Report on International Response to NASA and Apollo 11

l'residential Library Reproduced at the Rirharl Nixon

"l7g IJNiTED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY

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OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

f.uly Z), 1969 TO:

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The Honorable

Henry A. Kissinger The White House

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Here is a report that was on the CBS-TV network concerning the attitude of Europeans on our space activities.

I thought it rnight inf,erest you. Please return.

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Reproduced at the Richard Nixon presidential Librarv

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Der.te: July 28,

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THE WHITE HOUSE

L969

FOR ACTION:

Time: 3:00 p. M. cc (for inforrnotion);

Dr. Kissing.er

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PROM THE STA.FF SECRETARY

DUE: Dote: Ju.ly 31, 1969

Time

:

Z:00 P. M.

SIJB]ECT:

Shakespeare rnernorandurn to the President re rnedia reaction to ApoIIo 11 rnission around the world

ACTION REQUESTED: For Necessary Action

--X

13

Prepcrre Agenda and Brief

fo, Your Comments

Fo" Your Recornmendations Dz<rft Reply

--

Droft Rernorks

RE}/IARKS:

Please review the attached and subrnit your recornrnendations by r eturn rrrerno randurn.

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PIJEASE ATTACH THIS COPY TO M}ITERIAIJ SUBMITTED.

If you hove ony guestions or if you crnticipote o TL{L deiay in submitting the reguired rncrterial, plecrse K. R. COLE, lR, telephene the Strrff Secretary immedicrieiy.

Foy ths Fresident

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lleproduced at the l{ichar.ci Nixon presidential Librarv

UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY WASHINGTON DIRECTOR

MEMORANDUM

FOR: The President

The f o11 irnpact of the Apo1lo I1 rrrission around the world will not be apparent until well after the splashdown. But it is already safe to say that no past event has been seen on television or {ollowed by radio by so large a proportion of hurnanity. Partly, as a result of this, partly because of the rnagnitude of the event itself, no corrlparable nurnber of htrrnan beings has ever had as deep a sense of participation in a news story or as deep a feeling of identification with two rnen as they did with Neil Arrnstrong and t'Bwzzil Aldrin.

Of the currently estirnated total television audience of 650 rnillion which watched the rnoonwalk as it happened, 500 rnillion were abroadl 320 rrillion in Western and Eastern Europe, 75 rrrillion in Latin Arnerica, and rnost of the rest in Japan and elsewhere in Asia. The Japanese audience at the tirne of the moon walk was estirnated at 70 to E0 rni11ion. In lta1y, sorne 40 million watched the telecast. According to our present inforrnation, of the countries of Western or Eastern Europe, only the Soviet Union, East Gerrnany, and Iceland failed to relay the Eurovision correrage o{ this event. Tape coverage was, however, included in regular Soviet TY newscasts. Elsewhere in the wor1d, all countries which had the technical capability of telecasting Apo11o 11 live did so. Thanks to last-rninute arrangelTrents by NASA and COMSAT, this included all Latin Arnerican countries, with the exception of Paraguay, Ecuador, and Cuba. (Venezuela and Colornbia sought USIA help and went to great expense thernselves to lease a portable ground station for live TY coverage of Apoilo 11. ) In Africa, Moroccan, Tunisian, and Libyan television were part of the worldwide circuit. Fina11y, tele* vision stations in Asia--Japan, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Korea--covered the event sirnultaneously and as fu11y as it was covered anywhere. A11 other television stations around the world (outside Co:rrrnunist China, Russia, and East Gerrnany) rrray be assurrred to be carrying taped or fikned reports as fast as they can get thern.

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Reproduc:ecl at ihe Riohar.ci Nixon presidential Librar,,,

ZThe Voice of Arnerica, relayed by both the dornestic and external services of the BBC, as well as by All-India Radio and at least ZZ other national networks around the world and by well over 1400 individual radio stations in Latin Arnerica, calculates its audience during the rnoon landing and walk to have been over 500 rnil1ion. Jarnrning of Russian language broadcasts in the Soviet Union continued uninterrupted but English transrnissions to the USSR and two channels in Mandarin bearned to Red China were clear.

Well over 800 foreign correspondents and rnedia rnen covered the rnission f rorn Cape Kennedy and the Houston Manned Space Center in a total of 33 languages. The Japanese, IZ0 strong, represented the Iargest single national contingent. There were 200 rnedia representatives frorn Latin Arnerica, and sorne 300 frorn Europe.

Perhaps rnore irnportant than all these figures has been the depth and seriousness of coverage in many countries. Most radio and TV stations abroad prepared their audiences for the Apollo 11 rnission for weeks, by broadcasting docurnentaries on past space exploits, interviews with experts, and detailed explanations of the rnission p1an. Newspapers in rnany countries have devoted a page a day to the preparations for the rnoon landing rnission, and there have t,een irrrpressive special space issues of rnass publication periodicals in Italy and elsewhere. They have generally draw'n the bulk of their source rnateri.al f rorrr our own USIA output.

