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SENATE
Report
No. 1346
AUTHORIZING INVESTIGATION OK ACTIVITIES OK
AGENTS OK FOREIGN NATIONS AFFECTING NEUTRAL-
ITY OK THE UNITED STATES
March 27 (legislative day, March 4), 1940.—Ordered to be printed
Mr. Clark of Missouri, from the,Committee on Foreign Relations,
submitted the following
REPORT
(To accompany S. lies. 186)
'Die Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, having had under
consideration the resolution (S. Res. I8G) authorizing an investigation
of the activities of agents of foreign nations alFecting the neutrality
of the United States, hereby report the same favorably to the Senate
and recommend that it do pass, with the following amendments:
On page I. line 5, after the word "for", strike out the words "or on
behalf or.
On page 2, line 3, after the word "employ", add the words "and
to call upon executive departments for".
The purpose of this resolution is to make available to the people
of the United States current information concerning the activities
of any person, firm, or corporation acting for any foreign nation en-
gaged in disseminating propaganda which might jeopardize the
neutrality of the United States. It is intended to avoid a recurrence
of the delay in making public such information pertaining to propa-
ganda activities during the World War, some of which was not made
known to the people until 20 years later.
For the information of the Senate there is appended hereto and
made a part of this report a communication from the Secretary of
State to the chairman of tlie Committee on Foreign Relations, dated
January 22, 1940, commenting upon tho proposed adoption of this
resolution, which reads as follows:
Dkpahtment of Stats,
Wnshington, January 22, tO/,0.
The Honorable KSV PlTTUAN,
United States Senate.
My Dear .Sknatoh Potman: I refer to your letter of December 23, 193U,
transmitting for consideration and recommendation or report Senate KcMohition
(112) 9787/250
2.0O0.CO0 404 JCSSLM
Cp 644/229
(REQIMINT)
INVESTIGATE A<TIIVTIES OK AGENTS OK KOKEIGN NATIONS
I8G providing in part "That a special comniitU-c of seven Senators, to be appointed
by toe President of the Senate, is authorized and directed to make a full and com-
plete study and investigation of the activities of any person, firm, or corporation
aclinic for or on behalf of any foreign nation, by way of propaganda or otherwise,
having as their ultimate goal or tending to cause, directly or indirectly, a changO
in the neutral position of the United States in the conflicts now l>cinc waged
abroad/'
You arc, of course, familiar with the provisions of the statute of June 8, 1938,
requiring the registry with the Secretary of State of agents of foreign principals,
A copy of this statute is enclosed for* your convenient reference. Under this
statute 394 agents have been registered and have filed with the Department
statements on the enclosed form setting forth full information in regard to their
foreign principals, their contracts with the foreign principals, and the activities
of the agents in this country. These statements are. in aecordancc with the terms
of the statute, maintained in a special file in the Department, which is open to
examination by the* public, A list is enclosed of the agents registered as of
December 20, 1939.
The question of enacting Senate Resolution 180 is of course for determination
by the Senate, It should he noted, however, that the provisions of the statute of
June 8, 1938. have already made available to the Congress and the public much
of the information which would probably l>e forthcoming as a result of the inves-
tigation contemplated by Senate Resolution 186,
Sincerely yours,
Co UDELL Hull,
o