It is for that reason the President has recently approved and forwarded for the consideration of this committee an amendment to the 1971 "Salaries and Expenses Appropriation." In this amendment, the Department is requesting additional personnel and funds to provide for needed additional protection of U.S. Government officials assigned abroad and for funds to cover the cost of statutory increases in the Government's contribution to the civil services and foreign service retirement funds. The increase of $1,900,000, requested in the amendment, when added to the amount provided for salaries and expenses in H.R. 17575, results in a 1971 request of $222 million for that appropriation I know that you and the members of your committee share with me the grave concern we have for the safety of our representatives abroad. The assassination of one of our ambassadors, the recent kidnaping and other terrorist activities make it imperative that safeguards be provided for personnel assigned in many countries. As you noticed, I am sure, one of the men that we had assigned to our mission in Amman was killed yesterday. This request has my complete support and I ask your favorable consideration of this requested amendment. Deputy Under Secretary Macomber and Deputy Assistant Secretary Gentile, the Department's security officer, and other officials of the Department are here to discuss these needs in greater detail if the committee desires. That completes my preliminary statement, Mr. Chairman. Senator MCCLELLAN. Are there any questions before we go into executive session? Senator Mansfield? COMPARISON OF BUDGET WITH THAT OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS Senator MANSFIELD. Mr. Secretary, how does the budget for the Department, charged with the carrying out of the foreign policy of this country, compare with the budgets of the other departments in the Government? Secretary ROGERS. It is the smallest budget of any of the other departments, Senator. Senator MANSFIELD. It is the smallest budget applied to the most important agency in the field of foreign affairs? Secretary ROGERS. That is correct. ALLOWANCES FOR OVERSEAS PERSONNEL Senator MANSFIELD. What is the status of the allowances given to military attachés in comparison with the allowances given to the State Department personnel? Mr. MACOMBER. Senator, I would have to supply the specifics of that for the record. But by and large, sir, the allowances abroad are roughly similar. Senator MANSFIELD. That is a surprise to me, because I was under the impression that they exceeded those of the State Department, and there are certain other kinds of unnamed attachés who also receive, I think, pretty extensive allowances. AGRICULTURAL ATTACHÉS Do the agricultural attachés report to the Department of Agriculture or the Department of State, or both? Mr. MACOMBER. They report through the ambassador back to the Department and to the Department of Agriculture. AMBASSADORS CHIEF U.S. REPRESENTATIVES ABROAD Senator MANSFIELD. Mr. Secretary, are you putting into effect the dictum which was laid down some years ago that in any country the ambassador is the chief of all the teams or elements representing us in that country? Secretary ROGERS. Yes, Senator, we are doing our very best to put that into effect, and I believe it has worked quite well. DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITY Senator MANSFIELD. Frankly, I am disturbed at the small amount which is given to the State Department, and has been given over the years, under both Democratic and Republican administrations. I would like to see more money given, more authority, more responsibility, so that this Department of government, first among equals, I believe, under the Constitution, would be in a position to carry out its responsibilities more vigorously and would be given the recognition which it deserves. I am disturbed at the fact that there are other areas within the Government, which, in my opinion, impinge upon the authority and the responsibility of the State Department. I would hope that you would give that some consideration so that corrective measures could be taken. That is all, Mr. Chairman. Secretary ROGERS. Thank you, Senator. Senator MCCLELLAN. Senator Smith? Senator SMITH. I have no questions at this time. Senator MCCLELLAN. Senator Ellender? Senator ELLENDER. I have none, except to say to my good friend from Montana, that at one time the State Department employees did get less than many other agencies abroad. But all of that has been corrected in the last 7 or 8 years. I am glad to have been able to have been a part of that. Senator MCCLELLAN. Senator Hruska. BUDGET AMENDMENT Senator HRUSKA. The amendment for the $1,900,000, I presume, was sent up after the House committee had acted on the budget, is that correct? Secretary ROGERS. Yes, sir, it was sent yesterday. Senator HRUSKA. And we have no reaction from them as to their judgment? Secretary ROGERS. No. We don't expect any difficulty. It is such an essential item and a small one. Senator MCCLELLAN. Senator Young? Senator YOUNG. I have no questions. EMERGENCY ACTION TEAM Senator MCCLELLAN. What is this "Emergency Action Team," Mr. Secretary, to provide $125,000 in the amendment? Mr. MACOMBER. Sir, this would finance three emergency teams that would be based in Washington but would be available for dispatch to areas where particular tensions existed. Senator MCCLELLAN. Would you rather talk about it in executive session? Mr. MACOMBER. I would rather not say anything more than that these would be emergency teams that could be dispatched very promptly to areas where particular tensions existed that