The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1963-12-10

billion compromise" to Settel
the long ard stormy foreign aid
budget battle.
The total is the same as the
current foreign aid spending
level
The President personally urg-
ed this 'compromise" in a 20
minute telephone discussion with
Representative Otto Passman.
Ola, chairman of the House
Appropriations Subcommittee in
charge Of the foreign aid budget.
Outcome Of this backstage
dickering is conjectural.
| Passman. longtime militant
foe of large-scale foreign a i d
spending, has been talking of
slashing this years appropria-
ton to S26 billion. That would
be $500 million . less than the
present foreign aid spending
level - which the President is
proposing as compromise
for the new budget.
1t would also be ST billion less
than the authorization bills voted
by the House and Senate .499
billion by the House; $3.50 bill
hon by the Senate.
The conference committees of
the two chambers are expected
to split their differences at
$3.50 billion. The late President
Kennedy insisted that $4.5 billion
was essential"
The proposed $3.4 billion com
promise is largely the work Of
Speaker John Mccormack. Of
Massachusetts.
He undertook to put over this
compromise after johnson. at a
strategy meeting with Demo
cratic congressional leaders. ex-
pressed Willingness to come to
reasonable terms" on the long
stalled foreign aid budget. He in
dicated that he considered 1925
to S3.4 billion reasonable.
Mccormack lost no time in
budding with Passman - after
advising the President OF this in
tentiOn.
BASIS OF THE "COMPRO-
MISE" ~ Speaker Mccormack
arrived at the S3.4 billion for
eign aid spending compromise"
as follows.
Last year Congress voted So
billion in actual foreign aid
funds. But as of June 80, 1868.
the end Of that fiscal year, the
foreign aid agency had obligat-
ed only $3.4 billion. In addition,
Sl28 million was turned back to
the Treasury.
Regarding the approximately
$500 million remaining unspent,
Mccormack proposed two alter
natives.
fn They be re-obhgated for
expenditure in the current fiscal
year plus So billion in new
funds for an overall total Of
$3.4 billion; or (2) an entirely
new foreign aid spending bill of
S3.4 billion.
When PaSSnan evinced will
ingness to consider these propo-
sitions. Mccormack Immediately
got the President on the phone
to talk to PaSsman.
Like Mccormack. the Presi-
dent stressed the urgent need to
break the protracted logjam on
this issue in order to make clear
to the world that the new ad-
mlnlstration firmly intends to
meet all foreign commitments.
Definitely impressed by this
plea. Passman promised ITO do
my best"
Il won't forget it, Otto" John
son earnestly assured him. This
Will mean a great deal to me.
and want you to know that
know it,
A number Of hazardous hur-
dies still fac this backstage
compromise.
Even if approved BY the
House. It faces very uncertain
prospects in the Senate. where
a bipartisan group led by Sena,
tor Wayne Morse, D-Ore.. last
month slashed some $500 million
from the $42 billion foreign aid
authorization bill recommended
by the Foreign Relations Com
mlttec.
\ Morse and his bloc arc bent
on cutting foreign aid spending
this fiscal year to SO billion or
less. So they are likely to strenu-
ously oppose the new admins
trations unannounced $3.4 bill
hon compromise.
To the Morse group it will be
no compromise" at all as they
viii contend it would merely
continue the present level of for
elen aid spending.
/ EHlND THE CHANGE :
OVER President Johnson is
asking for headaches if h
names Ambassador 70 Finland
Carl Rowan as White House
press secretary.
1 The Negro one-hme Mime
apohs newsman is far from
popular with Washington CORES
pondents As No 2 man in the
i taf1 ~ ..A.-