PRINCIPAL ARGUMENTS AGAINST PROPOSAL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01443R000200280007-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 3, 1998
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: May 12, 1954
• Content Type: MISC

Apprd for Release 2000/0
,ITEM 3
COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA
1. IT ONLY AFFECTS ONE CATEGORY OF
COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA, IMPORTED PROPAGANDA NOT
ADDRESSED TO REGISTERED AGENTS (OR TO GOVERNMENT
AGENCIES). IN THE IMPORTED FIELD ALONE, SUCH MATERIAL
IS LESS THAN THE TOTAL ADDRESSED TO REGISTERED AGENTS
(70,000 PIECES VS. 100,000 IN THE 5 -MONTH TEST
COVERED IN PARA. 2 a. OF THE BASIC PAPER). MOREOVER,
IMPORTED MATERIAL IS ALMOST CERTAINLY SUBSTANTIALLY
LESS IN QUANTITY THAN DOMESTICALLY PRODUCED MATERIAL.
EVEN IF, AS IS CLAIMED, THE TOTALS SHOWN IN PARA. 2 a.
ARE ONLY A FRACTION OF THE REAL TOTALS, THE WHOLE
WOULD STILL BE FAR LESS THAN SUCH DOMESTICALLY PRODUCED
TERIALS AS THE DAILY WORKER (10,500 CIRCULATION DAILY,
VERSUS A TOTAL OF 500-ODD ITEMS PER DAY TOTAL, SHOWN
BY THE TEST IN THE CATEGORY AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSAL.)
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I.
ITEM 3
COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA
(ARGUMENTS AGAINST)
2. THE PROPOSAL WOULD STILL PERMIT KEY IDEAS,
COPY, AND "LINES" TO COME IN THROUGH MATERIAL RECEIVED
BY REGISTERED AGENTS OR THROUGH PRIVATE MAIL
(SUBJECT ONLY TO SPOT CHECK, AND EASILY SENT TO COVERS
IN ANY EVENT). ALSO, RADIO WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED.
3. THE PROPOSAL WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY
HAVE GENERAL HARMFUL EFFECTS ABROAD, AND MIGHT HAVE
SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES IN PARTICULAR SITUATIONS.
GENERAL EFFECT WOULD BE ALONG THE LINES OF THAT
ALREADY CREATED BY THE MCCARRAN ACT AND ACTIVITIES
OF EXTREMISTS. SPECIFIC EFFECTS MIGHT OCCUR IF THE
LAW WERE APPLIED TO LEFT-WING MATERIALS, YUGOSLAV
MATERIALS, "NEUTRALIST" MATERIALS, ETC. -- WHICH WOULD
BE VERY LIKELY TO HAPPEN EVEN IF THE LAW WERE CLEARLY
DRAWN. (EVEN THE EXAMINATION OF SUCH MATERIALS MIGHT
OCCASION SERIOUS DELAY AND CAUSE ABOUT AS MUCH TROUBLE
AS ACTUAL CONFISCATION.)
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ITEM 3 SECRET
.COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA
(ARGUMENTS AGAINST)
4+. The PROPOSAL WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY
REDUCE SOMEWHAT THE INFLOW OF MATERIAL USED FOR PROPER
AND IN SOME CASES HIGHLY DESIRABLE PURPOSES. THE LAW
WOULD APPARENTLY REQUIRE SOME FORM OF CERTIFICATE BY
RECEIVERS OF MATERIAL THAT IT WOULD NOT BE USED FOR
PROPAGANDA PURPOSES. HARVARD AND THE NEW YORK PUBLIC
LIBRARY WOULD DO THIS, BUT SMALL COLLEGES AND LIBRARIES
WOULD FIND IT TOO MUCH TROUBLE OR TOO HARD TO DEFEND
BEFORE THE LEGION OR THEIR BOARDS OF REGENTS.
CERTAINLY IT IS IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST TO KEEP UP
SOVIET BLOC STUDIES IN THE US. ... MOREOVER, IT
IS NOT CLEAR JUST HOW THE LABELLING MIGHT BE HANDLED.
IF THE IRON CURTAIN SENDER WERE REQUIRED TO LABEL,
THE EFFECT ON VOLUME OF USEFUL MATERIAL MIGHT BECOME
EVEN MORE SERIOUS.
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T~IST PROPAGANDA Et'
C
(ARGUMENTS AGAINST)
5. IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO HANDLE THE
MOST VIRULENT TYPES OF IMPORTED MATERIAL -- MINORITY
LANGUAGE GROUP MATERIAL OR MATERIAL ADDRESSED TO
RELATIVES OF POW'S -- BY SPECIFIC POST OFFICE ACTION,
PERHAPS HANDLED COVERTLY. IN MOST CASES, EITHER THE
ADDRESSEES OR THE NATURE OF THE MATERIAL MUST MAKE
IT NOT TOO DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY. HOWEVER, TO AVOID
UNFAVORABLE PUBLICITY, PARTICULARLY ABROAD, THIS
SHOULD BE DONE ONLY BY SMALL SKILLED STAFFS WORKING
TO WELL-DEFINED STANDARDS.
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-COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA
(ARGUMENTS AGAINST)
6. THE PROPOSAL MIGHT HAVE ADVERSE EFFECTS
ON OUR OWN PROPAGANDA EFFORTS ABROAD. IT MIGHT LEAD
TO SPECIFIC REPRISALS BY SUCH COUNTRIES AS INDIA AND
YUGOSLAVIA. IT MIGHT IN THE FUTURE TIE OUR HANDS ON
WHITE OPERATIONS BEHIND THE CURTAIN. AND IN GENERAL
TERMS IT WOULD CERTAINLY IMPAIR THE PICTURE OF THE US
AS THE HOME OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION. (WHILE WE DO
NOT OURSELVES EXHIBIT COMMUNIST MATERIALS IN OUR
USIA LIBRARIES, IT IS ANOTHER THING TO CONTROL THE
INFLOW INTO THE US.)
7. THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE IN SOME DEGREE AN
INHIBITION ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION, ON THE
PRINCIPLE THAT ANY FORM OF RESTRAINT, WHETHER OR NOT
IT IS ACTUALLY CENSORSHIP, DOES SO. THIS WOULD APPLY
TO DISCIMINATORY TAXES OR MAIL RATES, AND MUST ALSO
APPLY TO THE COST, DELAY, AND INCONVENIENCE OF A
LABELLING REQUIREMENT NECESSARILY ACCOMPANIED BY
INSPECTION. (THIS MAY/A SECONDARY ARGUMENT IN
IMPORTANCE.)
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