Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XXX, Public Diplomacy

160. Memorandum From Paul Henze of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)¹

Washington, December 13, 1978

SUBJECT

• Expanded ICA Exchange Program

John Reinhardt is eager to demonstrate that his agency is responsive to the President’s desire to see exchange programs expanded to make up for the decline of the past decade. He has prepared a decision memorandum for the President which needs to go forward immediately if it is to be taken into account in the current budget review process. I have prepared a brief memorandum from you forwarding it to the President (TAB I) and recommending approval in principle, but without locking the President into decisions on specific budgetary allocations. If we are serious about expanding exchanges, we should begin immediately (not wait until FY 1980 or FY 1981) and the modest funds to do this can be found in the current ICA budget. What is needed during the first few months is not a lot of money, but careful developmental work, country-by-country, to work up good programs.

State has reviewed Reinhardt’s memorandum and endorsed the program in principle and wishes to work closely with ICA in developing the program before endorsing a specific set of priorities. State’s memorandum is attached.²

OMB has reviewed this program, in conjunction with its consideration of ICA’s appeal of OMB’s recommendations on its FY 1980 budget. OMB accepts the need for an expanded exchange program, notes that future-year funding for a program is partially provided for in budget projections for FY 1980 ($5 million which will fund the newly created Humphrey Scholarship Program) and beyond, but believes that ICA should plan its effort in greater detail before more specific budgeting can be done. OMB’s memorandum is the President.³

Both State and positions are consistent with the position I recommend you take: that you send Reinhardt’s memo (TAB I) to the President with the recommendation that he endorse the program in principle without reaction to the specific approval requests made in it.

To reduce the thickness of Reinhardt’s memo, I have removed TABs A and B but suggest they be readily available in case the President asks to see them (TAB II).⁴

Tab I

Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to President Carter⁵

Washington, December 14, 1978

SUBJECT

• Expansion of ICA Exchange Programs—Memorandum from John Reinhardt

You will recall that last October in reviewing John Reinhardt’s report of ICA’s first six months of operation,⁶ you approved my recommendation that we urge him to develop a plan for expanding exchange programs to rectify the 57% decline over the past twelve years. He has now responded with a memorandum (TAB 1)⁷ in which he provides further details on how exchange programs have declined and presents a set of priorities for expansion. He asks for your approval of a program for implementing these priorities (TAB A of his memorandum)⁸ with first-year costs of $6.25 million and requests that you decide whether the program should begin in FY 1980 or FY 1981. He attached a measuring table of decline at TAB B.⁹ TABs A and B have been removed because of thickness and are available if you wish to see them.

I have had Reinhardt’s memorandum reviewed by State and OMB, both of whom endorse it in principle. State wishes to work further with ICA on priorities for expansion. OMB believes the program needs to be worked out in greater detail before budgetary adjustments are made but notes that $5 million has been included in FY 1980 budget planning which will fund the newly created Humphrey Scholarship Program.

RECOMMENDATION

I suggest you approve this program in principle, for it represents a serious response to your original recommendation. I recommend that through modest reprogramming ICA begin implementation of the program immediately, working out priorities with State and NSC, accelerating implementation in 1980 and, concurrently, working out longer-term funding requirements with OMB.¹⁰

AGREE _______ DISAGREE _______

1. Source: Carter Library, White House Central Files, Subject File, Foreign Affairs, Information-Exchange Activities, Executive, Box FO–35, FO 5 7/1/78–1/20/81. No classification marking. Sent for action. Aaron wrote “ok” and his initials on the memorandum.
2. Attached but not printed is a December 6 memorandum from Tarnoff to Brzezinski. Wisner signed the memorandum on behalf of Tarnoff.
3. Attached but not printed is an undated memorandum from McIntyre to the President.
4. An unknown hand placed two parallel lines in the left-hand margin next to this paragraph. Attached but not printed at Tab A is the undated proposal entitled “International Exchange of Persons: A Program for the 1980’s,” a copy of which Reinhardt attached to his November 30 memorandum to the President (see footnote 3, Document 159). Attached but not printed at Tab B is an undated table entitled “A Program for the 1980s Distribution of Phased Additional Funding,” a copy of which Reinhardt also attached to his November 30 memorandum to the President.
5. No classification marking. Sent for action. Brzezinski sent a copy of the memorandum to Reinhardt under a December 15 memorandum in which he summarized the President’s comments. (Carter Library, White House Central Files, Subject File, Foreign Affairs, Information-Exchange Activities, Executive, Box FO–35, FO 5 7/1/78–1/20/81)
6. See Document 155.
7. See Document 159.
8. See footnote 4, above.
9. Ibid.
10. The President did not approve or disapprove the recommendation but wrote: “No recomm in FY 80—HHH Scholarships a good step. Ok to keep idea alive. J.”