National Council of American-Soviet Friendship

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National Council of American-Soviet Friendship was a front for the Communist Party USA.

History

The National Council of American-Soviet Friendship was "created by the Communist Party USA in 1943 as the result of Party plans to establish a mass organization under the name of respondent National Council of American-Soviet Friendship, Inc. to carry out a broadened scale functions and activities concerning various Party objectives, which had previously been undertaken by party-controlled organizations that had existed under the various names of Friends of Soviet Russia, Friends of the Soviet Union, and American Council on Soviet Relations."[1]

Other government citations of the NCASF as being a front of the CPUSA were made by the SCUA[2]; Attorney General Tom Clark to the Loyalty Board[3], and the SISS[4].

These were all listed in "The Guide to Subversive Organizations and Publications (and Appendixes)", HCUA, December 1, 1961, House Document No. 398.

[NB: Regional chapters of the NCASF often call themselves "Council of" or "Association of" rather than "For American-Soviet Friendship"]

Activities of the NCASF

From the CPUSA newspaper, "Daily World", Nov. 24, 1972, an ad for the Chicago Committee for American-Soviet Friendship"

"Gala Twin Anniversary Celebration" 50 years, founding USSR 55 years, October Revolution on December 3, 1972

Speakers:

Cultural Program:

Tickets available at Modern Book Store, 3230 N. Broadway and Guild Book Store, 1155 W. Webster

Sponsored by:

Article, "Daily World (DW)", November 29, 1972, "Rabbi, peace activist, to address Soviet amity rally in Chicago" Speakers:

  • trip to Hanoi in 1967; met with Ho Chi Minh
  • stopped preaching in 1930 after charging that "organized religion is a deserted lighthouse"
  • became " a radio singer under the stage name of Anthony Frome
  • Returned to a small Manhattan temple in 1933; rallied community against Hitler
  • In 1960 "he helped found a movement to stop installation of Bomarc nuclear missiles on Canadian soil"
  • "Recently" recorded an album on the "Vanguard" label entitled "I was so much older"; result of "encouragement by John and Yoko Lennon, with whom Rabbi Feinberg worked when he supported their Montreal 'bed-in-for peace'."
  • "Today (i.e. 1972), he is 'rabbi in residence' at San Francisco's [[Glide Memorial Methodist Church" (Ed: a long-time residence of pro-CPUSA clergy and laymen, esp. Rev. Cecil B. Williams)

Sponsors:

The Second City newspaper was described by Harry F. Port, Jr., a resident of the Lincoln Park section of Chicago who kept track of radical individuals and groups in his neighborhood. He characterized "Second City" thusly:

"The Second City, which is published by the Guild Book Store, which is another underground newspaper.", (p. 1094) and:

"The Guild Book Store as well as acting as a bookshop also is the publisher of the Second City newspaper, which is an underground newspaper purporting to deal in matters of revolutionary activities. . . It is located on Halsted Street, 2138 North Halsted, three doors away from the Law Office." (pp. 1096 & 1097)

Port provided the Subcommittee with an ad from "Second City" for The Guild Bookstore, Vol. 2, No. 2, which said "Marxist and other radical literature. Lenin. Mao. Also Spanish Language Classics. Underground Press" ...etc.

(The Guild was not identified by the witness but some people in the Law Office were associated with the CPUSA front, the National Lawyers Guild NLG).

- - - - - - - - - - - -

From the CPUSA newspaper "Daily World", Feb. 8, 1974 "Chicago rally stresses role of Lenin in Soviet peace aim", by Si Eisenscher

"The 50th anniversary of the death of V.I. Lenin was commemorated in Chicago last Friday evening (Feb. 1) at the Wellington Congregational Church. The meeting was sponsored by the Chicago Council of Soviet-American Friendship(sic) (should be Chicago Council of American-Soviet Friendship CCASF."

Speakers:

  • Lester Wickstrom - chairman, CCASF - "paid tribute to the attitude of V.I. Lenin towards Soviet-American relations".
  • Rev. Richard Morford - Executive Director, NCASF - "recently was made the first American recipient of the 'Friendship Among Nations' award from the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R. for his years of work for peace and friendship between the two nations."
  • Jack Weiman - chairman of the evening, a Chicago teacher

- - - - - - - - - - - -

From the CPUSA newspaper, "Daily World", November 2, 1972, p. 10, a notice: "Friendship Rally to celebrate the Soviet Anniversaries" - Town Hall - New York, 123 West 43rd St., Sunday, November 5 - 1 P.M." Speakers:

Cultural Program:

Tickets available at office of the Council; Also Jefferson Bookstore, 100 East 16th St.

