Lederer, Allen Debate Condition Of U.S. Prestige

America is not just losing the propaganda war; America is not even in the competition, William J. Lederer, co-author of The Ugly American, charged in a discussion last night at the Law School Forum.

In an appearance with George V. Allen, director of the United States Information Agency, Lederer characterised the United States' efforts in the propaganda war as almost non-existent. He went to say that the American approach to the cold war suffers from massive ignorance and lack of coordination.

Although not specifically attacking the USIA, Lederer enumerated American propaganda defeats around the world, which he contrasted with the superior approach and organization of the Russians.

A Large Organization

To put America into world propaganda competition, he called for the creation of a large organization, headed by the second or third most powerful man in the USA. Summoning the entire resources and abilities of the country, such an organization would put our propaganda efforts on a sufficiently aggressive and intensive level to combat and take the initiative away from the Russians, he said.

Allen replied that while more efforts may be needed, the scheme Lederer proposed might too closely resemble the approach of totalitarian countries.

Attacking any pessimistic view of America's prestige, he noted that 3,000 to 4,000 people a year defect to the west. He contrasted America's $60 billion spent on foreign aid to Russia's three and a half billion, and noted the success of the U.S. exhibition in Russia a few summers ago.

The American public is immature in its attitudes to propaganda defeats, Allen charged. It must grow out of the initial shock resulting from its unpreparedness for world leadership.

He cited a question asked him by a British diplomat, who wanted to know how many U.S. information centers had been burned down in the last year. "Three," Allen replied; to which the Englishman said, "I wonder why they don't burn any of ours down anymore, as in the good old days."