DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Secretary
October 8, 1952
MEMORANDUM FOR: S - Mr. Kitchen
Jeff:
I don't know whether you took any notes on the meeting with Jack McCloy yesterday but I was interested in the Secretary's preliminary analysis and have jotted down my recollection of it. I send you a copy in case you might want it for your file.
Philip C. Jessup Ambassador at Large
S/A:PCJ:MTB
COMMENTS BY THE SECRETARY AT CONFERENCE WITH MR. McCLOY, OCTOBER 7TH, ON FORD FOUNDATION PROJECT
The Secretary said that there were three things which ought to be distinguished.
The first was the field of analysis and thought which leads to the question of what it is wise to do.
The second is the field of popular education with the question of what institutions should be created or supported in order to build up an understanding which supports the public interest. This, however, is not a matter of originating ideas which cannot be done through mass groups.
The third is the question of finding a slogan around which everybody would rally. This is nonsensical and should be dismissed from consideration.
Regarding the first category, if you can get an appropriate group together it is still detached from the center of information. The group tends to make assumptions quite apart from the facts. They leave out the fact that the people in other countries with whom we have to deal do not act rationally. Furthermore, the group becomes attached to its own conclusions and wants to sell them to the world even though they would actually be ruinous to the best interests of the United States. If the group could be kept in touch with the facts and could keep itself detached from passionate advocacy something might be done.
Regarding the second category, there are less difficulties but the field is more amorphous. People don't want to be fed historical background material nor to really be educated in a discipline of foreign affairs. One may approach the subject, however, from the point of view of considering the broad attitudes which you would want to have exist in the minds of the people. At present we are getting a very bad educational effect from things like MEET THE PRESS. The institution of the President's press conference also is a bad device. The question is whether you can educate people in obtaining a sense of discipline and order in terms of foreign affairs. An extremely important consideration which ought to be in people's minds is that if you want to lead you must understand the interest of those who are to be led. For example, in the current political campaign all candidates in the Pacific northwest understand that people are interested in power developments and they try to exercise their leadership in terms of an understanding of the interests. In the international field you can't exercise the proper kind of leadership if in such a matter as east-west trade you continually ignore the interests of the other countries affected and tell them that they must do so and so or we won't give them another nickel of aid, etc.
Philip C. Jessup Ambassador at Large
S/A:PCJ:MTB