National Council of American-Soviet Friendship NCASF 156 Fifth Ave., Suite 304 New York City, 10010, Phone: YU 9-6677


- - - - - - - - - - - - -

From the CPUSA newspaper "Daily World" of November 2, 1974, p. 11, a notice: "Concert and Friendship Rally Observing the Anniversaries -

  • 57th Anniversary of the Founding of the Soviet State
  • 41st Anniversary of the Establishment of USA-USSR Diplomatic Relations

Soviet Artists:

United States Artists:

Addresses:


Guest of Honor from the U.S.S.R. Embassy in Washington

Town Hall, 113 West 43rd St.

Auspices: National Council of American-Soviet Friendship NCASF 156 Fifth Avenue, New York City, Phone: YU 9-6677

- - - - - - - - - - - -

From an ad in the New York Times NYT, Sunday, October 17, 1976

"71% of the People want detente with the Soviet Union But is your candidate listening?"

"Cold War lies die hard. Still, it's not eacy to fool the people on the basic question of peace. The most recent poll shows 71% favor detente with the Soviet Union. They know that detente means trade--and as many as 3 million jobs the unemployed would welcome." ...

"But now there is a threat of moving backward to dead-end Cold War positions. Cold Warriors speak of detente as a "favor" we confer on others, and call for interference in Soviet internal affairs." ...

"Why? The same rationale trotted out every year by the Pentagon at budget time: the alleged danger of Soviet aggression. Who can forget the "weapons gap," the "tank gap," the "bomber gap," the "military spending gap," and, most recently, the "naval gap." Once the budget is voted, the "gaps" disappear from the headlines. No wonder the "credibility gap" widens."

"The USSR's military budget is not increasing.'

  • "Detente must be strengthened, not weakened. Our people need decent health care - and detente can make it possible."
  • "Our people need better living standards - a sharply reduced military budget will remove the No. 1 cause of inflation."
  • "Our people need jobs - and detente can bring millions of them."
  • "Our people need social and human services of every kind - and detente can make billions available to meet their needs."

"Let your candidates know how you feel!"

SPONSORS:

National Council of American-Soviet Friendship 156 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

"Clip out and send this ad to your candidate - demand a clear position on detente - normal US-USSR trade relations - and a major slash in the military budget"

[NB: This ad came out after the creation of the CPUSA front, the National Center for a Drastic Cutback in the Military Budget conference/creation, and about the time that the "B-Team" report on the secret Soviet military budget was released to the public. This report and others showed that the Soviet Union had a military budget that ranged anywhere from 6% to 20% higher than they admitted, verifying the 1972 SISS testimony of Avraham Shifrin as to how the Soviets hid parts of their military procurement programs inside of non-military industries. Shifrin had been a Soviet contracts officer in these programs before his was arrested in one of Stalin's 1953 purges of Jews in the Soviet Union and sent to Siberia gulags for 10 years. He then was forced into a 10 year "internal exile" before being thrown out of the country (to Israel). His testimonies before SISS and other congressional committee (House Banking and Currency Committee, 1973), provided the world with the first major listing of Soviet slave labor camps since the AFL-CIO's report about 1956, as well as specific Soviet "Light Industries" that secretly produced military equipment.[6]]

"Celebration tonight to honor Lenin"

Daily World (DW), April 24, 1980, P. 7

"TheNew York Association for American-Soviet Friendship (NYAASF), in conjunction with the National Council for American-Soviet Friendship (NCASF) is sponsoring a public meeting to observe the 110th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.

This event will take place on Thursday evening, April 24, at 7:30 PM, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center, headquarters of Local 1199 of theNational Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees (NUHHCE). It is located at 310 West 43rd Street, just west of Eighth Ave.

Both U.S. and Soviet speakers will address the meeting. Professor John Ehrenberg of the Department of Social Sciences,St. John's University, Staten Island; and Professor Bertell Ollman (KW: an avowed Marxist) of the Department of Politics of New York University (NYU), will voice their appreciation of the life work of Lenin.

The Soviet speaker will be Vladimir Shustov, deputy permanent representative of the USSR to the United Nations (UN).

