Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower papers, Whitman file, Administration series
Review of Public Law 480 Decisions Taken by the Interagency Committee on Agricultural Surplus Disposal (ICASD)
Problem:
In administering Public Law 480, should the policy followed by the Interagency Committee on Agricultural Surplus Disposal be continued?
Discussion:
The purposes of P.L. 480 as interpreted by the ICASD are as follows:
Title I of P.L. 480 contains a variety of purposes to be accomplished by the sale of surplus commodities for foreign currencies and by the use of such currencies. It carries a ceiling of $700 million loss to CCC over a three-year period.
Title II of the Act authorizes the transfer on a grant basis to friendly governments and to friendly but needy populations, of surplus commodities in CCC stocks in order to meet famine and other urgent relief requirements or to assist programs undertaken with friendly governments or through voluntary relief organizations. $300 million is provided over a three-year period.
Title III authorizes barter for certain materials, amends previous legislation relative to surplus disposal by voluntary agencies, forbids trade with the Soviet area. There are no policy questions under Title III.
It has been the ICASD’s general policy to proceed cautiously under the Act until effects both on U.S. dollar sales and on other friendly exporting countries were clear. The ICASD has unanimously agreed to the country programs for the first year appearing [Page 221] in the attached paper. They total $453 million under Title I for 17 countries and $124 million under Title II for 12 programs.
Recommendation:
That the President approve the Interagency Committee’s policy of basic caution in administering Public Law 480 with due regard for foreign policy considerations.
Attachment:
Background paper on this subject prepared by the Chairman of the Interagency Committee on Agricultural Surplus Disposal.1
- Not printed.↩