142. Letter From President Kennedy to the Ambassador to India (Galbraith)0
Dear Ken: Yesterday I had a meeting with Fowler Hamilton and his Regional Directors to discuss the effect of aid programs on our balance of payments.1 In the course of the discussion I asked how effectively we [Page 309] could tie the funds we were giving. As I understood the responses of the several Regional Directors, this varies greatly from country to country, depending on the pattern of trade. I am not sure that they have made their point clear to me or that they answered the arguments you made on your recent visit for a more effective and complete tying program.
I have asked Carl Kaysen, who listened to the discussion, to write the attached memorandum for you, setting forth the issues as they arose out of that discussion.2 I would appreciate it if you would respond to him with as much technical detail as seems appropriate and without the limitations that you might feel in discussing the matter with one who is not a professional economist.
Sincerely,
- Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, India, General, 6/11/62-6/24/62. Confidential; Eyes Only.↩
- The President met with Hamilton and other AID personnel on June 21 from 4:10 to 5:35 p.m. (Kennedy Library, President’s Appointment Books), but no further record of this meeting has been found. A June 18 memorandum from Dungan to Hamilton outlined four subjects for discussion at the meeting: general review of AID budget and programming processes, review of program progress in FY 1962 by regions, elimination of procedural defects, and peculiarities in some of the regions. (Washington National Records Center, RG 286, AID Administrator Files: FRC 65 A 481, White House, FY 1962)↩
- Document 143.↩
- Printed from a copy that indicates Kennedy signed the original.↩