demanded them. Senator MCCLELLAN. I wasn't familiar with it. I just noticed it as an item. Maybe these few questions can be answered in public session. If not, you can so indicate. NARCOTICS SMUGGLING What is the Department doing or how are you getting along with whatever program you have towards the control of narcotics smuggling into this country? Are you working with other government agencies? Secretary ROGERS. I can answer that in a general way, and I would rather go into it a little more specifically in executive session. Senator MCCLELLAN. We can wait until we get into executive session. Here is an item about contributions to international organizations. I guess we can take this all up in executive session. Are there any other questions for the open session? If not, then, the committee will go into executive session. Those not properly entitled to be here will leave the room. (For language amendment re use of foreign currency by Foreign Buildings Operations, see page 1080.) (Whereupon, at 10:25 a.m. the subcommittee proceeded into executive session.) (AFTERNOON SESSION, 2 O'CLOCK, THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1970) DEPARTMENT OF STATE SALARIES AND EXPENSES (BUDGET AMENDMENT) STATEMENT OF WILLIAM B. MACOMBER, JR., DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION ACCOMPANIED BY: FRANK G. MEYER, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRA- JOSEPH F. DONELAN, JR., DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR G. MARVIN GENTILE, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR FREDERIC L. CHAPIN, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR Senator MCCLELLAN. The committee will come to order. HOUSE ALLOWANCE Mr. Macomber, the committee will be glad to have your statement on the Department's overall fund requirements, any statement you want to make about that, and especially we want you to comment upon and justify the supplemental estimate that has come to this committee, which the House didn't consider, the matter of $1,900,000. You may proceed. I see you have a statement. Mr. MACOMBER. Thank you, sir. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee: It is a pleasure to appear before you today in support of the Department's budget proposals for 1971. As Secretary Rogers stated, the Department is not requesting your committee to restore any of the amounts denied by the House in H.R. 17575. We have considered carefully the impact at each of the House reductions on the Department's ability to meet essential program requirements and have concluded that our basic objectives can be met within the amounts provided by the House. We are requesting, however, an amendment to the Department's "Salaries and expenses" appropriation estimates for 1971. PROTECTION AND SAFETY FOR OVERSEA OFFICIALS This amendment would provide $1,900,000 and 43 additional personnel and is required, primarily, to provide for the protection and safety of U.S. Government officials assigned abroad. The United States has suffered the loss of one of our distinguished Ambassadors, John Gordon Mein, who was murdered by terrorists in Guatemala. Our Ambassador to Brazil was kidnaped but fortunately released unharmed after the Brazilian Government met the kidnapers' ransom demands. Other personnel have been murdered or attacked. I will be elaborating on that in a moment. We believe it is imperative to provide a greater measure of protection for our people and their families in many countries. The proposal you now have before you for consideration would provide needed additional protection. Our plan for utilization of these security measures and equipment is a flexible one that would permit assignment of personnel and equipment where the threats are the greatest. INTRODUCTION OF ASSOCIATES Mr. Chairman, with me are Deputy Assistant Secretary Frederic Chapin of the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs and Deputy Assistant Secretary Marvin Gentile, the Department's security officer. We will be pleased to answer any questions you or the members of the committee may have concerning the requested amendment. Mr. Samuel De Palma, Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs, and Mr. John Richardson, Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, are also here with me and will be pleased to answer questions you may have regarding activities which they direct. Mr. Chairman, I would like to discuss for a few moments our amendment and the reasons for that amendment in detail. Senator MCCLELLAN. Very well. Do you want this on the record? Mr. MACOMBER. Mr. Chairman, I think we could put it on the record and I could look at it later and then perhaps delete some of it. Senator MCCLELLAN. Without objection, you may do so. KIDNAPING OF AND VIOLENCE TO U.S. OVERSEA OFFICIALS AND FAMILIES Mr. MACOMBER. I will want to take some of it off. Mr. Chairman, this problem of the kidnaping of and violence to American officials and their families abroad is a growing problem and it is a problem that we are going to have to deal with for quite some time. It is not one that is going to disappear. There are three different ways we can try to deal with this problem. First, we can try to deal with it in international bodies and through the international community. Second, we can try to deal with it in our dealings with the specific countries concerned. Third, we can try to deal with it through providing physical security protection to our people on the ground. It is here, Mr. Chairman, that I would like to go off the record for a moment or two. Senator MCCLELLAN. Off the record. (Discussion off the record.) Senator McCLELLAN. Back on the record. |