Evening star., 1961-01-19
Pentogon Acts to Ease
Burden on Dependents

we're singled OUT 10 90 Inc 10D
Of saving the dollar. They
want to know why their fam
lilies will be barred in most
instances from accompanying
them on overseas assignments
while wives of foreign service
officers and embassy attaches
will go right along.
THE adverse impact of the
separation of families is sub
stantial." Mr.. Gates wrote to
the President. land. in my
opinion, relief should be sought
as soon as possible"
Mr.. Eisenhower replied, 81
fully agree that the understand
ings and views outlined in your
letter should be placed on
the record. Also, I have
been in full agreement that,
over any extended period of
time. the treatment applied to
defense personnel must be, as
far as possible. comparable to
that applied throughout the
rest Of the Government.
Crisis Atmosphere
The problem arose last No
vember when Mr.. Gates went
to Augusta, Ga, to confer with
the President about the grow
ing gold dollar gap. In a crisis
atmosphere. the President told
Mr.. Gates that the drain on
dollars had to be stopped with
an immediate show of Amer
lean determination to cut
spending abroad.
He said that the Defense De-
partment was the biggest
spender abroad and that each
dependent added about $1,000
a year to the gold deficit. They
agreed that spending should be
cut drastically and that de-
pendents should be kept home.
Mr.. Gates said the effect on
service morale would be dam
aging and insisted that any
ban on dependents travel be
applied equitably to employees
Of all departments.
Mr.. Eisenhower agreed to
this and agreed also that If
the crisis eased, which it has
not. first priority for release
would go to military depend
ents. The agreement is pre-
sented this way in the Gates
letter:
; I'm our discussions. differ
entiated between measures to
reduce the number Of depend
ents in foreign areas and other
measures designed to relieve
our balance of payments situa-
tion. The latter. I advised.
could and would be put into
effect without reservations.
Urgent Steps
LAS to the former, it was
understood tnat we must take
urgent steps. in the sphere OF
these expenditures abroad, that
would promptly contribute to
reducing the deficit in our in
ternational balance of pay
mentS. -.
"At the same time. that with
a view that treatment of per-
sonel throughout the Govern
ment would be as comparable
as possible to that applied to
defense personnel. every effort
would be made to have other
agencies and departments who
have personnel abroad reduce
their personnel and dependents
in foreign countries, when such
reductions can be accomplished
without impairing the fulfill
ment Of essential United States
policy detectives"
The Pentagon went ahead
with its dependent ban, but
no one else did. Mr.. Gates
pointed out. Morale has been
hurt. This impact" he added.
has been heightened by the
fact that other agencies are
not planning to reduce the
number Of their dependents
Significantly"
The Eisenhower administra-
ton cannot spread the burden
at this late date. so Mr.. Gates
can only make sure the Ken
nedy administration knows
that the other departments are
reneging on a bargain and let
military people know that they
were not singled out for special
treatment by Mr.. Gates.