Memorandum from Rear Admiral R. H. Hillenkoetter to President Harry S. Truman

SEGRET CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE GROUP 2430 E STREET NW. WASHINGTON 25, D.C. 25 July 1947 MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT While the possibility of eventual Soviet withdrawal from the UN must be reckoned with, there are no present indications that such a withdrawal is imminent. The original purpose underlying Soviet participation in the UN is believed to have been the Kremlin's desire to prevent any combination of foreign powers potentially inimical to the Soviet Union by insistence upon Soviet participation, with veto power, in any international action affecting Soviet interests. Subsidiary purposes of Soviet participation probably in- clude the following: a. to use the UN as a rounding board for the spread of Soviet propaganda and doctrine; b. to promote, through the UN, disarmament schemes designed to weaken the relative military strength of the Western Powers; C. to frustrate any international attempt at social and economic rehabilitation outside of the Soviet sphere, and to utilize the resulting confusion and demoralization in promoting the spread of Communism; d. to agitate, in UN forums, colonial and minority questions with the purpose of embarrassing and weakening Western control over colonial areas; e. to obstruct the establishment of en effective in- ternational police force. In general, the considerations outlined above appear to constitute valid reasons for the USSR to remain in the UN for the present. There are, however, several recent developments which might cause the Politburo to revise its estimate of the value of UN membership. Among them are the following: a. Soviet obstinacy and obstructionism in the UN DECLASSIFIED NATIONAL C.I.A. LTA. 9-31-79 ARCHIVES AND RECORDS PROTECT NLT 77.89 By. NIG-HC NARS, Date 9-6-79 SECRET SERVICE"