Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-09-29
BY CHARLES EDMUNDSON

The sharp Skirmish which broke
out two weeks ago between the
State Department and the Inter-
national Cooperation Administra-
ton on restricting United States
foreign economic aid to private
enterprise projects has its quietly
smoldering counterpart in the
United States Information Agency.
1t concerns the extent to which
American propaganda should ad-
vocate private capitalism as
direct answer to socialist and Com
munist propaganda Specifically,
it concerns how much money and
energy should be spent on show
Ing the USIA's new Peoples Cap
italism exhibits around the world
and just where they shall be
shown. In the USIA. as in the
State Department. there is fac
ton which is reluctant TO push
free enterprise capitalism very
hard for fear Of offending foreign
governments which lean toward
socialism.
The Peoples Capitalism ex-
hibits. which have drawn a hotter
reaction from the Communist
opposition than anything the
USIA has ever done, have been
slow in getting on the road. Al
though the first such exhibit was
inaugurated in Union Station here
10 months ago by President Eli
senhower. and although three
copies of 1t are now in existence.
1t has been shown in only FIVE
cities in four countries.
Italy has asked for the exhibit.
but the USIA has decided not to
show it in Western Europe. No
effort has been made to get per-
mission to show it in Communist
Yugoslavia, which might accept it.
or in Russia and the satellites.
which probably would refuse.
BIomes Transportation
Robert c. Hickok, USIA official
In charge of the exhibits. comedies
there Is mixed feeling in his or
ganization about where and to
what extent the Peoples Capital
ism exhibits should be shown.
But" he adds, 1.-The main reason
for the slowneSs in getting on the
road is difficulty in transporta-
ton"
The exhibits are the brainchild
not of the USIA but of the United
States Advertising Council. which
is a sort of public relations arm
OF American business and in
dustry. Despite a tactful reticence.
the Advertising Council is clearly
disappointed by the slowness with
which the idea is being exploited.
The acclaim which the exhibits
have received wherever shown. and
especially the strong Communist
counter-attack which has been
provoked. are regarded as proof
of effectiveness.
Eugene Varga, the aged dean
of Soviet economists, denounced
the idea and the exhibits in a
four-column article in the New
Times of Moscow. Communist or
fellowstravelins newspapers have
attacked the exhibits wherever
they have been shown. Recently.
International Affairs. the most
prestigious of all Soviet publica-
tions printed for foreign consump-
ton. devoted IS pages to
symposium in which Kremlin
braintrusters tried to answer the
Peoples Capitalism theme.
The original exhibit, prepared
by the Advertising Council. opened.
in February, 1856. Nine months
later the exhibit. in expanded form,
was opened by the USIA in
Bogota, Colombia. Since then the
show has been exhibited in three
other countries-Chile. Guate-
mala and Ceylon.
Best Copy in Warehouse
The biggest and best copy is
now in warehouse in Mexico
City. where it has lain. awaiting
repairs. for several months. An
other copy is due to open soon at
La Paz. Bolivia, and the third is
due at New Delhi
The idea for the exhibits took
form in the mind Of Theodore
Repplier, president Of the Adj
vertising Council. President
Eisenhower, in his first admins
tration, named Mr.. Repplier. a
Democrat, as a member OF a
special group to study propaganda.
Mr.. Repplier toured the principal
! USIA posts in Asia and Africa
and found that in many coun-
tries Communist propaganda had
given free enterprise capitalism a
bad name. Why not, he reasoned,
assemble graphic exhibits TO
demonstrate how well the system
works here and send them on
tour?
Back in Washington, Mr..
Repplier presented his plan at a
conference Of USIA executives.
About third of those present
liked the idea. a third we're luke
warm and the other third thought
1t brash and unavoidable. They
feared II might offend foreign
"moderates" who favor socialism
while opposing communism.
In proposing peoples capitalism,
Mr.. Repplier found a firm sup