Foreign Ministers are convinced that this work of mutual understanding, which must eventually lead to peaceful changes enlarging the area of those freedoms which mankind holds dear, will receive the moral approbation of the peoples of Eastern Europe as well as the peoples of the West.

Accordingly the Western Powers consider that it is essential, in agreement with the Soviet Union, to determine forthwith the areas in which it appears most appropriate to proceed with exchanges that are to the mutual advantage of the peoples of Eastern Europe and the West.

It is with this intention that the three Western Governments submit a program of action. Cognizant of the fact that the evolution of free societies has produced individual traditions and processes, it is understood that arrangements made by the Three Western countries aimed at the implementation of this program would be in accord with their national traditions and procedures. The program of the Western Governments comprehends the following concrete propositions.

1. Freer exchange of information and ideas should be facilitated. All censorship should be progressively eliminated. The obstacles which hamper the flow of full factual information and varied comment. between the peoples of the West and those of the Soviet Union, should be removed.

2. Arrangements should be made for the four Powers to open information centers, on a basis of reciprocity, in each other's capitals where these do not already exist. Everyone should be allowed full use of these centers without hindrance or discouragement from their own government.

3. The four Powers, where they do not already do so should permit the publication and facilitate the distribution to public institutions and private individuals in each other's countries of official periodicals printed in English, French or Russian.

4. Exchanges of books, periodicals and newspapers between the principal libraries, universities and professional and scientific bodies in the Soviet Union and the three Western countries should be encouraged. Such books, periodicals and newspapers should also be available for general and unimpeded public sale in the Soviet Union on the one hand and the three Western countries on the other.

5. There should be a substantial increase in the exchange of government publications and full lists, catalogs and indexes of such publications should be made available by Governments where they do not already do so.

6. The film producers of the three Western countries are ready to make films available to the Soviet Union at normal commercial prices and on normal commercial terms. Soviet films are already accepted in the West on these terms.

7. There should be exchanges of exhibitions between the Soviet Union and the three Western countries.

8. The systematic jamming of broadcasts of news and information is a practice to be deplored. It is incompatible with the Directive from the Four Heads of Government and should be discontinued.

9. The Soviet Union and the Western Powers should consider the desirability of exchanging monthly uncensored broadcasts on world developments. This could take the form of half hours for the Soviet Union on the Western broadcasting systems with reciprocal arrangements for the Western Powers on the Soviet system.

10. The censorship of outgoing press despatches and the denial to journalists of access to normal sources of information are serious barriers to the free circulation of ideas. The four Governments, where appropriate should take immediate steps to remove such barriers. 11. Private tourism should be increased. This will require more liberal procedures as regards travel restrictions and other administrative practices. Above all it will require reasonable rates of currency exchange.

12. There should be further exchanges of persons in the professional, cultural, scientific and technical fields. Exchanges should be arranged on the basis of principles approved by the governments concerned.

13. Meetings of outstanding scientists and scholars of the four countries at reputable international congresses should be facilitated.

14. There should be cultural and sporting exchanges on a reciprocal basis, drawing on the best each has to offer under the auspices of the principal cultural institutions and sporting organizations on both sides.

15. A beginning should be made with exchanges of students[,] particularly those engaged in language and other area studies. It should be possible for the students to share fully and freely the student life of the country they visit.

16. Restrictions on the ability of the members of the diplomatic missions of the four governments to travel in each other's countries should be removed on a basis of reciprocity.

17. Agreement should be reached in principle for reciprocal exchanges of direct air transport services between cities of the Soviet Union and cities of the three Western countries.

So far as trade is concerned, the Western Powers sincerely desire to see an improvement in commercial relations between the countries of Eastern Europe and themselves, leading to an increase in mutual trade in peaceful goods. To this end they have made freely available to the countries of Eastern Europe a wide area of trade with respect both to exports and imports. That only small advantage has so far been taken of these opportunities is, in their view, basically a reflection of policies and conditions within the countries of Eastern Europe. While they feel, therefore, that the major initiative in securing an increase in East-West trade must be taken by the countries of Eastern Europe, they are, for their part, prepared to consider sympathetically any proposals which seem likely to lend [lead?] to a mutually beneficial development of peaceful trade.

In particular the Western Powers would urge the Soviet Government to make it less difficult for Western private traders to engage in and to develop opportunities for East-West trade to the advantage of both sides.

If the Four Powers can agree on the above propositions a great step forward will have been made towards better understanding between nations. This might in due course serve as the foundation for a further expansion of contacts on a broader international basis.

44. STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE,
OCTOBER 31, 1955 1

The Heads of Government meeting here last July directed us to study measures, including those possible in the United Nations, for the progressive elimination of barriers interfering with free communication and peaceful trade and for the establishment of freer contacts and exchanges which are of advantage to both East and West.

The reductions of barriers and greater human contacts that we seek are not merely ends in themselves. They are designed to help to assure that the peace we seek is not passive, but a curative and creative force which enables men and nations better to realize those individual and national aspirations which conform to moral law.

The United States approaches hopefully, even though guardedly, a study of measures to eliminate barriers to free communications and peaceful trade. We know that, in an atmosphere of tension, communications are not readily made free, nor trade made normal. But we must break at some point a vicious circle in which lack of freedom in communications and the absence of normal trade relations and personal contacts lead to further misunderstanding between peoples and increased tension.

