376. Letter from Bowles to President Kennedy, May 221

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Dear Mr. President:

Last week I discussed the outlook for the foreign aid legislation with Bill Fulbright at considerable length. Bill feels that the need for a strong foreign aid bill with truly adequate funds and a long-term commitment has been vastly increased by recent developments in Cuba and Laos.

If the Administration’s reaction to these set backs appears to be largely military and paramilitary, followed by substantial Congressional cuts in our economic aid program and a rejection of your proposals for long-term commitments, the impression created abroad will be most unfavorable.

As you know, the hearings are expected to start around the early part of June. This should mean that the legislation will reach the floor of the House and Senate early in July.

Our efforts to develop the kind of strong public organization and support for this program that we had at the time of Land Lease and the Marshall Plans have, unhappily, not worked out as we had hoped.

I almost persuaded Bill Benton to act as head of a major volunteer organization, but he was too involved. I [Facsimile Page 2] then tried Chuck Percy, whom you may know as a rather liberal Republican who was chairman of the Republican Platform Committee. He was also unavailable.

There is, of course, some advance public relations work going on, although I am afraid the scope is nowhere near adequate. Because of this, I hope that you can agree to speak at the Eighth National Conference on International Economic and Social Development to be held here in Washington either June 15–16 or 19–20, depending on your schedule.

David Lloyd who is handling the arrangements, was in to see me last week, and I believe it will be of major importance. I am enclosing a letter which I wrote Mac Bundy outlining the details.

I am also hopeful that you will agree to take the dramatic step of going before a joint session of Congress to make a special personal plea for the passage of truly adequate foreign aid legislation.

This speech would give you an opportunity to reaffirm some of our positive objectives in world developments which have been inevitably confused by the military nature of the Laotian and Cuban emergencies. [Typeset Page 1596] It would also place your own prestige and influence solidly behind the new program which, with adequate funds and long-term commitments, represents our greatest single opportunity for positive action in foreign affairs.

It would be most reassuring to people throughout the world in affirming our constructive objectives in dealing with problems of poverty, injustice, and lack of development.

More than that, it would have a profound effect on the American people in bringing their own minds back into proper balance in foreign policy matters.

Bill Fulbright also stressed the importance of a limited number of private talks with legislative leaders either just before or just after the new legislation goes before Congress. He felt the most important individuals were the following:

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Dick Russell—As you know, Dick has been opposed to foreign aid generally ever since the days of the Marshall Plan. However, Bill feels he is beginning to understand the requirements, and that he would be so flattered if you paid him some special attention that he might become a powerful and perhaps decisive force in support of your efforts.

John McClellan—As you know, John is now in charge of the subcommittee on appropriations for foreign aid, and a very key individual. Fulbright felt that he too would be flattered by any attention you might give him and that would have a great influence.

Bourke HickenlooperFulbright feels that Bourke is by all odds the most important Republican as far as this legislation is concerned. If we win his support, we will be a long way toward getting what we must get. I often wonder if Hickenlooper might not be induced to picture himself as Vandenburg in the days of the Marshall Plan, and to take a major role in getting this legislation through.

Jerry FordFord, as a rule, has been favorable to foreign aid but critical of some aspects of it. Fulbright felt that he might be persuaded to see himself in the role that Chris Herter took in the House during the Marshall Plan.

Otto Passman—It would be foolish to assume that we could get Passman really to support our views. At the same time, a visit with him stressing long term requirements of foreign aid with the view of making the system more effective would help a great deal. I know that your visit with him on the Latin American aid bill was instrumental in getting him to go along.

Fulbright also made a strong personal “suggestion” that I ask you to invite the Foreign Relations Committee and also the Foreign Affairs Committee to come to the White House for a personal talk with you. He feels that this will pay very great dividends. He felt that they should [Typeset Page 1597] be asked separately [Facsimile Page 4] but that the Appropriations Subcommittees of each House could probably be included.

Let me finally say that I think Bill Fulbright can be easily persuaded to be one of the strongest supporters of the administration and you personally. Right now, however, he feels slightly left out.

He has not been in the regular leaders’ conference at the White House, yet as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, he has to deal with virtually all important problems. His itchiness grows from the belief that his opinions have not adequately been sought out.

What Fulbright would like to do is to feel that he could stop by the White House and have a drink with you every week or two. If it were possible to set this up and if on every other occasion he would bring some individual he feels is in a key position to help, it would pay big dividends.

In view of the pressures you are under, this is a lot to ask of you. But Bill spoke with such feeling and conviction that I thought his views and my impressions of them should be passed on to you.

With my warmest regards,

Sincerely,

Chester Bowles
  1. Foreign aid bill and the Hill: Bowles conversation with Fulbright. No classification marking. 4 pp. Department of State, Central Files, 700.5–MSP/5–2261.