CIA Memorandum
on the Rosenberg Case(provided by Arlene Tyner)
Subject: the Rosenberg Case January 22, 1953
PROPOSAL: A concerted effort to convince Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, convicted atom spies now under sentence of death, that the Soviet regime they serve is persecuting and ultimately bent on exterminating the Jews under its sovereignty. The action desired of the Rosenbergs is that they appeal to Jews in all countries to get out of the communist movement and seek to destroy it. In return, death sentence would be commuted.
ADVANTAGE: The importance of success in this venture can scarcely be overstated from a psychological warfare standpoint. The Communist Parties throughout the world have built up the Rosenbergs as heroes and as martyrs to "American anti-semitism." Their recantation would entail backfiring of this entire Soviet propaganda effort. It would be virtually impossible for world communism to ignore or successfully discredit the Rosenbergs. The couple is ideally situated to serve as leading instruments of a psychological warfare campaign designed to split world communism on the Jewish issue, to create disaffected groups within the membership of the Parties, to utilize these groups for further infiltration and for intelligence work. (Whether the defection of the Rosenbergs would yield significant information concerning other Soviet espionage groups is a matter for the FBI to appraise.)
LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS: Apparently neither of the condemned has thus far wavered. An appraisal of the possibilities of their defection could be obtained from the FBI. The hypothesis suggested here is that the Soviet ‘Doctors’ accusations may have come as a great shock to them. Since they are Jews and have been placed in the role of victims to anti-semitism, it is believed that the new developments in Soviet policy vis-a-vis the Jews open new possibilities. It is also believed that people of the sort of the Rosenbergs can be swayed by duty where they can not be swayed by considerations of self-interest. They should not be asked to trade their principles for their lives -- for one thing, such an appeal to cowardice would almost certainly fail. The argument should be rather that they are about to die for a system that has betrayed and is destroying their own people, that they have the moral obligation of influencing other Jews against communism. In short, they would be offered two things psychologically: (1) an opportunity to recant while preserving their self-respect and honor; (2) a new purpose in life.
THE ETHICAL ISSUE: The purpose of the government would be to gain a new instrument to make clear the sinister purposes of communism to its deluded followers and, incidentally, to save two lives. Certainly, neither purpose is immoral. The means, however, necessarily involves the coercion of prisoners for no discussions can be termed free if the upshot determines whether people live or die. If this coercive element makes the whole plan repugnant to our traditions of due process, then naturally it should not be undertaken. Presumably, the Attorney General should evaluate this. If the answer is favorable, consideration must be given to the consequences of failure to sway the Rosenbergs -- the virtual certainty that the Communists will use the attempt for their propaganda. Therefore, it is proposed that the emissaries chosen be unofficial, without credentials from the Government of any sort and with no authority to commit it to any action.
SUGGESTED APPROACH: The contact could be made by rabbis, representatives of Jewish organizations, former Communists. The last group would understand the mentality of the Rosenbergs far better than the others and would share with them common experiences and attitudes. However, the Rosenbergs would probably view them, not merely as enemies, but as traitors to the movement and this consideration seems to the writer to be decisive as far as the initial stage of conversations is concerned. Perhaps the ideal emissaries would be highly intelligent rabbis, representing reformed Judaism, with a radical background or sympathetic understanding of radicalism, and with psychiatric knowledge. Such men can be found. Here again, the viewpoint of the FBI would be of the greatest value.
(1) The emissaries do not need to be armed with a formal promise of clemency, for the Rosenbergs already understand that they can obtain commutation if they cooperate with the United States.
(2) Complete confidentiality in the discussions is imperative. The Rosenbergs may have strong doubts of the rightness of their course which they would wish to explore with sympathetic, intelligent and well-informed anti-Communists. However, since these are doubts and not certainties, they will wish to be able to die as martyrs if the doubts disappear after investigation. They would therefore fear that any talks they have with the emissaries might be used afterwards to destroy the propaganda value of their death for communism should they decide in the end upon death. Preservation of confidence as to the discussions should be pledged, subject to a similar confidence on the part of the Rosenbergs. The emissaries should be people of such unimpeachable moral stature that no suspicion of double dealing on their part could arise.
(3) Date of execution should be stayed until the emissaries ascertain whether or not the Rosenbergs are interested in entering into such protracted discussions. If they are not, the execution should proceed and the emissaries should preserve total silence.
(4) If the Rosenbergs desire to explore these matters, an execution stay of one to two months seems indicated. First, time is needed for a thorough discussion of all those phases of Soviet conduct which the condemned would have to weigh in their minds before reaching what is for them their biggest decision. This is not merely a matter of persecution of Jews, but of the basic character of the Soviet dictatorship. Second, the Rosenbergs should have time to read the most authoritative and convincing literature available on such matters as the U.S.S.R. slave labor camps. (It should be recalled that as Communist they are explicitly forbidden heretofore from either reading such books or having them in their possession.) Third, fruitful discussions can hardly be held if they occur, as it were, under the shadow of imminent execution.
(5) Should the operation succeed, generous commutation appears indicated -- both to encourage others to defect and to utilize the rosenbergs as figures in an effective international psychological warfare campaign against communism primarily on the Jewish issue.