ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01826R000800060021-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 32
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 1, 1998
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: January 21, 1958
• Content Type: FORM

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SECRET
ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET'
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to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
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FORM 610 USE PREVIOUS SECRET CONFIDENTIAL INTERNAL UNCLASSIFIED
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Ie The Need ao..ww??.o.?.o..o.....?o? 1
II. The Baeie Perposee of the Center 4
III. Operation of the Center ........o. 14
IV. Advantage of Location at Harvard 25
V. Financing ..?.....?....o.a....?.u. 27
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It is a truism that foreign affairs in our era pose unprecedented
tasks, But the full sweep of the challenge is not always grasped. The
heavy burden on our physical and financial means tends sometimes to divert
attention from the even more critical demands on knowledge, understanding
and creative thought. In these fields the requirements still far outrun
existing resources. The causes are apparent but worth restating,
For the first time in history international relations have become
truly worldwide. Until modern time the various geographic regions pursued
their courses with little or no regular contact. In the heyday of colonialism
world affairs were mainly European affairs, Today no region is isolated,
none can be ignored; actions and events even in remote places may have
inmmediate world-wide impact. The fate of every nation and people is bound
up in some degree with that of many other countries around the world,
At the same time, vast forces are reshaping the world with
headlong speed, Under the impact of wars, nationalisms technology and
communism, the old order has been shattered. Empires have crumbled; nations
once dominant are forced to adapt to shrunken influence. New nations have
emerged and are struggling to survive, From North Africa, through the
1riddle East and South Asia, to the Far cast, societies long stagnant are
now in vigorous ferment. Social revolution is disrupting their traditional
systems of thought and beliefs of habit and custom, forcing choices among
newer patterns of freedom or despotism. Communist imperialism, still
seeking to remold others in its own image, is itself not exempt from the
pressure for change both at home and abroad. And aver all broods the atom
with its promise and its threat,
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Thus in a time of rapid change diverse societies must learn to
live together on intimate terms. In a divided world they must come to
recognize more clearly their common needs and interests and to develop
methods and institutions for serving them,
In its dimensions and its urgency the task is staggering.
Nowhere do traditional attitudes fit the new realities. Mary
inherited concepts and ways of thinking are irrelevant and some are
serious barriers to effective thought and action under new conditions
Thus notions of sovereignty and independence need revision to apply to a
world where a nationss level of life or survival may depend as much on the
actions of other countries as on its own.
Mors and more the various facets of foreign affairs become a
single whole which cannot be dealt with piecemeal. Each thread of policy
is tightly woven into one fabric. Policy toward one foreign country must
take into account relations with and among many others. Few problems,, if
any, are purely political or economic or strategic: adequate solutions
must take into account all aspects.
Also crucial is the new role of public opinion, As never before
it is at once an instrument of foreign policy and a limitation upon it,.
The ideological struggle,, the rapid transmission of information,, the
spread of self-government,, the new international and regional forums,
all have transformed the conduct of international affairs from an activity
of an elite corps of experts into a broadly based political process. In
the democracies, even the wisest policies may prove unavailing without a
well-informed and mature public opinion.
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In short, in seeking to shape its destiny each nation requires a
perspective and a comprehension of unprecedented scope. For none is this
truer than for the United States,, With limited experience and personnel
for foreign affairs, its role as a world leader requires of it a degree of
sophistication and insight rarely demanded of any nation* But the problem
is by no means confined to the United States, Other nations face a similar
challenge in varying degrees.
The ability of governments to meet the challenge will depend
ultimately upon the calibre of the men who serve them, the quality of
the ideas and thinking on which they can draw, and the degree of under-
standing and support which they can count on from their citizens.
Hence the need is twofold:
First is the pressing need for widened knowledge and understanding;
for more awareness of the nature and complexity of foreign affairs; for more
informed and imaginative thinking.
Second is the urgent need for wise and skillful people. There
must be experts steeped in the study of geographical areas and other
specialized knowledge; but also and perhaps even more importantly, individuals
able to analyze the deeper causes of events and to pull them together into
a whole.
Only with such talents and understanding will it be possible to
apply resources and efforts effectively to developing and preserving an
international environment congenial to the freedom and welfare of the people.
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II. THE BASIC PURPOSES OF THE CENTER
The Center for International Affairs is designed to serve both
the need for knowledge and the need for menu
Its program is based on the premise that a Center at Harvard
can fruitfully combine basic research in foreign affairs with advanced
study by experienced individuals. .Free from the pressures of day-today
concerns, the Center should be able to provide an environment fostering
sustained and systematic analysis of fundamental issues. The joint parti-
cipation of scholars and mature practitioners should have two-sided benefits.
It should make the research more penetrating and significant. At the same
time, a period of such work, offering the stisulatian of other first-rate
minds and opportunity for reflection,, should enable the practitioners to
deepen their understanding and broaden their perspective. Those are the
convictions on which the Center rests.
1. The Need for Knowledge -- Research .
In the broadest sense, foreign affairs deal with the impact of
societies on each other. Many situations can be understood and dealt
with only in terms, for earample, of (1) the differing values, institutions
and outlooks of various societies; (2) the basic forces, both internal and
external, making for change in social, political, or economic conditions
or affecting national attitudes or interests; (3) effects of such factors
on relations among states and other sources of international instability
and tensions; and (4) processes for correcting, adjusting or moderating
such conditions and effects. Hence sound Judgments and effective action
require knowledge, insight and analytical capaaities of wide scope. And
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knowledge regarding many of the essential fields and processes is extremely
limited or lacking.
