FOREIGN RADIO REACTION TO SECRETARY ACHESON'S BERKELEY SPEECH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000500730169-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 3, 2003
• Sequence Number: 169
• Publication Date: November 11, 1998
• Content Type: REPORT

'~, Approved For Release 2008/03/03 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000500730169-1
', CLA551FICATIOW RpSZBICT',,D ~9~
i CENTRAL INTELLI~EPiCE AGENCY
INFORMATION FROM
' FOREIGN DOCUiMEIYTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS
COUNTRY Foreign
SUBJECT 1~c~EIGft RADIO REACTIOi~ TO SECRETARY
A~ce~saft's EERKETS,^t sPEECH
HOW
PUBLISHED
WHERE
PUBLISHED
DATE
PUBLISHED
LANGUAGE
Radio Broadcasts
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SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT N7.
IIQ2Ti0DUCTIOft: Nith a reactioa?epaod entirely out of character, Moacow'e initial
Berkeley speech xas broadcast on 18 Moroh--lose than txo
days after its dolivery. Soviet propagandists usually take et least three to four days
to react to important events noel of Soviet devising. Tho remarkeblo alearity of
response to the Derkeley epoech
'I uggests that it may have been oonsidered a me~or threat
to the massive and long-eustaini~d Soviet "peace" campaign, or that established Soviet
propaganda direotives rare coneidored sufficient to handlo it--or both. The initial
Soviet reaction,~~broadcast to the Soviet domeatio audienae, xas embodied in a LI'1~RARY
GAZETTE artiole,l~l"Total Ryeterie~of en American Liar," by Anatoli Surov, tho villfydng
author of tho play "The Msd Habrdesher." This xes tolloxed the next day by Yiktorov'e
PRAVDA articlo, "The Tote1 Diplom~ecy oP Acheson in the Service of the Po11cy of Aggression,"
also broadoast oa,er the Soviet $o?e Sorvice* Outside of the U5SR, Coewuniet meQia,
somexhat slower with their canmeta, generally tollox the Soviet load. Approval comes
from most of the Western-orient d radios.
' ~~
"IftTL'IiSTFTCATIOft 'AF AMIItTCAft ACiCTRE3SI0ft": Fillod xith a oonglomoretion of vilifiontion,
denials, and oounter-charges, the antiroly nogatiYe Soviet-Communist comments issue forth
xithout evon a momentary changeof propaganda pane. As xith praatioally all official
statements of Amcricsn foreign policy, Aaheson'o speech ie treated eo i'ltrther evidenoo
"not only of a eontinuetlon but also of aln intemslfication of the egRroesivo eouree of
U.S. foreign policy." Pnrtioular aign1ticanoe is sa~n in his xarning that the Amorican
desire for pesos moot be supported by xtrength. "To reach one's aim, to solve tho
problems by t'orool,-this ie the moat significant and oP the speech," says Surov. Anft
Aoheson'e oonoept oP total dtplameay, allegedly borroxed from Hitler end his relianoe on
foroe and decait,,ie.said to baleppnrentiy designed to replaoe the finally outworn
* Yiktoro~ 's PRA'V~1A artiole hoe einoe boon broadoast at least 25 diftoront times
1'
to
oroign audienoea; ~:rov'e etiale has been beamed on1T to the domoetio audience.
CLASSIFICATION
' Approved For Release 2008/03/03 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000500730169-1
 Approved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500730169-1
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~~~"~~~
REST
'at~oanic dip]amaoy'~..."' Thus, Acheson "stands before ue a hired lackey of tho instigators
of xar who spent hie sc my breine in attempts to belie truth, freedom, and poece'.?
"LIES AND SLANDERS": W era Viktorov undertakes a stereotyped point-by-point rebuttal of
Achoson'e seven pointe,~Surov resorts to a more pareonel type of oelumnietion as well.
