Evening star., 1961-12-28
AUTOMATIC GRANT OUT
AlDChief Puts Faith
In Fervor Plus Loqic
BY MARY McGRORY
Star Staff Writer

A minister from one Of the
proud. poor. new African coun-
tries came to see Fowler Ham
ilton. the director of the new
Agency for International De-
velopment. the other day. He
described to Mr.. Hamilton the
schoolhouSe he had in mind for
q certain district in his coun-
try, with all the latest modern
Improvement
mo" said Mr.. Hamilton,
"but we will build you a school,
house as good as the one
Lincoln went to. No plumbing,
no electric lights. You wouldn't
want anything better than
Lincoln had. would you?"
The minister laughed and
got the point. He will also get
his schoolhouSe, and presuma-
bly, several others just like it.
Mr.. Hamilton, a 50-year-old
erstwhile Wall Street lawyer
with a background of military
and Government service, was
brought in to administer the
new, integrated foreign aid
agency. with a $5.5 billion an
nual budget, which now en-
braces the former International
Cooperation Administration,
the Development Loan Fund,
the Alliance for Progress and
Food for Peace.
Like . New Idea
Mr.. Hamilton brings to the
Job a lawyers logic, a mis-
sionary's fervor and a pioneers
hope.
He speaks about foreign aid
rs If 1t were brand-new idea
instead of an effort that has
been going on for Is years,
under a variety Of names. He
knows that the public has
grown weary and suspicious
Of it.
II hope to create an institu-
ZION tnat people will have con-
fidence in. OF course, We'll be
criticized. but people always
cuss the Governmental goes
back to Huck Finn's grand
father. and they should watch
Us.
But not a dollar will go out
that door without bringing a
dollar back, unless it goes for
strictly humanitarian pur-
poses"
Since he came to office some
30 days ago. Mr.. Hamilton has
been applying his usual criteria
to the staggering job at hand.
You ask yourself three ques-
tionS: What is the purpose of
the organization? How do you
achieve the purpose? How well
are you doing?"
To the third question he does
not expect to know the answer
for some time. But for the first
two he has clear, and even
fervent answers.
I'VE have foreign aid be-
cause it's self-interest and it's
right" he says. ''Of course,
there's a certain psychic in
come from the thought Of help
ing people. but we've got to do
more than that. We have to
help ourselves. too, and that
standard is applied.
Some foreign heads Of
state have an idea they come
here. have lunch with the
President at the White House
and then come over to Fowler
Hamilton to get the check.
They're learning it's not that
simple"
Collecting Minds
To administer the vast pro-
gram. with its military and
civilian aspects, Mr.. Hamilton
Is enthusiastically collecting
the best minds he can find.
He is recruiting IL presidential
appointees and so super
grade" staff members whom he
can hire and fire without re-
ference to Civil Service. When
,he gets them all together, he
lis sure they could run any busi-
ness in the country.
F! The one question he asked all
possible employees was, do you
think this is the most exciting
.and important job in the
.world?" The answer had to be
yes.
The most exciting phase Of it