As for cornrnent on the rnission, the reactions flowing in indicate that the irnpact was great. Apart frorn the Cornrnunist Chinese press in Hong Kong (and presurnably in Mainland China itself)--which speaks of this exploit as the last gasp of Arnerican irnperialisrn--reporting has been positive and enthusiastic, with of course an occasional negative cornrnent. The Arati world, th: UAR incluied, joined in th: general rnocC o{ euphoria" Co.rrrnunist papers in the \Mest, like Lrlll:.,rnanjlg in France and Unita in ltaly, echoed the chorus of approval resounding around thern, only gently expressing their preference for the Soviet approach of unrnanned space probes. Sorne papers in both the industrialized and of London and A4:lis S.,ggortef in underdeveloped world (".g., the flg Ethiopia) rnentioned the contrast between the billions spent for space exploration and lack of success in dealing with urgent problerrrs facing hurnanity here on Earth--but rrrany (u.g., Rheinis_c.be Post in Cerrnany and lllgfqqin Pakistan) answered such criticisrn by noting that this great

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Reproduced at tire Richard Nixon presidential Librarv

3undertaking of rnan does not hinder hurnan progress, but in the long run helps hurnanity rnarshal its talents and resources in solving ageo1d problerns. Most papers were sirnply lost in awe on this "day in our history, the like of which none of us has ever seen or will live to see againt' (lgi!1Mgll). They saw Itthe feat of all tirne. . . accornPlishedrl (I!gglg). They cornrnented that 'tthe conseguences of this first step are beyond irnagining" (Qigl[S]!). They noted that rrMan knew he would conquer (space) not for the sake of conquest, not for self, but for freedorn of spirit and hurnanity. t' (IfolEing .Peop1e!,-pa:L1y, Burrna) Evidence of the profound irnpact of the rnoon landing frorn all corners of the world is copious and often rnoving. It ranges frorn the Popets hailing the astronauts as Itconquerors of the rrroon'r and Prirne Minister Wilsonrs stating his profound adrniration for thern, to the Pakistani newspaperrnanrs expressing gratitude that he belongs to the generation which has witnessed an event of this rnagnitude. Babies were narned aftey Apollo in Lebanon and Scotland, a public bus in downtown Dar es Sa1aarn. An estirnated 150, 000 watched the rnoon walk on a giant television screen in a public square in Seoul, and crowds trying to press into Apollo exhibits at the Arnerican Ernbassy in l4rarsaw, USI$ Lorne (Togo) and USIS Addis Ababa got ternporarily out of control. Peop1e danced in the streets of Santiago (Chile), and the President of Venezuela, after watching the rnoon walk in the company of his cabinet through a good part of the night, rnade an irnprornptu address to his nation when the astronauts safely boarded the nEagler again. In spite of the rnodest coverage of the flight by Soviet rnedia, Arnericans living there were congratulated by Russian friends and even by chance acquaintances. The Moscow Ernbassy received congratulatory telegrarns, as well as a nurnber of telephone calls inquiring about the progress of the rnission.

The President of Chile caIled on Arnbassador Korry to say how pleased he was. He, as well as a number of other chiefs of state, declared July 21 a national holiday. School children in Bavaria and students in Mexico were excused frorn classes that day. Many world capitals were deserted at the tirne of the launch or during other daytirne events, as people stayed near their television sets. Church bells rang out and fire sirens screarned to announce the rnoon landing in various Latin *A.rnerican cities. Laplanders followed the flight on their transistor radios while pasturing their reindeer.

Reproduced at ihe

I{ichari Nixon presiclential Librarv

+This is, of course, a prelirninary report. We are engaged in an atternpt to judge the effect of the Apo1lo 11 story on foreign audiences in a rnore systernatic way by a cornparative opinion survey in selected countries before and after the rnission. The results of this survey will be available in about four weeks.

Attached is a surnrrrary of foreign rnedia reaction, dated July 21, relating to the rnoon landing" Our Media Reaction Unit rn,ill continue to follovr and report on this subject.

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Reproduced at the R.icharci Nixon presiclential Librarv

w&ur&dat- *cd-.lAP P b,, &fei4:?- x

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CBS TELEVISION NETI,\ORK

0N TIm M00N: The Epic Mond.ay,

JuIy 21,

1O:lJ:\O AI4, EDT

ITtrALLACE:

a lspace

L969

Apollo

Excerpt)

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In Amsterdam C,BS NEI^IS Corcespondent el Schorr has ner,rs of ubllc opinion o11 taken among Europeans tr{e go to Amsierdani

in the Dam Square in Ar.rsterdam. Dam Square is a peoplest the subject here is people. There 1s a publ:-c opinion r:rganization called Makroiest, whrich has been worlting on ial<ir:.g a poli o.e rvhat Europeans in ,seven eountrles think aboui our venture on the moon. hlnatrs interestlng about this survey theyrve mad.e j-s that air the questions tere asked and all ihe answers came ln since Apollo 11 rvas launehed. So this isnr t quite iheoretical; itr s a reaciion of peopie i,rho know that Apollo 11 is up there. Ano with me here is l,,ralier i(aai:per tvho is the di.rector of i'{a}crotest, and It11 put to him the firsi question vhich I find here, which ruas one that may be the most pertinent right now, is r^rhether you think these peopie are going to come back safely. idhat is the answer i-n seven countries?

KNAPPERT We}l, ihe answer wes by nine out of ten people they'i,vouia fuonie back safely. There was in ali seven European countries questioils. There were however one or two couniri.es ,rrhere there were still quiie a number of p-eople who thought they wouldntt come back, and thi-s was in Sireden, in Western Germany and in the Netherlands ovei h.ere, ihls eountry.

SCTI0BRT l{e11, you find then that the northern countri.es tenci to be more pesslmistic than the Latln countries?

