referred to the
Psychological Strategy Board for implementation.
SECRET
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uUNFIDENTIAC
SECURITY INFORMATION
PRESTIGE IN FREE WORlD
31 August 1953
DNOIUENTIAL
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The following appraisal of the status. of US prestige in the free
world is expressed in terms of the opinions of non-Communist newspapers
roughly over the past year up to mid-1953.
It should be emphasized that this appraisal is not based on a
systematic study of opinions regarding the US, but is rather an
impressionistic recording of ideas derived through the regular scanning
of the foreign press for other information. As such, this paper is
limited generally to broad impressions and is not able as a rule to
pin-point high or low points in American prestige.
Western Europe
A. General
No serious decline or substantial change in American prestige
has been noticed. While certain events connected with the US have met
with unfavorable reaction, they do not seem to have had a serious effect
on views of the US as the main source of strength in the free world or
on its position of leadership. The events most consistently noted as
having this adverse effect are Senator MccCaarthy*s activities, the Rosenberg
case, and the McCarran immigration law, US trade restrictions on imports
e and unpleasant incidents involving US soldiers on occupation
duty and on leave received varying amounts of unfavorable publicity.
8. Individual countries
1. Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Denmark)
As judged by editorial and other comment in the Scandinavian
press, no decline during the past year in American prestige in these
countries is discernible.
Editorial comment on the Korean armistice was unanimously
vorable, and showed sympathy with American losses, admiration of
the American effort during the war and understanding of the American
position. American "resolution and daring? in almost singlehandedly
resisting aggression in Korea was viewed with gratitude as perhaps
saved the world a third world war.
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In reading the Scandinavian press one gains the impression
that,, aside from certain aspects of American politics and legisla-
tion - "McCarthyism', the l4cCarran immigration law, certain trade
restrictions - which perhaps cause irritation rather than lowered
prestige, the US is continously regarded as the best hope of
Western European democracy for maintaining its independence and.
freedom.
2. Benelux countries
The prompt and extensive assistance rendered by American
troops during the February floods in the Netherlands has made a
deep and favorable impression on the Dutch people.
Both the Dutch and the Belgium press were unanimous in con-
demning Senator McCarthy's actions, noting that they tended to injure
American prestige. President Eisenhower's statement clarifying his
stand on the "book burning" issue pacified some of the critics.
Belgian newspapers generally and the Dutch Catholic press
in particular deplored the execution of the Rosenbergs, especially
when president Eisenhower refused to commute their sentence after
Roman Catholic dignitaries had urged such action.
on economic grounds the Dutch press especially deplores the
inconsistencies in American policies. It is argued that on the one
hand we have urged increased productivity in all sectors of the
economy, while on the other hand our continued high protective tariff
prevents foreign entry into the American market. On several occasions
substantial sums of money had been spent in promotion only to have US
competitors invoke the escape clause once a market had been developed.
The most notable example of this was the cheese and dried milk affair.
These specific criticisms and resentments do not seem,,
however, to have significantly changed the standing of the United
States in the eyes of the Benelux People.
PAINFINNTlAI
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Germany
Considerable adverse publicity has been occasioned by the
visit of Messrs. Cohn and Shine of Senator McCarthy's investigating
committee, by US immigration policy, and by trade restrictions, but
those factors seem not to have affected opinions or basic policies
of the US, which are generally favorably regarded. The press of
the Social Democratic Party continues to criticize the US indirectly
through attacks on Adenauer' a support of EDC, and feels that the
US is not sufficiently flexible or conciliatory in its foreign
policy. Expression of outright anti-American sentiment in the
German press is rare.
4. Austria
Austrian views of the US are conditioned by the prospects
for a peace treaty, which would remove all foreign occupation troops.
Austrians resent American rigidity on certain treaty principles,
which they consider make agreements with the USSR seem remote or
impossible.
However, press sentiments on American policies as a whole have
remained generally favorable since the war. Austrian proximity to
the Iron Curtain has given its citizens a highly realistic view of
Soviet tyranny as has also Soviet control of Austrian enterprises
and the ensuing economic difficulties of the country. The Austrians
have been willing to follow American leadership in restricting East-
West trade even though traditionally a large part of their trade has
been with the present-day Satellites. They have also been highly
appreciative of Marshall Plan Aid in post-war reconstruction and
industrial expansion,
France
No overall trend, either declining or strengthening, regarding
US prestige in France has been discernible from the scanning of the
Paris economic and political press. Undoubtedly events and conditions
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during the first six months of 1953 have served to reinforce or
weaken already existing feelings, but the Paris press has appeared
relatively stable in its expression of pro- and anti-American opinion.
6. Italy
A perusal of the non-Communist press in Italy shows that
while the overall picture regarding American prestige in that country
has not undergone radical changes, a few incidents have tended to
loner it, at least temporarily.
Specifically, the matter of "McCarthyism" keeps cropping up
quite frequently and the methods used by the Senator are openly
criticized, The denomination of "the American inquisitor" appears
quite frequently in the headlines.
