Dear Ambassador Skinner:1 I am grateful to you for letting me have the benefit of your opinion on the Voice of America and the USIS activities abroad.2
May I, however, comment briefly on two of your points.
You mention that influential contact with the various governments is maintained solely by our diplomatic and consular representatives abroad. That is, of course, quite true. However, those European governments are in the final analysis only the spokesmen for their people--and if the people do not approve their official attitude toward the United States, they will soon make their displeasure felt. It is my feeling that a good Information Program would have a tremendous opportunity to do vitally essential work in moulding a favorable public opinion.3
My second point is really a continuation of this thought--and that is, that these efforts are not "ill-considered propaganda," but are in fact informational in the most normal and useful sense of the word. The only opportunity some people have to "behold the United States and judge for themselves" is by what they might read and hear through our own informational efforts.4
Having said the above, I must admit that this program as it exists today is far from perfect. We are all too obviously undergoing a period of adjustment and improvement. But my conviction is that the effort is worthwhile, and that a good informational arm of our government can be a useful servant to our diplomatic efforts.
Again, my thanks to you.5 Sincerely