KI{APPER: WelI, I would.nt t sa} that, but there were more peopl-e r.^llio rea1}1 said t'norrr j.nstead of sayi-ng, ,'I donlt know, I wouldntt know. rl SCHOHR: lthat was yoilr next interesting question?

I0IAPPER: 0h, the next one was it was a bit of an impertinent one we asked why are the United States in such a hurry to get to the moon?

And the questions (sic) throughout Er:rope were categorically that it was a matter of prestlge, which was very much comblned with the race with the Russians. 0n the second place, however, came the teci:nica1 developments, whlch was very important, and.'in one country, West Germany, they mentioned defense, milltary purpobesr â&#x201A;Źspeclally defeir.se pLtxposes as being of very great importance as r+e}I. 8CI{OBA; Do you want to go on to the next questlon?

KIIIAPPER: We}}, the next question was, Do you think they have any use for humanlty - the3e spaee flfghts, these'trips to the moon.

SCII0RB: Thatr s a hard onor You mean whether the ruhole thing is worthwh:L. SGIORR: Werre

square and

ifl[APPEBI Thatt s

right'

ll]rether the whole thins is vorthwhLle, We]],

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Reproduced at the R.icharci Nixon presidential Library

MAN

0N tTlir; ,,,)0N: The Epic Journey

of Apoilo 11 (Excerpt)

7

/ 2L/69

ruiny people thought it was very worthi+hlle lndeed, mainly because of technical development reasons. But there were also qulte a number of people who said, ror it has got IrO USâ&#x201A;Źt at all.

This was for the wliole of Europe 20 per cent,

lt vary fYom country to country?

KNAPPER: !'1e11, I'm aJYaid io say that there 1s one coun'cry lrhieh eomes out really remarkably on the negative sidee and thairs ine lietherl-anqs Holland - where we are here.

SCIIORR: ldhat percentage of Dutch people think that there is just no use at all ou:c going to the moon?

KNAPPERT Forty-three per cent, SCH0RR: IIr. Knapper, thatr s shoeking .

KNAPPER: I find it very much so.

SC}{ORR: I mean, I know ihis is a scientiflc poll, but that is just SCI{ORR: How does

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shocking.

KNAPPER:

It

may have changed since

last night,

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better move to the nex'L question.

KI{APPIIRI Thatrs right. rrJe1i, we asked.: }triren wi}} ord,inary hurnan beings liire you and I be able to go and make a trip 'co the moon }ilte lre now as Europeans make trips to the States. kd, especially in Swedeii anc England, they !/ere very pessimistic about it and said rrNever,rl But there the Belgians, the French and the West Germans said, r,re}I, it may happen before the year 2000; so maybe in their llfetime sti1l.

Anoiher question we asked rras whether they thoughi ihat the astronaui;s m:ight be bringing back sorne unknown bacteria, lltnesses, diseases and thirU s like that, SCtl0RR: That is still an open quesiion factualiy too.

IC\IAPPER; That still is an open question and it was for'fhe Europeans.

Thirty-three per cent in all countries said that they e:cpected them io bring back something.

SCHORR: Werd

SCIIORR: Really?

KNAPPERT

Yes, thatts right.

SCHOHR: Does

that vary much from country to

country?

WelI, even the Swedes, who are most optimisiic about it, siill 1/ per cent say so; and in Belgium theytre very much afraid - itt; 6o per cent who say that they will bring back uhknown diseases and things Iike that.

KNAPPEB:

Reprociuced at rhe Rii:h:u.i Nixon presiclential Libran,

MAN

of ApoIIo 1l (Excerpt) ?/zL/59

0N TIfi M00N; The Epic Journey

wel}, the precautions, of course,

we asked. about

3

tha! as we}I.

SC,TIORR: Ye s .

in the l'{etherlands, Germaqy, sr,reden and rtaly one of four people are worried aboui the precautions. They really- are very -

iotAPPEB: And

Preeautions for a safe return?

KNAPPER: No, not precautions for a safe return but precautions about these unknowii i.llnesses, diseases and l^rheiher the prbcauiions iaken on behalf of the astronauti and people back here were sufficient.

SC,TIORR:

SCHORR: Therer s an extraord.inary amount of simple distrust in Europe, apparently, as to whether America can do this thins right.

I[I'{AFPER: I d.ont t think itt s C.isirusi, I dont t thirJi cer';ainl-rr itt s not a distrust in wheiher Arerlca. can do a ihing righi, but iit! somettdr:g guit.e gigantic and peopie are sliehtly apprehensive about it, letr s put it thls way.

SCIIORR; Does that about compleie the sr..rrvey?

KNAPPER: We}I, we asked one question rvhich is really a gooo finai question. !/e saj-d would. you }ike to make a trip io the moon youuself?

And vre found a most peculiar thing, tirat rvhen ybu siart ln Stbctrrholnr -A;ffi'ro"Iir sueclen anct you go ali tne way to rtary, ive jo.,inc r,ha,r ;il3 more southern you come the more ireen they seem to be about going i;o the moon. Thls l/asr_ in ltaly, 5L per cenil and 1n Srveden j-t r,rai only t1 per - cent wl-o - s-ai$, ye s, I- would- l"ike to'go . l,/e had a iot oi-phif-b soph aboui;lt; we think itts maybe got a Iot to do lriih the atiitude bf ihe' people: a wry kind of answer in rtaly, a serj-ous one in srveden.

SC,TIOBR: 0r maybe the Latin temperament is $ust more adventurous than the r

Nordic temperament.

KNAPPERI know.

