29. Editorial Note
On January 14, 1965, President Johnson delivered a special message to the Congress on foreign aid in which he recommended an appropriation of $3,380 million for Fiscal Year 1966. Of this sum $1,170 million was requested for military assistance and $2,210 million for other categories of aid. For text of the message, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965, Book I, pages 44–50.
A January 14 briefing memorandum from the AID Assistant Administrator for Program, Hollis B. Chenery, to the Deputy Administrator [Page 90] of AID, William S. Gaud, indicates that a briefing session “to provide DAC representatives with U.S. views concerning our aid effort, the aid efforts of other DAC members, and the position of the U.S. on subjects of special interest to DAC members” was scheduled for January 15 at 3:30 p.m. at the State Department. (Washington National Records Center, RG 286, AID Administrator Files: FRC 68 A 2148, PRM 7–1 Development Assistance Committee, FY 1965) No record, however, of this meeting has been found.
On January 13, George Ball submitted a memorandum to McGeorge Bundy commenting on the President’s draft foreign aid message dated January 12, 1965. In this 3-page memorandum, Ball wrote, in part: “The draft foreign aid message sounds like the presentation of a necessary—but very distasteful—program. I appreciate the need to give Congress the sense that the program is pared down to the bone. As drafted, however, the statement seems to me too defensive and apologetic. Its possible harmful effects overseas, and not merely on the recipients of aid but on other donor countries as well, should be carefully considered.” (Department of State, S/S White House Files: Lot 70 D 217)