2

We have already begun discussion of one of the fundamental causes of international tension, the division of Germany, and we shall go on to discuss the world's vast armaments. However, as agreed between the Four Ministers at New York, we are willing, simultaneously with our own consideration of European Security and Germany, and Disarmament, to proceed through a committee of experts with a study of the elimination of barriers to free communications and trade and the establishment of freer contacts.

Upon conclusion of their study, these experts should, I assume, report back to the Four Ministers, so that we may consider the results of their study, both upon individual topics and in the aggregate, and so that we may be in a position likewise to coordinate our observations, proposals and conclusions under item III of our agenda with the results of our work on the other items.

In this matter of "contacts" the United States Delegation will ask that specific measures be considered with the faith and optimism that were brought here last July by the President of the United States.

The Geneva Meeting of Foreign Ministers, October 27-November 16, 1955 (Department of State publication 6156; 1955), pp. 240-245.

2 See tripartite communiqué of Sept. 28, 1955; Department of State Bulletin, Oct. 10, 1955, p. 559.

The Committee of Experts subsequently held 18 meetings from Nov. 2 to Nov. 10, 1955.

When I saw President Eisenhower in Denver, just before leaving for Geneva, he re-affirmed his high hopes for progress at this conference, not only with respect to the reunification of Germany within the framework of European security and disarmament, but also in the development of contacts between our peoples.

Contacts between peoples is not a new thing for the United States. It is part of our heritage. Our nation itself is composed of people from every land who have brought with them new ideas and have made valuable contributions enriching our society.

We are naturally a friendly people who like to know and be known. We have long wanted to learn more about the Soviet Union and its peoples and we have hoped that they would come to know us, and what we say and think and do. There is a solid basis for good will between us. It is a fact of history which should be remembered now that our peoples have never fought each other.

So we did not understand it when the rulers of the Soviet Union sought to seal off their people from outside contacts. But when this happened and strains developed, the United States, in its turn, placed restrictions on exchanges with the USSR. But these restrictions were solely in response to the actions initiated by the Soviet Government in this period.

Recently, we have noted that the attitude of the Soviet Government may be changing. We welcome this development. It provides a basis of hope for accomplishment in this item of our agenda.

II

The subject of contacts can be divided into three parts: (1) freedom for exchanges of information and ideas; (2) freedom for exchanges of persons and travel; (3) development of trade between East and West.

Information

In the field of exchanges of information, we immediately encounter basic obstacles.

There is an all-embracing Soviet censorship of press and radio. There is systematic jamming of radio broadcasts from other countries. We hope that steps will be initiated at this conference looking to the removal of these obstacles.

In addition to the removal of obstacles, the United States will encourage specific projects in this field, such as an exchange of radio broadcasts between the United States and the Soviet Union. For example, there might, as a beginning, be a monthly exchange of commentaries on world developments as seen from Soviet and Western points of view. In the United States, radio broadcasting is not controlled by the government and our government cannot bind American broadcasting companies to any particular course of action. However, our major radio companies tell us that they are prepared to provide regular radio time in the United States for Soviet broadcasts if this is compatible with our national policy. The United States Government would welcome this, provided that reciprocal privileges are

granted to the United States on the Soviet radio. Through such an exchange, the peoples of both our countries would have the benefit of free discussion, criticism and debate on outstanding issues of the day. A concrete step promoting a mutually useful exchange of information and ideas was taken by the United States on September 9th of this year. The United States proposed to the Soviet Government that it permit the renewed circulation in the Soviet Union of an official Russian-language magazine entitled Amerika. We are prepared to permit the comparable circulation of an official Soviet magazine in the United States.

We wish also to advance proposals for the distribution of American films in the Soviet Union and for the establishment, on a reciprocal basis, of information centers in the respective capitals.

Travel

In the field of exchanges of persons and travel, another basic obstacle is immediately encountered. The arbitrary rate of exchange of the ruble makes all travel in the Soviet Union excessively expensive for foreigners. The ruble rate also has an adverse effect on many aspects of the exchange of information and the development of trade. It is important that steps should be taken to eliminate this obstacle. The United States has played an active role in recent months in effecting exchanges of persons with the Soviet Union. A group of Soviet agriculturalists toured the United States and a group of American farmers visited the Soviet Union. Groups of Soviet construction experts and newspapermen are now travelling widely throughout our country. Two outstanding Soviet musical artists have been invited to make concert tours in the United States, one of which has already begun. These visitors will bear witness to the wide range of facilities and opportunities which they enjoy in the United States in line with the purposes of their visits.

We shall continue to consider such proposals favorably to the extent to which they accrue to the mutual advantage of both countries and contribute to and reflect a spirit of real cooperation.

It is to be hoped that, in general, visits between the United States and the Soviet Union will gradually become more normal occurrences in the future. Americans are fond of travel and many people from other countries visit us each year. In 1954 almost one million Americans went abroad. Four hundred and fifty thousand foreign travelers entered the United States.

In the general area of travel, the United States has specific proposals to advance. Among them is a proposal for an agreement in principle on reciprocal civil aviation rights, which Great Britain and France as well as the United States desire to support. If accepted, this would mean insofar as the United States is concerned that Soviet commercial airplanes, for example, might land at Idlewild, the international airport near New York, and United States airplanes might similarly land at the airport serving Moscow. We also hope that the 1 See supra, doc. 31.

2 See supra, docs. 29 and 30.