Maybe, Maybe they e>ryect

some good

pasio over there, I

d,ont'U

SCI{ORR: Itf s an j.nteresting pol}, Mr. I(napper.

There you--have a polI taken wlthin the last- fer,r days, a po}l of opinion j-n seven European countries. The impression it lebves m-e lrith is ihaj; tfre {urope-ans are a littie skeptical about us. They d.ontt quiie accept

the fact that_werre taking a]} the necessary precautions. theyrre not sure they would l{ant to repeat the er,periencel perhaps theytre-not ciose enough to j.t,_ And - r.uell, thatts how j-t is i.ir. Europe. Caniel Schorr,

CBS NEWS,

in

Dam

Square, Amsterdan.

WALTACE: Ancl this is how it is in l{ong Kong, a final note: a Hong i{ong ne\^/spaper today came up wiih a 1,Ioro of praise for Britain on i"he moon landlng. The first words spoEen_on the moon r'/ere Eng1ish, the Cl:Lijra. i,1+L1 points out, and continues: "Bled white by two rvorLd hrars, unable-to-balance its eeonor,ly and stagnaiing under constani; union r6vs, Brit,iaa no longer takes a leadlng role in thie declsions of ihe worlcii bu-i, in spi -? .!. "*3

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WORLDWIDE TREATMENT Or. CURRENT ISSUES SPECIAL:

APOLLO I1

JuIy 21, L969

No. t0

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Reproduced at the l{icharci Nixor.r presidential Librarv

F'OBEICN MEDrA REACTTON:

APOLLO

11

Mondav Report LONDON Todayre paPers devoted their entire front pages to the historic feat, with headlinee proclairning ma.nts firet steps on the llloon and editoriale lauding the achievernent"

Tle pro-Labor &ilI-lgrrr.g which hae a circuration of five miruon, cornrnented: ItAstronaut Neil Arrnetrong launched a new era for Er&nktnd when he stepped from the 1unar module today. America, a land of frontiersmenr had opened a new frontier.,t The coneervative Dai1v lr4ai1 said: rrT'his

is a day in our hietory the like of which none of us haa ever aeen or will live to eee again. If,hatever happens we shall not etop no'w. For it is a rnea'ure of manrg reetlers splrit, of hia greatnegs, that he ghourd take on ttre

unJ.vergeo,t

The congervative.kLlX s.Fetgh declared that ,Arnericats moon triurnph drt*s this ord .art}ile biGG and jealoua peoples a parable of hope.

I'This mighty and uneecretive na.tion, with its brave astronauts and its to$rering lead in cornputer technology, hag shown a woadering worrd just what twentieth century man ie capabLe of. il

The independent Tirnee of London noted that this wae ,rthe first event of euch higtoric ffi""nce to be ehared go widely and known eo immediately.,' It said of the meaning of the flight: Itobviously it ia an epic of human bravery, airnilar to the conquest of Everest or the gteat voyage' of d.isconery.

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Reproduced at the ltichalci Nixon Presidential Librarl,

-z obviously lt le a great feat of scientific and profeg'iqral akill, of particular appeal to so profeasionar an age. rrobviously, also, it ie a reproaehi the nation which personifiee this and other advances ie unable to solve gocial problerns which ghourd perhaps be eirnple but are nx.ore difficu.lt" ,t The pape

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t};.eotized that the moon landing little further than ltself or it could lead to exploratione, to a new way of lue for man faction of hie curioeity or the extension of

could be tra etep that leads a whole series of further and ilot merely to the satispsychological boundaries.

rrFor the preeent we have the fact itseLf, and the fact is ao rema.rkabl.e that it ia enougho The American astronauts have landed on the rnoon and we have heard their convâ&#x201A;Źrsation from the moon aud geen their progregs. Their achieve_ rnent will alwaye be one of the wondera of the world., The liberal Guardian eaid ,no other great adventure waa as great aa thier " adaioffiiTTil.y ?a rnarke ,,a waterghed in human history.,, rt aggerted that to divert vagt surns of money and the energies of the best engineers and pilote ttrr:..ay be counted gerioue rnigmanaglrnent of the worrdrs regources, but the divereion was inevitable. Kennedyrs motives may have been questlonable. But sorneone was going to the moon and waa surety going to get there long before hunger had been conquered in Asia or clvil rights had been restored. in Alabama. u PARI,S

Todayre paPexs ran large headlines announcing the landing but rnost had gone to preae before Aetronaut Armetrong stepped onto the lunar gurface. TY and radio thoroughly covered all operationa until both astronauta reentered the LElvt"

Moderately conaervative tr'igaro cornmented:

'rrhe ancient dream of earth-dwelrers hae corne trueo The feat of all tlrne haa juet been accornpliehed.. .. A new era has begun, expanding the lirnita of science and further widening the gap between the epace era aad. al1 that came before.

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Reproduced at the Richard Nixon presidential Library

-3"The entire world, thrilled and fasclnated, celebrates a triumph both of rnan and technology. It in no way dirninishes the eignificance of this trenrendous feat to hope that ecientists and techniciane will also strive to improne the fate of rnen on earth in the future.r,

Pro-Gaullist Parisien-Libere eaid a new efa had begun as nour eyes marveled it fit"t human contact between our world and "ffiiritgJh" another planet. rt ie the end of the age of the wheer, the beginning of an unk:rown number of scientific benefite aimed at freeiag man from his phyaical bondeo Who could ever poesibly believe that urhea such exploration becarne poeaible it should not be tried? " Financial Lee Echos wrote: ttThe f.act t]',at the firgt men to reach the rnoon are Americans and not soviete repreeents a psychological and technical trurnp of the first magnitude for thtu.s., and this is only right.. o.

trrt eeems that the Arnerican-soniet rivalry of the slxties ia dieappeari.ng. o. o o:le has the irnpreasion that frorn now on eooperation will replace corrpetition, at least in space.

