Office of the Historian

112. Memorandum Prepared in the United States Information Agency1

Washington, undated

FY–1979 Funding For Educational and Other Exchanges

The Department of State’s FY–1979 budget request recommends program funds in the amount of $22.3 million for educational exchanges and $9.0 million for the program which brings carefully selected younger foreign leaders to the U.S. for 30–45 day familiarization visits.

Both programs have been strong successes. For example, Sadat, Giscard d’Estaing, Schmidt, Malcolm Fraser, Israeli President Katzir were picked by our embassies to participate in the leader program in the 1950’s and early ’60’s, long before their political emergence.

We propose to raise the funding for educational exchanges by 25% (to a new total of $27.9 million, vice $22.3 million) and to provide funds for an additional 750 participants in the leader program (to a new total [Page 319] of $13.5 million, vice $9 million). Such funding levels would also require increased program support costs of approximately $3 million.

Thus, the total dollar increase over the State Department request would be $13.1 million for FY–1979.

Rationale

1. Funds are needed; present levels provide for a total two-way flow of only 5,200 individuals, 1,000 less than when the Republicans took office.

2. It is a visible, concrete fulfillment of the commitment in the Helsinki Declaration “. . . to increase substantially cultural exchanges.”

3. This has been the most successful means ensuring that emerging foreign leaders are in contact with the U.S. and U.S. leadership at an early stage of their careers.

4. It is a relatively inexpensive way for the President to launch the new organization in a manner which will be well received, particularly in the academic community, and to demonstrate tangibly his commitment to the value of these programs.

  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Horn/Special (Henze), Box 1, Chron File: 12/77. No classification indicated. Reinhardt sent a copy of the memorandum to Henze under a December 2 note. Henze sent both the memorandum and Reinhardt’s note to Aaron under a December 5 note, stating: “John Reinhardt has sent over a short piece explaining his request for more money for educational and leader-grant exchange, over and above what State originally included in the CU budget. I think it is well justified and suggest you support it if any questions arise during the President’s review today [December 6].” (Ibid.)↩