The cultural program will include both U.S. musicians, as well as amateur entertainers from the Soviet UN Mission." (end of article)

A Tribute To Richard Morford

From an ad in the Daily World November 13, 1979, p. 10, comes the following:'

"A Tribute to Richard Morford Luncheon, Sunday, November 18, 12 o'clock, Grand Ballroom, Hotel Roosevelt, 45th & Madison Ave, New York City

Luncheon $18.50; Program only $3.00 N.Y. Association for American-Soviet Friendship 119 Fifth Avenue, Suite 600, New York, NY 10003 (212) 243-0666

Celebrate Delaware Valley American-Soviet Friendship Society Founding and Cultural Meeting, April 27, 1980

From the DW, April 25, 1980, calendar of events, "Philadelphia" section: " Sun. April 27, 1 p.m. Celebrate Delaware Valley American-Soviet Friendship Society founding and cultural meeting at International House, 3701 Chestnut St. Speakers include:

Entertainment and refreshments". End of notice


From the Communist Party USA newspaper, the Daily World (DW), of May 7, 1982, p. 11, an announcement of the following NCASF affair:

"Peace Rally & Concert" with

To be held at Carnegie Hall, May 7, 1982

Tickets at the box office or call, National Council of American-Soviet Friendship.

(It should be noted that Pete Seeger claimed he left the CPUSA in 1959 but his appearance at this event shows open evidence of him supporting a congressionally cited CPUSA front. Also, the NCASF was cited as a Soviet front in FBI testimony before Congress in 1982[7]

Identified members of the CPUSA on the list above included Pete Seeger, Anne Braden and Ernest DeMaio . Rep. Parren Mitchell (D-MD) had extensive ties to CPUSA members in Baltimore and thru numerous fronts he supported. There is a strong possibility that he was either a covert member of the CPUSA or was a trusted "friend" of the CPUSA. Other information to be posted at Keywiki.org will further strengthen these suppositions.

NCASF Letterhead Feb. 26, 1982

National Chairman: Dr. Ewart Guinier* Vice Chairman: "John Cherveny Secretary: Marilyn Bechtel* Treasurer: Marvel Cooke* Executive Director: Alan Thomson

  • These individuals have either been openly or congressionally identified as CPUSA leaders

Letterhead printed in "Soviet Active Measures, Hearings before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, House of Representatives, 97th Congress, 2nd Session, July 13, 14, 1982, p. 295

A People's Appeal for Peace

In 1987, the old CPUSA/Soviet front known as the National Council of America-Soviet Friendship (NCASF) created an updated version of the "Hanoi Lobby" "People's Peace Treaty" (PPT), known as "A People's Appeal for Peace". A partial listing of its "Initial National Endorsing Organizations" and people was reprinted in the Winter 1987, No. 5 issue of "DISINFORMATION: Soviet Active Measures and Disinformation Forecast" newsletter, p. 9 and the whole short article is reproduced despite missing parts.

"Forecast's Summer 1986 issue reported that Moscow and the National Council of Soviet-American Friendship" (NCSAF) (name is wrong as is abbreviation which should be NCASF and the National Council of American-Soviet Friendship), were initiating a petition -- "People's Appeal" -- to promote Soviet arms control positions in the United States. Although they are having some trouble getting this campaign off the ground, in November (1986), we receive a copy of the final draft of the petition and a partial list of endorsers. The petition is to be presented in Moscow and new York (at the UN) to coincide with Hiroshima and Nagasaki Days in August 1987.

The text of the petition and partial list of endorsers follows:

Image of Bird of Peace, open hands and "peace" laurels. "A People's Appeal for Peace"

TEXT to follow:


"Initial National Endorsing Organizations"

next few names are obstructed

"Individual Endorsers"

end of list

References

  1. ↑ Subversive Activities Control Board, Docket No. 104-53, Report & Order, February 7, 1956, pp. 16, 53, 54 & 55
  2. ↑ Special Committee on Un-American Activities, House Report 1311 on the "CIO Political Action Committee", March 29, 1944, p. 156
  3. ↑ Attorney General Tom Clark letters to Loyalty Review Board release December 4, 1947 and September 21, 1948]]
  4. ↑ Internal Security Subcommittee of the Senate, Judiciary Committee, "Handbook for Americans", S. Doc. 117, April 23, 1956, p. 91
  5. ↑ Extent of Subversion in the "New Left" Extent of Subversion in the "New Left", Testimony of Hugh Patrick Feely and Harry F. Port, Jr, Hearings, Part 7 - Aug. 3, 1970, SISS, pp. 1054, 1094 & 1097
  6. ↑ U.S.S.R. Labor Camps (testimony of Avraham "Avram" Shifrin), Parts 1-3, Feb. 1-3, 1973, Senate Internal Security Subcommittee
  7. ↑ Soviet Active Measures Hearings before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, House of Representatives, July 13 & 14, 1982, Statement of Edward O'Malley, Assistant Director, Intelligence Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, pp. 198-219, NCASF on P. 204 and letter/letterhead, p. 295]]
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