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Independent-left Qgnqbat contended that the fttrumpsrt that both the u.,s. urrlffiIh draw frorn epace exploration ,,are likely to tighten the vice of porrer in which they keep the wor1d.. . , and the soviet

trrt ie in this senae that the phenornenon we are watching today marke an irrr.portant date for the ord rfforld, and ior Europe ln particularo slnce the ordlrv'orld cannot geek dietinction ln space, Let it at least try to turn progresa to the best account on eartho slnce lt does not own the drearn instrunnento, Let it at least rnake itself the eonscience of

the rnighty. rrrt

is only at the price of such an effort that it will be able

to rnaintain relative independence from the two big countries, will for power frorn now on wilr have fewer and fewer llrnite. tl

whose

f

Reproduced at the Richarci Nixon Presidential Librarv

-4 Gaullict La Nation cclrrtrasted the conquest of the rnoon to all that rernains to be done on earthl ItHow can we forget that perhaps rnirlions of hurnan beings are going to etarve to death o o. that the war in Viet-Nam drags on, that the fratricidal conflict in the Middl.e East is becorning a sort of trench warfare of which no one foreeeee the outcoJrrâ&#x201A;Źe oe c

"How many victories over war or triumpha of justice appear to be clearly more urgent than the conquest of space? oo.. How much rnieery could be alleviated and ttagedy avoided if ae Erany dollars or rubles, as :rruch Lmagi;n,atlon or ingenuity, were devoted to euch deeds rather than to apace? 1l ROME

An estimated ?L rnilllon viewerg watched ltalian televielonts Z'-hour broadcast, t'Man on the Moono It This morniagts papers carried theee

banner headllneE:

'JULY 20,

--T?:LB HOURS. I4AN IS ON THE MOON'' (Conservative Reeto de1 Carlino, Bologna) i'I\4AN I5 ON THE h{OON" THE }qrHOLE WORLD LIVED THIS HISTORIC EVENT O O' " (Independent Corriere d.lb Sera, Milan) f

L969

e rvative Me s sagge ro declared ttrat tfre victory of Arnericana Arrrretrong, Aldrin, and Colline is not only a vlctory for three rnen or a victory for one country, but lt ia a victory for all rnankind. because man rather than rrachine .has won.rt

Rorne t e independent-cone

Right-center Ternpo of Rorne wrote:

'It is entirely an Arnerican triurnph. The triurnph is of this great people, thia great country..oiur America which has not only prwed itseLf a leader in science and industry, but one which carried all this out before the eyes of the wor1d..,,' Chri.stian Democratic Popoto remarked that the feat ehowed the U. S. to be rrthe rnogt clvilized country in the world, even if it le full of contradictions aud dorneetlc dieputego f

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Reproduc:ed at the Iiicharrl Nixon presidential Librarv

-5 WEST GERh{ANY

&rfluential, right-center I'rankfurter Allgerneine obgerved that,rnever before hag go large a p"pulation watched the same pictures with the aame"efrEfl6flilf*"rie suspenge at the saxne tirne . o o o trour correspondent in Arnerica reportg the Juatified pride of the Arnerican natlon c c o &nd ite hope that it wi1l ma.ster ita urgent social and polltical taeks aB weIl. o o. rrour congratulatione are deeply fett, and the Americans will allorry us to view the trip to the rnoon as a project of mankind inetead of a eolely national oneo Thie does not dlrninlgh our admiratisn for the achievement of our great ,[y, and it stirnulatea a untfying lrnpulse . n. tt The paper reflected that I'not all TY-yiewers the world over will be willing and able to auppreaa â&#x201A;Źnvfc The Europeans can do so becauee they know that what prevents thern frorn cornpeting with the great powers is only the splintering of forcee for which they themselves ale reaponsible. But many a developing country rnay vlew the wideniag gap in technology and power with diJferent feelings. The comrrron experience should strengthen the will to eolidarity. tl

Nationally circulated independent Die rryelt of Hamburg declared: t'The coosequerxceg of this first step are beyond imagining.

1ffe will be furnished a wide epectrum of rrrforrnation, and will see the rnoon in various aepects -- aB the rnoon of rock sarnplea, as the strategic moon, as the Tv rroon, as the naoon of a new emotionar appeal. The aarnpree wirt be dietributed intern^ationally and the etudy of thern delegated, The adventure will be converted into emalr coin, wlth many individual sclentiets hol.ding the niloon in their hande . n.rt DuegeeLdorfrs pro-Chrigtian Dernocratic Rheiniache Post argued that the energies the sPace prograrn rrconsurnes would otherwlge have found their outlet in foreign policy n... lYhat has been achieved at Houaton and Gape Kennedy JuatiJlee the hlghest hopes if eimilar methoda are applied to such problerns ar hunger, urban rehabilitation, and education... t,

)

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-6 The Luna 15 probe figured iu eorne comment. The lnd.ependent Koelner stadt-Anzeiger gaid the "teneiongrt of the remainder of the opu""ffffi on the lunar surface would be rtincreaced by the proxirnlty of Luna 15.

