Laboratory area at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. Men move towards a room. They are checked at the entrance and then allowed in. They enter the room. Men move in corridors of the building. A display board fixed on wall is also seen.
Opening scenes show radio studio announcers in different countries and in different languages sharing news updates as they speak into microphones. Photographers and camera men shoot a news conference featuring President Eisenhower. President Dwight D Eisenhower speaks whle newsmen, journalists, and reporters disperse quickly from the room and telephone their notes and papers to publish the story. An official exits a taxi cab car and enters the USIS building at 1776 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC. View of door of Office of Director of USIA. '423' and 'Theodore C. Streibert' written on nameplate of office of director of USIA. Narrator describes the people there as working to "reinforce truth against distortion and the big lie." Director Streibert talks on the telephone and sits for a meeting in his office and talks about overseas posts. Map on wall.
United States Information Agency (USIA) radio operators operate radio studio controls and set frequencies for transmission and receiving. USIA staff work on gathering additional facts, with newsroom reporters and editors in a press room typing and working on stories, a woman editing motion pictures, typing, printing at USIA. Exterior view of headquarters building of United States Information Service or USIS. People enter and exit the building of USIS. Members of a Citizens Committee and Director Streibert enter into a room. Map of world in room. Citizens seated on sofa. Director Streibert explains U.S.I.A. mission to a citizens' committee and talks about America's history and involvement in the world. One Citizen Committee member smokes a pipe. The Director shows a chart of how "communist propaganda is spread by a vast worldwide machine." Director Streibert explains (via anti-communist propaganda, or reverse propaganda...during Cold War) its mechanism and control exerted via the presidium of the Soviet communist party. View of Soviet Union leaders watching a military parade in Red Square, Moscow, Russia. Khrushchev is among the leaders. Next scenes show Communist rallies and speakers in Korea and then in China. At the Chinese rally, a scene of unrest unfolds as a group filling a large truck enters a rally, jumps down, and inflames the crowd. Communist leader Khrushchev with other Soviet officials debarks an airplane and meets leaders in India. He waves at a welcoming crowd during a visit. View of piles of Motion picture canisters ,magazines, pamphlets and books distributed as propaganda by Soviet Union. High production quality of paper shown. Industrial equipment and industrial farming equipment is displayed in a large exhibit hall for visiting foreign governments and dignitaries to view and consider investment. The Director states that long term Communist goals are world domination, and short term goals include the encouragement of neutralism, dividing and confusing American allies, and isolation of the United States. Director Streibert explains how the USIS works together with the Department of State to communicate American information. He ends the explanation by giving the USIA campaign pamphlets "Atoms for Peace" and "Atomic Power for Peace" ( The Eisenhower plan) to citizens of committee as example of a communication.
Worlwide activities of the U.S. Information Agency. Four men in a bar in Italy. Narrator refers to European apprehension right after the war about America and the atom. The Italian men are polled and now understand about peaceful uses of atomic energy. Maps showing 200 U.S. Information Agency posts in 80 countries. An "Amerika Haus"in a major German city. Germans enter and peruse books and newspapers. An "Amerika Hause" book mobile (autobucherei) drives into a German village. Local people enter and browse the bookshelves. A boy selects a book entitled "Christoph Kolumbus" (Christopher Columbus). A german policeman perusing a book. A man walking out with several books. A discussion group, under auspices of USIA, gathered around a table. A concert with orchestra and chorus (Conductor appears to be Wilhelm Furtwängler, of the Berlin Philharmonic, who died in 1954, so this is likely a shot from 1953-1954 range). A sign on building in Berlin reads: "RIAS" (Radio in American Sector). A German speaking radio announcer in RIAS broadcasting. People visiting the "Family of Man" exhibit which originated in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and shown in 37 countries abroad, under USIA sponsorship.
A man (implied by narrator to be a Communist) speaks to large crowd of men in an unidentified country. Narrator speaks of him as stirring up trouble and spreading the message of communism (during "red scare" timeframe in U.S.) Mobile unit truck of the United States Information Service (USIS) on the road to show (pro United States education and propaganda) USIA motion pictures. Citizens seated for watching USIA films on motion picture projector. Two local men work as projectionists. Faces of audience members as they watch the film on the screen. Man checks the reel of motion picture. Film of USIS starts. American and Thai officials riding on elephants cross a river in Thailand. American diplomatic officials talk with Thai officals seated around a table, planning anti-Communist information campaigns. They ride on horses in a rural area. They cross jungle areas on horse back. An American official wearing a suit and bow tie addresses a group of uniformed Thai officials. Maps on wall.
Opening scene shows a U.S. Information Agency (USIA) secretary provides a couple in Germany with information about American schools. Views of students in Saigon, South Vietnam, attending USIA English language classes. View of London, England, showing the Art Deco BBC Broadcasting House at Portland Place (Portland Pl, London W1A 1AA, UK) and All Souls Church, Langham Place (All Souls C of E Church, 2 All Souls' Pl, London W1B 3DA, UK). A man is seen delivering a can, containing the USIA monthly film documentary, to the BBC. View of Broadcasting House of BBC in Marylebone, England. In Iran, a Douglas DC-4 passenger plane takes off, carrying newspaper reporters and Iranian officials to look over an American technical assistance project which is seen from the air. In Tokyo, Japan, a man working in a private publishing company begins translating an American book. The book is open on his desk and contains an illustration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. A page of the book, written in Japanese, is shown being reproduced on a type of mimeograph machine.