Hence the study of foreign affairs stands at the confluence of
many disciplines: of philosophy which colors a nation's view of "reality";
of history which shapes reactions by analogy with past experience;, of
sociology and political science which can illumine the structure of a
community; of economics and of law which reflect its material aspirations
and resources and its notions of legitimacy and orderi and of various
others. Thus many traditional disciplines can contribute to the study
of international relations; none of them can encompass its full scope-
Moreover the study of international affairs is not exhausted
even by a synthesis of several disciplines. Much of the most significant
data is not accessible to research by conventional means, It resides
largely in the minds of those who have been responsible for administering
programs while technical and social revolutions were daily changing the
presuppositions, Furthermore most issues require an understanding of the
attitudes and interests of other nations. Their analysis would be
greatly facilitated by the presence of seasoned experts from such countries-
Their experience would contribute materially to the depth and validity of
such study
Thus the penetrating study of international relations requires
the cooperation of many disciplines and many professions and of present
and formar officials and their experience with vast and often novel
practical problems.,
The research at the Center would take account of this primary
fact. Its program would be designed to foster research which draws on
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and combines the thinking and knowledge of academic experts, United
States and foreign officials, and others with experience in foreign affairs.
Some projects would be individual and others joint efforts, but all would
benefit from the informed criticism and insight of the various participants
at the Center.
Under this program the Center would regularly invite a few
qualified people from gorerniient, academic and private life in the United
States and from abroad to work at the Center. From this country, officials
invited would include experienced officers from the Depart:nent of State,
the "nilitary.services and other agencies engaged in foreign activities.
From abroad qualified men would be invited from various regions such as
Europe, the .iiddle and Far East and Latin "imerica. In each case the alni
would be to obtain first-.rt:te raen of experience. In Europe the emphasis
would be mainly on recruiting ion from the Foreign Offices, Economic
I?:inistrl_es or private life specializing in foreign affairs. From the
less developed areas the emphasis would be primarily on obtaining officials
and private experts concerned with the process of development in all of
its aspects.
This method of combining official, academic and private experts
for specific projects should produce more thorough and more useful
studies than any of the participants could produce alone:
(1) It will bring to bear the special resources of Harvard
University and the academic community elsewhere;
(2) It will benefit from the pooling of the wide range of
experience and knowledge of the members of the group;
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(3) It will assure an informed expression of various national
interests and perspectives*
(4) It will focus attention and study on basic and long-range
issues which governments tend to neglect; and
(5) The participation of officials who will be returning to
responsible positions will provide a natural and effective means'for
making use of the results of research in the process of policy analysis
and formation
For all these reasons it is believed that if first-rate men
can be attracted to the Center both from this country and abroad# its
research siould be of a quality and character not now feasible elsewhere,
2 The N e wed fob Advanced Training
Their work in the research projects and seminars at the Center
will serve to widen the horizons of the participants and improve their
capacity for broader responsibilityg especially in policy analrsiso
More and more in this country and abroad# agencies concerned
with foreign activities are recognizing the necessity for advanced training
of mature personnel and are searching for suitable methods, The Foreign
Service Institute is seeking ways to fill this gap for senior officials9
but has not yet developed a system considered to be satisfactory. The
courses of the National War Colleges while extremely valuables also do
not fully meet the need., Apparently this situation also exists in other
countries.
A comparable need exists outside of government,, Key people
in the professions business, the press and academic life often engage
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in activities requiring a deeper understanding of international affairs
or influence foreign policy in various ways, :.kceptional individuals
from such groups would benefit from opportunities to widen their pers-
pective in contact with officials and other experts from this country and
abroad,
The Harvard Center believes its activities can make an important
contribution to the advanced training-of small numbers of outstanding
officials and private persons in this country and abroad. It would respond
to this need in three ways:
a. Training -in Policy Analysis
The Staffs of the State Department and other agencies
engaged in foreign affairs include a great many talented and devoted
public servants. It is no disparagement of these men to recognize the
severe shortage of men qualified for top policy positions in these agencies.
The shortage reflects the enormous scale and complexity of the problems to
be mastered and the pace of change in contemporary life. Career experience
in its early and middle stages does not necessarily equip officials for
policy roles in their later career. Service in the field9 for example,
typically provides experience in reporting, negotiating, representation
and related matters, but may offer little opportunity to develop the
analytical and creative capacity required for policy formation on a
broader basis.
Responsible officers in the agencies concerned are well aware
of the problem. The Harvard Center can assist in meeting it. The con-
tinuing research projects and related seminars will be dealing with long-
range policy issues in major fields of foreign affairs. The participants
from official and private life would be expected to take an active part
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in these projects and to contribute drawing on their past experience and
an current study.
The research, criticism and discussions,, with able participants
of varied backgrounds should enable them to develop their capacity for
policy analysis and their understanding of the interplay of political,,
military, economic and other factors.
b., Broadening Perspective
Under modern conditions,, the national interest can be served
only by common policy and joint action with other nations on a wide range
of complex matters. Thus the conduct and understanding of foreign affairs
requires the capacity for seeing problems and actions through the Was of
other nations and relating a