The East likes secrecy. " , " Bonnrg center-oriented General Anzeiger agserted that Itthe sonxewhat srnarl-rninded Luna 15 ;;j;;-r;ii."t" the extent of Soviet d.ieappointrnent. Hag the Moscow leadership failed to grasp how poorly Soviet secrecy compares with Arnericalg unrestrlcted frankness ?rl Indepeadent BiJ.d Zelt:vng of Harnburg, holding that tta new rnilleniurn has begunrtr remarked that ttregardleae of Wernher von Braun and aeveral other Germans, Aporlo 11 ie no joint undertaking. rt ie a rr.s. victory following Etiff cornpetltion with the Soviets . o.. lf,e have due respect for the Sputniks and Luna 15 ... but it le firgt arid forernost the U,S" which wlll lead mankind toward a new technological and scientific future.,,

VIENNA Manrs

flrst lunar landing filled pa;ge aftet page in all rnorning paper6. &!S: put out several extras. A hoadti'"e ln its fifth edition

&rdependent

read,"THEY HAYE ALREADY TAKEN A WALKI,'

Independent ErorrgglSgigung. devoted its whole front page to a picture of the rnodule with the oae-word caption, r,Landed ttl

Eoci.alist Exrrreqg carri.ed a giant headline.

EAGI.E. rt

rrr

wrE HAYE T,ANDED r

--

Televigioa broke ltg recorde for non-stop broadcaethg, and thie morning repeated the report of Arrnstrong and Aldrints lunar walk for viewere who had migeed it because of rescheduling.

osLo Norwayta two top TY space cornrnentators, one in OeIo and the other in Houeton, gave running accounte of the touchdorrn and walk on the rroorrr Television broke precedent with continuous coverage. Preea impact ia euggeated by these headliner: f

TMOON CONQUES.ED;

APOLLO f I SAr.ELy DOWNI ( C one e rvative Afteqgce:lg3)

_)

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-t I'A4AN ON T}ryO GLOBES .

THE GREAT LEAPT'

.. NEIL'S tr''IRST STEP --

(Labor Party Arbeiderbladet) 'IIT DID WORKI }dAN HAS CONQUERED THE MOONI, (Chrietian Peoplest Party E$

!4q1t)

Coaeervati,"@,lobservedthat'lIorthefirgttirneinthe wor1dlstoo,o6t@E.]ristory--abouttheperiodforwhichscience estirrratea horrro sapiens has embarrassed, the earth with his presence mam has put his foot on a foreign celestial body.,r

--

center part-y Natlqne+ said "the perspective of mankind has gained a new dirnengion. The limit aet by epace has been shattered by growing a combination of technology and human couxagâ&#x201A;Źc il

Yaart lgn<L tr.ought "it may be too early to express any opinion about the scope of the moou trip' l{hat is certain is that it opens the gates to an entirel'y new epoch in the hiatory of man. 1f'e believe that from now on' history books will refer to time before and after the rnoon landing in

Jdy,

1969"',

SEOUL The Republic of Korea declared a national holiday and preeident park igsued a sta.tenxent carried by all rnorning papere calling the moon landing 'ta turning point toward the materializatioa of peace proaperity and sn earth. It Headlines epoke of tran age-old dream come true, ,f rra rnost brilliant rnornent in history. r' All eveniag pa.pers carried and editoriala lauding the acconaplishment.

Leadlng conservative eongg rlbg said ,,the triurnphant victory of rnan in his challenge of the unknown anTunexplored o.. mear6 a vlctory of dern_ ocratic i'nstitutione in good-willed competitionr,r and expreeeed the hope that it rrmay serve in the betterment of all rnankrnd.rt Pro-governrnent qgggl shinrnun- contended that ,runless the succees of Apotrlota rnisaion o" t[;;;;, is intended rorl""". on earth and pro_ moteg reflection upon the prevailing realitiea here on earth, the whole achievernent wlrl end in Juat, of the earth,g resour"u-".,,

))!aate

r

Reproduced at the lLiohard Nixon presidential Librarv

-8TOKYO

rnorning PaPers gave top play to the irnrninent landing but d.eadlinea restrlcted coverage to the moment of transfer to the ranaing craft.

A11

Audience eetimates indicated that one-haU of Japants population heard the announcernent, "The Eagle has landed.rr hron-cornrnlrcial NHK-TV and cornmerclal TBS-TY broadcaet through the night for the first time in their hiatoryo rn an early rnorning terevlsed. press conference, p1iry16 ffilnisf,sr sato lauded the achievement and voiced hopes for the peaceful developrnent of apirceo He termed the landing feat in the history of mankirdr " and remarked that he had not tiought 'Lpochal that the flrst major stepe of the space age could be taken ao quickly.

on okirrawa, Apol1o rltg guccese dorninated newspaper pages, which carrled photoa of rapt crowds before outdoor tetevisioo up in Naha. ooe paper said the moon landing ga\re man ,ra boundlese ""i..os eetdr;am.,, h4ANILA

Crowds watching television screens in publtc places burst into applause as the astronauta planted the Arnerican flag" p"pur" publlshed extra editicras headllning the rnoon waLk. The presg carried the gtatement of Preeident Marcos that Filipln<> people join the world in cong.r:a.tulating the United. Stateg of 'rthe America for putting the first men on the moon, a triurnphant rnilestone in the of epace whlch augu38 greater achievernents ln the broad.ening of conquest manrs vision and the fulfillrnent of a larger deetiny within the frarnework of true human brstherhood and an enduring peace.ri

YIENTIANE

Laotlan radio listeners for the first time followed a world event at the it was actually taking place, ae the rational rad.io network tied into live Yoice of Ame,rica co\rerage of the lunar walk. Dependent on relay via Thailand, tere*ision is subject to a one-day 1ag. mornent

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-9 TEL AVIV Independent Maariv declared:

of a sudden everything looks differentr changed....

