LETTER TO MR. HARRY H. HARPER, JR. FROM ALLEN W. DULLES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01731R001100170007-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 13, 2003
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: October 9, 1951
• Content Type: LETTER

9 October 1951
Dear Mr. Harpers
I regret the delay in answering your letter
dated September 14th. The facts of the matter are
with xy work here in Washington whieh takes all of
my time, I have not been able to plat=vy part in
connection with the Study Group on 'ocratic Leader-
ship, and I would suggest that you endeavor to find
someone who would take my place on the group.
Faithfully yours,
A-
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Mr. Harry H . Harper Jr.
Council on Fore gn Relations, Inc.
58 East 68th Street
Now York 21, New York
AWD:hea
Distribution:
Addressee - Orig
D/DCI chrono - 1 cc
Exec Reg - 1 cc
Council on Foreign Relati
'0 1
ILLEGIB
(p e g -1r~
Ir q
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 September 14, 1951
Dear Mr. Dulles:
In the absence of Whitney Shopardson, who, as you may know, has loft for a
visit to India, I am writing this brief bulletin to bring members up to date
with respect to the plans for the Study Group on Democratic Leadership,
Over the summer a number of us reviewed all of the papers produced by the
group, as well as the minutes of the various meetings. Several conclusions
emerged. It seemed clear, first of all, that in this final year of the group's
activity, we would do well to focus our interests as sharply as possible. The
first year was frankly exploratory; and considering the scope of the subject,
it has been gratifying to realize how far we have gone in clarifying some of
the basic ideas. Now, we feel, the time has come to search for applications.
In this connection, the two sessions devoted to Dr. Yen and to Mr. Lovestono
.seemed pertinent. We were particularly impressed by the possibilities of
stimulating non-governmental activity in promoting leadership abroad -opera-
tions not unlike that conducted by the AF of L -- and of approaching the problem
of encouraging the development of free societies by concentrating on specific
and crucial institutions within those societies. It seemed to us, for example,
that we might profitably devote a good deal of time during the coming year to
studying the possibilities of leadership operations in such specific fields as
education, land reform, the press, the various legal structures, and business
and industry. In each of those fields we would hope to examine the extent of
the organized communication between people in this country and their counterparts
abroad, with, of course, emphasis on the chances of doing a more effective job
of encouraging indigenous leadership.
Of these various fields, the one which seemed the most easily organized for
our first meeting was that of the press, the free press in its widest sense. We
prepared a short paper explaining the purpose of the study group and proposing
an exploratory meeting to consider how this country can best encourage a vigorous
and effective leadership of the free pros _.abroad. This paper we tried out on
a number of leaders of our own press -- newspapers, magazines and radio -- and
we found a heartening degree of interest. Almost without exception these men
felt that such a meeting should be hold, and expressed their whole-hearted
willingness to participate.
Tentatively, then, we hope to bring to the initial meeting in late October
six or eight representatives of the American press, and explore with thorn the IL L E GIB
feasibility of organizing to promote press leadership abroad. We hope that
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COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, INC.
THE HAROLD PRATT HOUSE 58 EAST 68TH STREET
NEW YORK 21, N. Y.
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 Approved .Release 2003/03/28: CIA-RDP80R011 R001100170007-9
enough interest may be generated so that some of our guests will want to pursue
the subject further outside of the Council. If this should occur, they would
doubtless welcome the cooperation of any members of the study group who wore
particularly interested.?'
The general approach I have outlined is presented as a tentative one.. and
will undoubtedly be modified and improved as we proceed. Nor will it preclude
our giving attention to other aspects of the study which members may fool should
be emphasized. We hope, however, that this approach will appeal to all members
of the group, and that they will give it the benefit of their suggestions and
additions.
Notices of the October meeting will be mailed early next month.
Sincerely,
U cll~ 14 4:"Z-
Harry H. Harper, Jr.
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