LETTER TO MR. GEORGE S. FRANKLIN, JR. FROM EDMOND L. TAYLOR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01731R001200010014-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 5, 2005
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: July 3, 1952
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2006/03/17: CIA-RDP80R01731 R091 N FD E N T I A L"
PSYCHOLGGICAL STRATEGY BOARD
WASHINGTON
July 3, 1952
Mr, George S. Franklin, Jr.
Council on Foreign Relations
58 East 68th Street
New York, New York
Dear George:
I have told our Director, Dr. Raymond B. Allen, about the talk I
had with you in New York last week, and with his authorization I shall
try to elaborate a little upon some of the points I made:
As I explained to you, we are deeply concerned with the related
problems of promoting unity of purpose among the Atlantic Powers --
particularly among the members of NATO -- and of stimulating a greater
release of creative energy in the Atlantic Community as a whole. In
addition to the various governmental programs directed at these prob-
lems, it seems to us that certain types of non-governmental activity
might make a valuable contribution to their solution. In particular
we feel that some very important long-range results might be achieved
through a well-organized and carefully prepared non-governmental cnfer-
ence or seminar of American and European leaders somewhat along the
lines of the American Assembly which General Eisenhower sponsored at
Columbia,
This "Atlantic Assembly" would bring together outstanding leaders
in various branches of public and private life from all of the NATO
powers, from the German Federal Republic, and perhaps from friendly
neutral countries such as Sweden, Switzerland, and Eire. Its goal
would not be to produce manifestos or other propagandistic statements
but to engage in sober, objective study of a number of vital problems
common to the Atlantic Community as a whole, and to seek constructive
solutions to these problems. It would not be expected that the work
of the conference would lead directly to governmental action or to the
launching of popular movements. The aim would not be to manipulate
but to educate and stimulate.
The agenda of the proposed conference might concentrate on some
particularly important and timely topic but it seems to me that it
would be most valuable if it included at least some discussion of the
outstanding political, economic, social and Even scientific and
technological problems related to the security and continued progress
of the Atlantic Community, since all of them are inter-related?
NSC review(s) completed.
Approved For Release 2006/03/17 : CIA-RDP80RO1731 ROO1200010014-7
 Approved For Release 2006/03/17 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R001200010014-7
Without in any way deprecating the importance of strengthening political
ties among the free nationsin the Atlantic world, or the need for a
greater armaments effort, or the problem of trade-expansion, it seems to
me that the problem underlying all others for the free world is the
problem of invention. Only by a tremendous release of the creative
imagination aid energy of the free peoples, only by raising our sights in
every field, can we develop the dynamism to withstand communist expansion
and recover that faith in the future which is an essential part of our
Western -- and particularly American heritage.
Invent -- or vanish, is the choice that history offers us, We need
new discoveries, new techniques; new tools and weapons, new social,
political and economic concepts. The need is particularly great in the
countries of continental Europe where tr