The rnornent man has set foot on the rnoonl it is no longer the garne n.. 'rA11

I'Thls ie the first globat scientific and social revolution in which the entire human race ia participating by the rnost aophisticated rneans of cornrnunication. . . . rt is a revolution whose depth we have yet to grasp, even though

we have given

it rnuch thought...

t'Thig is a solernn day for rnankind and especially for the Amerlcans, who were the first to learn how to harness the spirit of rnan to such an unprecedented enterprise. r' Independent Haaretz stated that manned flight to the moon Itunder6cores the ever-widening gap between the two superporrers and other countries"

trTheoretically we have no interest in the outcorne of the race between the two pov/ers, but rather in the univergal significance of the project. rrrn

reallty, we hope in our heartg for the success of the Arnerican projecto our education, our outlook and our values cause us to feel a deep sympathy for those who act t, openly o o.

Serni-official Davar eaid that t'future historians wlll be able to ignore rrany great events and developrnents, but not that dramatic and epochmaking event laet night. rrl-aet night the first rnen set foot on the rnoon. Last night all mankind breathleasly followed Neil Arrnstrong and Edwin Aldrin, who were privileged to be the first to rearize an age-o1d drearn. .Laat night was a rnornent of suprerne elation for the grAt Arnerican nation. Last night we witnessed a rnornent in history whose significance ie yet uncleir. ,, Independent Yediot Aharonot felt 'lbound to eayrt that "the achievernent entitles America to lead the world, even rnorally.t,

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- l0BEIRUT Independent an-Nahar headllned

"MOON AGE

..

:

tr.IRST DAY'I

Several Beirut papers prfurted apecial supplernentg and colot photographs.

Pro-UAR al-Kijah stated that rrjubllatlon spread throughout the world at mantg aUilii-yG-Fercome the irnpossible and reach another celeetial body for the first tirne eince the unlveree has exlsted.rr Pro-UAR. a1-Arnvar published statementa of praise frorn Lebanese leaderg.

Radlo and TY lnterrupted regular prograrrs to annoulrce progreea of the landing.

DAMASCUS

Radio Daroascus gave extensive coverage of the landing maneuvers.

CAIRO

Cairo radio degcribed the landing aa "the greatest humaa achievernent ll â&#x201A;ŹVâ&#x201A;Źf

r

Cairors Middle East, News Agency carried a staterneut by a governrnent rpokerman who accused lgrael of attacking in the Suez area for ttrnilitary gain while tbe world was busy with the moon flight. r' KUWAIT The major Arabic paper, al-Rai a1-Arnr headlined:

'rt.IRST TISvm IN HISTORY: TWO MEN ON MOONTS SURFACE -- EAGLE LANDTNG, HUldANrrYtS DREAM REALIZED'I The paper said that the U.$. had rrachieved one of the greateet victoriee of the human rnind in ree6nt hietory o " o

rfFor the U.S., the reward cornes not only frorn the feeling that it hag taken an unprecedented atep ln technotrogical progreBs. It cornea also frorn the great acclairn of the

Reproduced at ti're Richald Nixon Presidential Library

_ lt nations of the \rorld. o o o And we, aB part of thls wor1d, wholeheartedl.y Bhare iu acclairning human accompllshrnents ever)rwherâ&#x201A;Ź. rl The paper urged Arnericans trwho properly reJoice at their rrloon victory to thlnk of mlllions of Arabe who have been evicted from their homeLand, and to find the courage to arleviate euch human mieery. o o rt RAWALPINDI

Pakigtania heard live YOA and BBC broadcaete of the landing" papers in both East and W'est Pakistan held editions late to bannerline rnanre comquest of the rrlooac

AGGRA

D"ilJLE*&i. etated today that rrthe landing bringatorea1ltyacenturi"sffimanklndtoeetab1ishpersona1 T'he governrnent-co"ntroLled

contact with the dead aud unknown rnoon. c. 'rllflhatever end awaits the venture, Arnerica haa scored rfirgt, to boost the rnorale of the free worl.d.rt LUSAI(A The independent Tirnes of Zarnbia datelined its story rrSea of Tranqullity, the Moon --rr fl?ffi*-rnilffiwned Zambia MatI headlined: 'ITHEY ARI' THERE'' Radio Zarnbla relayed YOA coverage of the landing.

I(AMPALA The g<nrernrnent-controtlEd Uganda Argus terrned Arrnstrong and Ald.rin [arnbaegadora of the planet EarthT *tro lrad brought their ,'frail 14-ton lEaglet lunar rnodule to a flawlesa landing, I' so that mankind had "cornpleted an astounditg, incredible, phenornenal and splend.id adventure.',

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-LZ NIAMEY

Nigerrs daily Le Ternpe du Niger and Radio Niger excluded virtually all other news. The paper headllned: 'ITWO MEN ON THE MOONII

The radio carried YOA coverage live.

