Evening star., 1955-11-13
Members Of Congress
Have Tourineesf Year
Continued From First n

OoU9Anuc0 rum kHoS IN8r
eign currency? Is says It has no
authority TO disclose the figures.
Decline Comment
Key Congressmen In q posi-
ton to demand an accounting
from the State Department po-
htely decline requests that they
do so. TOO many colleagues may
be embarrassed" " they say.
Eventually the House Admin
istration Committee probably
win make public reports on how
many American dollars, appro-
priated from House contingent
funds. have been spent by trav-
cling House members. There Is
the expense Of providing trans
portation in military planes. Of
dining and frequently winning
visiting legislators out Of foreign
service funds. Of providing linn
cuisines. and furnishing hotel
suites
Returning travellers speak
freely about counterpart funds
being dished out lavishly.
You can always tell who is
carrying the money when your
train. auto or plane arrives. =
one House member said. 1T viii
be the fellow carrying q satchel.
He's from the embassy and he
has an envelope Of foreign cur
rency for everyone In the ofIieial
party. He Is known as the boodle-
boy. You can get more If you
need It. You must agree to re-
turn what you don't spend, but
that's as far as the accounting
goes"
Foreign Service informant said
most travelling Congresslnen draw
the equivalent Of 500 daily-in
some countries as much as $500
for personal expenses.
Bought Rugs
A. House returnee told Of q
colleague who. he said, thought
$1,000 worth Of rugs, and / know
he didn't use his own money. /"
Such purchases, whether paid
for with & travellers own funds
or counterpart money, custo-
lfaariiy are not taxed when
brought back to the United
States. Congressmen generally
are accorded ..the courtesy Of
the port which means they
don't have to so through GUS
toms.
The old days when Congress-
men abroad did more playing
and sightseeing than oficial
business are largely past.
IN recent years congressional
felmmittees have found ways to
eject large savings In foreign
appropriations.
Many congressional travellers
work harder while abroad than
while In Washington and oper-
ate on frugal budgets. But some
eth travel lust for the fun Of 1t
and never file Ofiicial reports
telling what they accomplished.
All sorts Of reasons are adj
xnnced for this years big exodus
Is 1oreien clilnes. The travellers
profess 10 have been probing
everything from defense pro-
fF6zIzs 10 soil conditions
Paris. Rome, Berlin, Geneva,
Helsinli Hong Kong and Tokyo
were among the more popular
ports Of call. From June TO Sep
temher, 10 Senators and 81 Rep
ressitatives dropped hi 1t Weis~
baden. Ia Wsingle week. 80 Con-
gressrnen and attaches visited
Rome.
Many Take Kin
An Associated Press pom Of
congressional Offices showed at
least 2O6 Senator's and Represen-
tAtives eithershaVe travelled OUT
aide this country Or plan 70 DO
10 this year. There probably are
more, since some ofiices were
cIosed and others refused ID
comment.
At least 10 said they were or
would be accompanied by their
wives. Eoine took their children.
while one took his mother-in-
law.
Cutie ! few members who
travelled without relatives said
they paid their own expenses be-
cause their trips were not On
cficiai business. Even some who
went on oflcial business proc
Sessed 10 have used their own
cash to augment ofhcial allow
al1ces.
There was nothing partisan
about the travelling.
OF the 80 Senators whose
travel plans were disclosed by the
once ONCE poll, 81 were Dem
ocrats and 10 Republicans. The
1866 House travellers included So
Democrats and 10 Republicans.
Forty per cent of ali Senators
and 81 per cent Of all House
members had foreign travel
plans.
The poll showed that only one
State, New Hampshire. would
not have q representative abroad
this year.
Plans Listed
Here are the travel plans 81
members from the other States
including those who have re-.
turned and those who plan q
take Of before Congress returns
Ia January.
Alabama Representative Boy.
kin, Democrat. to Europe; Rep.
xesentatiye Andrews, Democrat
ID Europe; Representative seI.
den, Democrat, to Europe. Sen.
ator Sparkman, Democrat, and
mrs. Sparkman, To England
Sweden and Russia.
Arkansas Senator Mcclellan
Democrat. and Mrs. Mcclellan
Is the Middle East: Represent
4tive Gathings, Democrat. &c.
companied BY wife and family. X
Europe: Representative Harris
Democrat. 10 EiirOpe.