The second incident affecting us adversely was the Rosenberg
case, and for two reasons:
The non-Communist press felt that, by denying clemency,
we were simply providing grist for the Communist propaganda mill;
no question was raised as to their guilt or to their being denied
the protection of the law.
b. Capital punishment does not exist in Italy and the con-
tinued discussion of their case tended to acquaint all Italians
with the fact that capital punishment does exist in the US, thus
placing us in an unfavorable position.
7. Spain
For Spain, US prestige seems to be measured almost exclusively
in terms of uncomprising hostility and aggressiveness toward
Communism at home and abroad. Thus, while the increasing recognition
of Spain as a factor in combating Communism has raised the stock of
the US in Spain, the Spanish press could not understand the US's
coming to terms in Korea. Failure to win a clear-cut, complete
victory in Korea has thus resulted in some loss of prestige.
PONPUN T! A i
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8. Portugal
The Portuguese press maintains a consistently favorable
attitude toward the US. Accordingly, US prestige in Protugal must
be considered quite high.
II. Near and Middle East and Africa
A. General
In the Arab states, Iran, and in African territories under the
control of Western European countries, the issue of nationalism seems
to override every other consideration and is the constant against which
the measure of US prestige rises and falls. For the Arab states (Egypt,
Syria., Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, Libya, and the Sudan),
any move, past or present, actually and apparently favoring Israel lowers
American prestige. An analogous situation holds somewhat for Israel. To
the degree that the US does not support Iranian claims in the oil dispute.,
American prestige falls. In colonial Africa, particularly Algeria, Morocco
and Tunisia., lack of US support of national independence movements against
France seems to have had a serious effect on the prestige of the US,
which has been viewed as the source of hope for independence. Any move
for independence in which a Moslem group is involved evokes a sympathetic
response throughout the Moslem world from Morocco to Pakistan.
Inasmuch as the US has not clearly identified itself with-the
interests of Arab states against Israel, with Iranian interests against
Great Britain., or with the interests of foreign dominated areas in Africa
against the controlling European country, US prestige has just as clearly
declined.
B. Individual countries
1. Israel
Aside from issues connected with Israel's disagreements with
Arab states, three factors have been noted which contribute to the
perceptible decline in US prestige:
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a. American foreign policy is described as being confused.
The confusion is attributed to the change in administration.
b. Taking the revolts in East Germany as a case in point,
an independent newspaper points out the impossibility of the
Eisenhower policy of forcible intervention in Eastern Europe.
It concludes that the US government is in the curious position
of not being able to do anything for Eastern Europe by force
and yet being too proud to attempt to do something by diplomacy.
c. The execution of the Rosenbergs.
Iran
The first sign of the decline of US prestige in Iran was
noted after our lack of support of the Iranian government's claims
against the AIQC in the International Court of Justice at the Hague.
her US attempts to arbitrate between Iran and Britain in the
oil issue brought a further decline in US prestige.
More recentlyy, Iranian public opinion toward the US declined
further, in part because of the following factors:
a. The official US attitude against the participation of
US private enterprise in oil dealings with the new Iranian
National Oil Company.
b. The continued refusal by the US to grant loans to Iran.
c. The US expression of concern about the increased Tudeh
Party influence in Iran; it is considered a kind of intervention
in matters of purely domestic concern.
3. Pakistan
US prestige has risen and seems quite high at present.
Pakistan is generally pro-US and outspokenly anti-USSR. Thus, the
possibility of a MEDO seems generally popular. The recent grant
of wheat, the previous year's wheat loan, and the TCA mission have
added to US prestige. The failure of the UN mission to mediate
the Kashmir dispute in October 1952 resulted in some unpopularity
for the US, presumably because the mission was headed by an American.
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III. Far East
A. Individual countries
1. Japan
The impression is that US prestige has been gradually rising
over past years since the war and is now at a comfortably high point.
Leftist and Communist publicity on minor incidents such as the
Uchinada Incident involving local resistance to the use of a firing
range by US forces,, and the issue of criminal jurisdiction over US
armed forces personnel results in irritations which do not seem to
have a permanent or deep effect.
2. Korea
After the high point in tip prestige attained by UN inter-
vention against the North Korean aggression, prestige has declined
since the beginning of truce negotiations and reached a low point
at the signing of the truce.
3. Philippines
The US seems universally popular in the Philippines. No
adverse criticism has been noted. (based on newspapers for June,
July, and August, 1953)
4. Thailand
The non-Leftist, pro-government press has maintained a
generally pro-US attitude.
5. Burma
US prestige suffered severely between February and April
of this year when the issue of Chinese Nationalist troops in Burma
was to be brought before the UN by Burma. The US was viewed as
responsible for or at least implicated, in their presence in Burma.
The UN working agreement and the conciliatory attitude of the US at
the subsequent Bangkok conference seems to have improved Burmese
feeling toward the US somewhat.
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UnfIDENTIAL ,
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