127. Memorandum From the Director of the U.S. Travel Service, Department of Commerce (Black) to Acting Secretary of Commerce Trowbridge1
SUBJECT
- “Discover America, Inc.”
REF
- My Memo of May 24th2
I was a little disturbed by Bob Short’s3 call on you on the 26th—particularly since I understand that USTS’ “lack of cooperation” with Discover America was the main topic of conversation. Neither Ted Van Dyk nor anyone on Short’s staff advised me of the visit in advance. I also think that, before coming to you with his grievances, Short should have had a chat with Barnet4 or me. A large part of our “communications problem” with DA stems from Short’s long-evident reluctance to deal directly with us on problem areas.
In our business we work with scores of organizations in the travel industry. I believe our record of cooperation with all of them has generally been a good one—with the notable exception of DA. Quite frankly there has been a great deal of totally unnecessary friction between us—beginning over one year ago. I had been most reluctant to burden either you or Secretary Connor with this problem, but Short’s visit to you plus his pretensions to the vice-chairmanship of the President’s foreign travel task force makes it necessary that you know the whole story.
I am attaching some back-up material, including a detailed chronology of USTS/DA relations (attachment C)5 and a list of specific projects in which we have assisted DA (attachment D). Hopefully you may have a chance to glance at some of this before I see you.
The Issue
Briefly stated, our differences with DA are an offshoot of a larger issue: Who is in charge of the foreign travel program of the Federal Government, [Page 373] the Vice President or the Secretary of Commerce? I will have more to say about this problem in my memo on Commerce’s role vis-a-vis the upcoming foreign travel task force.
The specific issue with DA is their insistence that they are the President’s “official” agency for coordinating private industry efforts to promote travel both to and within the United States. We support DA’s role as a catalyst for the promotion of domestic travel by Americans, but cannot accept that they have any official role overseas. Our position is grounded in both law and logic.
Legal Position of “Discover America”
DA does not now and never has had any “mandate” to promote foreign travel to this country. Bob Short was appointed by the President on May 1, 1965, as “national chairman” to coordinate private industry programs for promoting domestic travel—under authority of Section 3 of H.J. Res. 658, PL 88–416 (Ullman Resolution).6 Section 2 of this Resolution makes clear that the promotion of travel to the U.S. is the responsibility of “appropriate Federal agencies.” Admittedly, this original Ullman Resolution (attachment E) could have been more carefully drafted, but its legislative history makes clear that the “nation wide effort” was intended to be a strictly domestic undertaking.
This Resolution expired on December 31, 1965. A second “See the USA” resolution (S.J. Res. 98, PL 89–235) was passed on October 2, 1965,7 expiring at the end of last year. Section 3 of this Resolution (attachment F) authorized the President to extend the appointment of the “national chairman”. Whether deliberately or by oversight, Short’s appointment was not extended.
In other words, Short (and consequently DA) never had more than a domestic “mandate” and even that expired a year and a half ago.
Finally, both the Certificate of Incorporation (Article 2(a)) and the By-Laws (Article I, Section 4) of DA, dated June, 1965, state that the purpose of the corporation is “to promote, in cooperation with officials and agencies of the Federal Government, tourism and travel within the borders of the United States,. …” Short not only has no Federal “mandate”, but lacks even a corporate basis for his overseas ambitions.
Practical Arguments Against Two Competing Tourist Agencies Abroad
In their recent report on USTS, the Budget Bureau/Commerce survey team discussed the role of DA overseas and, in one of their few judgments with which we agree, concluded (p. VIII–8):
[Page 374]“… USTS feels, and the team agrees completely, that institutional promotion of travel to the United States (singularly or in cooperation with private enterprise) should be left to the Travel Service; duplication abroad would be as confusing as it would be wasteful.”8
When it first became apparent—in the spring of 1966—that DA intended to enter the foreign arena, I wrote a long, friendly letter to Short outlining in detail all of the reasons why this was a bad idea from a practical point of view (attachment B). To be on the safe side I gave an advance copy to Ted Van Dyk—who advised against sending it on the grounds that “it might make Short mad.” This letter, dated May 10, 1966, was thus never sent, but it is still as valid today as it was then.
Recommendation
I believe a review of all the attachments will indicate that if USTS has erred in its dealings with DA it has been on the side of diplomacy and over-compromise. We have reluctantly come to the conclusion that Short understands and respects the mailed fist more than the velvet glove.
All that is keeping USTS and DA from enjoying a fine, fruitful relationship is the “mandate” or “to and within” problem. I propose that we clear this up, for once and all, by forwarding the enclosed letter (attachment A) to Bob Short.
- Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 40, Department of Commerce Files: FRC 74 A 20, U.S. Travel Service, 1967–1968. No classification marking. Although the memorandum is addressed to the Secretary of Commerce, Trowbridge was still serving as Acting Secretary until June 14, when he was sworn in as Secretary.↩
- Not found.↩
- Robert E. Short, Chairman of Discover America, Inc.↩
- Sylvan M. Barnet, Jr., Deputy Director of the U.S. Travel Service.↩
- None of the attachments is printed.↩
- Approved August 11, 1964; 78 Stat. 388.↩
- 79 Stat. 910.↩
- This report has not been found.↩