- National Council of American-Soviet Friendship
-
The National Council of American-Soviet Friendship (NCASF) was the successor organisation to the National Council on Soviet Relations (NCSR).
Contents
Foundation
The 1930s witnessed the birth of the politically radical American-Soviet friendship movement which revolved around the Friends of the Soviet Union, founded in 1929. One of the major goals of the movement was for the United States and the Soviet Union to form an anti-fascist alliance. This eventually led to the foundation of the NCSR, which became the NCASF in 1941. The Council's membership was largely made up of professionals sympathetic to socialism and communism.
Key figures
Corliss Lamont was one of the foundators and the first chairman of the council. Professor Ralph Barton Perry of Harvard University was vice-chairman of the council. Edwin Smith was the executive director of the council. Here's timeline of NCASF office holders:[1]
Chairmen of NCASF Name Years in service Corliss Lamont 1943–1947 Reverend William Howard Melish 1947–1951 John Kingsbury 1949–1956 Rockwell Kent 1957–1971 Reverend William Howard Melish 1971–1978 Ewart Guinier 1979–1984 John Cherveny 1985–1987 John Randolph 1988–1991 Executive Directors of NCASF Name Years in service Edwin Smith 1944–1945 Reverend Richard Morford 1946–1981 Reverend Alan Thomson 1981–1991 Roy Kaufman 1991 Hollywood support
Charlie Chaplin was one of the sponsors when the founding of the council was announced in April 1943. when an “American – Soviet Friendship Rally” was held in Madison Square Garden on 16 November 1944, a number of Hollywood movie stars — including Chaplin, John Garfield, Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, James Cagney, Katharine Hepburn, Gene Kelly, and Edward G. Robinson — signed a message in a gesture of support for it. The statement said that the artists added their voices in favor of the bond that existed between “our great country and our great Allies.” The message added: “In this friendship lies not only the hope but I he future of the world.”[2]
Charges with failing to register
In 1946 the House Un-American Activities Committee initiated a formal inquiry into the NCASF. In 1947, charges were brought against the Council for failing to register with the Subversive Activities Control Board.
Activity
During its years of operation the NCASF released numerous publications focusing upon daily life in the Soviet Union and information regarding the state of American-Soviet relations. It ceased operations in 1991. The council was formed of several different branches and offices. Composer Aaron Copland was later questioned by Senator McCarthy regarding his membership on the Music Committee.[3]
References
- ^ Kinlock, Stacy (1991). "Records TAM 134" (HTML). Guide to the National Council of American Soviet Friendship. The Tamiment Library / Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives. New York, N. Y.: New York University. http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/tamwag/ncasf.html
- ^ Maland, Charles J. (1991). "Chaplin's Politics and American Culture, 1943-1952". Chaplin and American Culture: The Evolution of a Star Image. Princeton, N. J.: Princeton University Press. p. 253. ISBN 0-691-02860-5. http://books.google.com/books?id=hJhaiT7B04AC&printsec=frontcover&hl=ru#v=onepage&q&f=false.
- ^ "McCarthy Hearings 1953-54 Volume 2". McCarthy Hearings 1953-54. United States Government. http://www.gpo.gov/congress/senate/mccarthy/83870.html. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
Categories:- Cold War
- Soviet Union friendship associations
- Soviet Union–United States relations
- Communism in the United States
- Communist Party USA mass organizations
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