LOME

fg.ffgggg.

eaid today that rtrnan. hag at last gatiefied one of hie ancient

drearns.

I'He has becorne an inhabitant of a celeatial body other than the one on which God placed hirrr. Human lntelllgence gives further proof of lts potential, but we mugt now turn our

attention to the earth. tt}r{arr hae conquered

the rnoon, but he wlIl for a long tirne gickneaa, still be subjected to hunger, ignorance, and all the mieeriee which keep hirn frorn being cornpletely happy.

"The solidarity rnen feel with the three Arnerican aatronauta should be devoted also to solving the problerns of the hurnan condition on earth. tl NIGERIA The D3ily {k*jgh of lbadan declaredl ttThe world burat into a rapture of joy last night ag two of the U. S. astronalts ' . . landed on the virgin ttloon. r'

Beninls Sunday Obeerver reported: illvlany peopl.e Juet refuee to believe the venture is true.

Mogt educated people who have follorred earlier BPace probeo ... thow a strange apathy to the clirnaCtic lSrtding. rrOne

thing is certain, though" In spite of all the incredulity, the current journey to the rnoon is the rnost talked about event ln the whole of thig state. rl

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-13 RABAT The French-language Opinion declared that ,a new dimension has been added tonight to all international political conceptions with the irnrnenee victory won by the U. S. in putting rrran on the rnoon . . . . t'The {light of Luna 15 . o o had the obJective of easing in the cornrnunist world tJ'e blow of the Buccesa of the American astrcrnauta . . .

ttWi[ the apace race, led by the U.S.

&nd the USSR, now give way to internationa.r technical and financial cooper&tion, the pollticar irnplrcatione of whlch would be imrnense This ls the desire expressed. by Arnerican leaders....AIl mankiad is involv€d.rr

?

LIBYA

Tripolirs Englieh-la-nguage Libvan tvfail hailed the landing and should come next. It p"opos"EElli6Elioo and d.evelopment ofasked what which "could produce untold wealth in food and rnineralg that the sea', would be of rnuch greater benefit to the population of the earth than further conquest of Bpace.,, Independent al-Hakika of Benghazi etated.:

ItAll we Seek from the rnoon ie evldence that the earth ia tJre best place for man if he rives in justice and regitimate cornpetition with his feU.ow men in sharing the bleaslngs of our earth.,t COMMUNIST COUNTRIES sorriet ond East Eo"op."o/*"dia followed the ,Eagrgrr from undocking through the moon walk to re-entry of the astronauts into the 1unar module.

Live televlgion brought the drarna to audiencea ln Porand, czechoelovakra, Rumania., Hungary, Burgaria and yugoaravia. other ."pit"r" replayea video tapee recorded frorn gatellite ielay. Avallable comment so far ie scanty"

Reproduced at the Richari Nixon presidential Library

- L4The ttpolitical obgervertr of the Soylet All-Union Radio and Central Televislolr referred thlg a.fterttoon to the successful Apollo rnoolr landing

and comrnented:

frEverybody lcnowa that acientiflc discol.eries and achievem.ents involve the particlpation of large nurnbera of people; th^at scientific-technical progress is not something peculiar to one nation but lg achieved by acientlats and practical workere of different countries who devote their efforts and inspiratiur to thoge problerns which advance mante knowledge alrd htg technical and ecientific porsibilitieg in productlon and varloue apher ea of the life of man. It

As evidence that the Soniet Union rrma.rches in the vanguard of acienti{ictechnical progteaBr " thanks to the activitles of the Comrnunist Party, the commentator clted progteBB in coal outputl irrigatlon, crop yielda and hydroelectric installationo, enurnerating "research in the space arou:rd the rnoonrr by Luna 15 last as only one of the many benefitg of adyaoced acleuce and technology.

Moscoq/ Radiols domeetic aervice thia aftertloon noted:

rrMlllions of televieion viewere watched the reportage from the rnoon, broadcagt thig rnorning vla central Mogcorr Televlgion. Thoee who rnissed it we advise to switch on their television sete at l?00 Moecos, tirne.tt The broadcagt said the Apolro I I crew had ttcarried out the rnost important experim.ents ln their prograrn -- a landing and walk on the rnoonrs surfacer t' and reported Nel[ Arrnstronglo first words.

The Luna 15 flight was not rnentioned.

Ytraraawrg T1ytg3e-Lq.do asserted thie rnorning that 'ron the moon, the astronauts do not repqegent... o nition, a race or a contlnent. They are the amba.geadorg of the whole of mankind.... With Arrnstrong and Aldrin, we are experiencing a triurnph that can only be cornpared to the triurnph of Colurnbrls.tl

The paper said further:

ttLet thern kncrw the way we identify ourselves with thern, the way we adrnire their conscioue bravery and gober valor

(

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Nixon presidential Librarv

-15 and the way we respect thern for the fact that they nobry represent us, the people -- thinking, enterprleing and penetrating creatures eager to expl0re the universe, inhabitants of the third planet of the golar systern. 'r The lffarsaw youth paper, .sztandar Mlodychr sor,rrded a sour notei

rrrhe feering of exciternent and Joy at the coamlc apectacle and the great victory of science rnugt be apoiled, however, by a feeling of deep sorrow. How is it poastble, many of ue ask, that rpeoplJ frorn earthr reach the rnoon whlle earthly issues much closer to ua are neglected? How is it poastble that the etate whlch could. afford such a gigantic technological venture is waging a barbarous and d.irty war in Viet-Nam?tt

a