Acheson, "obviously env~ring Ribbentrop," 16 called ani"incorrigible list" end "fa9Cier-
lik~e diplomat" Mho "ere le to the and of hie epeeoh ]SZte a snake." Ae _*or tho speech
ita~'elf, 3urov etude hia~deecription of it with such ptireaes ae: ^conoidereblo agglomeration
of Fantastic lieo," "entangled in absurd assurances," "writhing in Lhe mud of hie!oxn
inv~enticns," "hackneyed inventions about (the USSR)," and rabundently interspersed with
anti-Soviet slender." ~Lt is thus implied that everything Aoheeon said wee a tissue of
lies--~gpmpoundad by ela~dore egainat the USSR. ~ ~
THE', IDEA OF PEACEFUL COEUZSTENCE: Although merry of these ellegod lies end slanders are
spellod out in stereotyped detail, it may be noted that 3oTiat-Communist oommenta'avoid
explicit reference to A'heeon?e expressed belief in the poeoibility of peaceful coezistence.
Instead, es if implying~,that this were solely a Sovioti,idoie, Moscow cites Aohooon!s
Kerning egainat any morel compromise with international Communism ee indicative of hie
"doubts that the two eybteme~?. can really exist lido ~by side." And the "veins of hie
ine3ncere statement on the readiness of the U?S, to ca~operate in genuine efforts to find
peeaceful eettlemente" is eseertedl.y eapoeed by hie refaranoe to the need for Amerieen
alxength.
ACHESON?S MOTIVES-- 11 TO ASSUAGE THE PEOPLE?S DESIRE iFOR PEACE; One of Lhe standard
Soviet-Communist methods of discrediting astern etate?ents dedicated to the idoa',of
fleece and international ',cooperation is to claim flat they i?opresent hypocritloal 'I
responses to the growing demands of the people, ?whoseiwieh~for peace oen no longer be
;~gnorad. Irr t2ae face of these demands, says Moscow, "the Y?eaationery politicians+~ are
.orced to resort to allttinde of tricks and inventions"; aad'Acheson's speech is dust
another of t~heso ~'demegpgical attempts to win public opinion," Thio theme Se stressed
in practically all of to Soviet-Communist: comments o i the speech,
ACHF.SON'S MOTIVffi--(2) TO COUNTER THE REPUBLICAN-PARTY ATTACKS: While referring to the
growing dissntiafaction in certain circles of the ruling *op American group" as one of
the~elo~monts motivating:4cheeon'A speech, MoecoK does dot deal explicitly xith the
recent Republican attackB on Acheaan and the State Department. Radio Hareex, however,
does cite "those Republioan attacks""+`* in explaining that Aohason was seeking a way out
of jthis eomenvhat comprpmising situation." But,- the Re~ublioan attacks ere dismisoed
es of relatively minor significance evince they ero hold felts merely alectioneoriag
maneuvers. "For that xQeson, the diseatiefaction emon'g the mASeoe on account of the
U.S! foreign policy is f far greater eignificanao."
Thelonly Western-orient~d radio to have mentioned the epublfcan ettaeke ae one of the
alleged reasons for Acheson?e speech Se Radio Madrid; ~t alelma that Senator !~ioCarthy'o
"eeiaeational rovaletions.,. tied forced Acheson to hurry up a ra~+lioal change of policy...."
Grudging approval ie accorded this change of policy; but 'in view of Soviet intranelgenoe
Medr~id ezpreee?ee doubt Qe to Khether Acheson?e "newly Formtilatad peace program" x311 be ~
any~moro succoesful the "its predecessors."
NESTERN-ORIENTID COMND:IVT: Thera is generol agreement that the issue of geaoe is now up
to the Soviet Union, and'that peace would be possible provided the seven points xoro
acc%~ptad by the USSR. $ut them is general doubt that~thiq will ba the case. A French
comment points out that; in any caee~ the Communist xorld does not believe that
coezietenoe "fa destine$ to last long~P' Acheaon's forthrlghtnees, the "new face of
Ame~cioan diplam~s~cy," re~eivee favorable comment. There are fox reforonees to his'
re,~ection of peace et aryr price. ',
* McMahon, Tydinge, and'Connwlly ere epac>fically mentioned; but their propoeels,
because of Lhe oonditiona attached, are categorically ra~eoted.
~ $epocially t;hoeo aeeociated with Acheaon's etatemon~l;o afloat; A1gor Hise~ end his ',
rocomm,oA~-$3oA Pox Gubi shay's deportation; also, McCarthydm ohergee about Cammiuzists
in the Stets Dapt~rtment~
A roved For Release 2008/03/03: CIA-RDP80-00809A000500730169-1
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