1 Amount shown in 1955 column for Egypt are funds on hand purchased in previous years. Pending. No limitation. INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE ACTIVITIES-Continued Total grants awarded, fiscal year 1954-Continued 1 In addition to the number of foreign students who came to the United States in 1954 under the program, 528 grants were approved for nationals of Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg; Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Thailand for study in American schools in these countries. HOUSE REDUCTION Senator KILGORE. Senator Smith will be the first witness. Senator SMITH. Mr. Chairman, I am here to speak about the international educational exchange program activities and the appropriation for these activities this year, particularly because, much to my regret and consternation, the House committee reduced the request for this work from $22 million to $12 million and then said that $8 million of this $12 million should be limited to the purchase of foreign currencies from the United States Treasury. Of course the Smith-Mundt Act, of which I was cosponsor with Senator Mundt, had in mind bringing people from other countries to America. That is what I want to speak about, my experience with that experiment, and to point out what the cut of the House would do to that program if it sticks. Let me point out first, Mr. Chairman, that in fiscal 1954 the corresponding figure was $19.2 million and fiscal 1955 it was $18.6 million. This year the request was for $22 million. As H. R. 5502 passed the House, it contained $12 million only, which was, as I just said, a $10 million cut of the request, and $8 million of the $12 million appropriated is limited to the purchase of foreign currencies from the United States Treasury. Thus the House allowed $10 million less than was requested and $6.6 million less than was appropriated last year. have not been able to find out what the reasons were for these cuts, although I will refer to that a little later when we come to discussing the report of the House committee. I This year the President's request was for an increase over the current year's program and of this increase approximately $900,000 more than last year was for South America, $1.9 million more for the Far East, and $1.4 million more for the Near East, South Asia, and Africa. The European program would be cut $700,000. EFFECT OF HOUSE CUTS I would be in accord with that. I do not think we need as much for the European program as we do for these other areas, especially the Far East in which I am particularly interested. However, let us look at the effect of the House cuts, and I would like to get this in the record. Taking South America, first, the amount available for the program after the House cut will be 43 percent below the current year and 6.2 percent below the request of the administration, the President's program. In the Far East instead of increasing the amount there, the amount available for the program will be 32 percent below the current program and 57 percent below the proposed program. In the Near East, South Asia, and Africa the amount available for the program will be 53 percent below the current program and 75 percent below the President's proposed program. In Europe the Fulbright Act program will not be seriously damaged since Europe is where the available currencies are now, but the vital Smith-Mundt Act program will be cut 88 percent below the current program. That means, we will be severely cut in the number of people we would bring over here and that is where the impact comes. of the total appropriation only $1.4 million will be available for the basic Smith-Mundt Act program which is bringing foreigners over here. Out |