AND THE JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1953 HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE EIGHTY-SECOND CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON H. R. 7289 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENTS 15515 Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations UNITED STATES WASHINGTON: 1952 EX OFFICIO MEMBERS FROM COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS FOR CONSIDERA- THEODORE FRANCIS GREEN, Rhode Island BOURKE B. HICKENLOOPER, Iowa J60 826 DOCUMENTS DEPT. DEPARTMENTS OF STATE, JUSTICE, COMMERCE, AND THE JUDICIARY APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1953 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1952 UNITED STATES SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met at 10:30 a. m., pursuant to call, in room F-82, the Capitol, Hon. Pat McCarran, chairman of the subcommittee, dresiding. Present: Senators McCarran, Ellender, and Green. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. PAT MCCARRAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator MCCARRAN. The committee will come to order. Before the subcommittee starts its hearings on the appropriation requests for the Departments of State, Justice, Commerce, and the Judiciary, I should like to make a brief statement. Before we hear from the Department of State, I should like to make just a few observations. Unless the committee is of a different mind, we shall follow the same procedure as in the past. All hearings will be in executive session, unless a member of the committee requests that for a particular item the hearings be open. When that item is concluded, the committee will then resume in executive session. This system will facilitate the work of the committee and allow us to proceed as expeditiously as possible. I wish also to call the committee's attention that when a witness makes statements off the record, that means that it will not be taken down by the stenographer unless he is otherwise instructed. If that part of the testimony is taken down, it will not appear in the printed record. Statements that are made off the record should not be repeated on the outside. I feel that this system will encourage the witnesses to be more frank with the committee and that they will make statements, which for sound reasons, should not be a part of the public announcement. In order that the committee may finish its work as quickly as possible, I have drawn up a tentative hearing schedule and I should like to go over that with the committee at this time. I plan to hold hearings in the mornings only, as I feel that this will give all Senators a chance to take care of their other duties in the afternoons, and I hope M799303 that this may allow the maximum number of committee members to be present at all times. Last year the committee sat for a total of 40 full days. This year I believe that the committee can finish the hearings in approximately 17 full days. With this thought in mind, I have allocated 8 full days to the Department of State; 5 full days to the Department of Commerce, and have allowed 4 full days for hearings of any appeals from the Department of Justice and the Judiciary, as well as outside witnesses. I have very carefully gone over the appropriation items for each of the departments, and feel that the above allocations of time will give the committee an adequate chance to hear all pertinent testimony. I feel that in the case of the Department of Justice and the Judiciary, unless some member wants testimony on a particular subject, or these agencies wish to appeal an action taken by the House, that nothing will be served by having a complete hearing on their appropriation requests. We have been over their individual items in great detail in the past, and I have noted that this year there are no material changes from their past requests. I have notified each of the departments of the above plan and have also emphasized to them that they are to pick their most qualified witnesses to appear in behalf of the individual items. Last year, members of the committee will recall, we had to struggle with several witnesses who were not qualified, either by experience or knowledge of the subject matter, to discuss a particular item. Such witnesses only take the time of the committee without giving the committee pertinent information. This year, more than ever, I feel that the committee must give the most careful consideration to all of the appropriation requests. As I pointed out to the committee last year, we must be ever vigilant to prune the fat from the budget and then look twice at what is left, to see that it is no more than the irreducible minimum. A lean diet is highly recommended by doctors as a health measure. I believe that such will be even more effective in restoring the economic health of this country. We have passed the point where we can continue to pour out our fiscal and material resources in a never-ending stream. without exerting maximum effort to reduce the total of Federal expenditures. Reductions in the Federal budget are not easy to achieve, but I firmly believe that billions of dollars can be saved if the Congress will take a realistic approach to this problem. I firmly believe that each item should be considered on its merits and a determination made as to whether the Congress wishes to continue a particular program or activity. If the decision is not to continue, or to reduce the scope and activity of a particular program, then corresponding reductions should be made. If this is done for all activities the Federal Government is engaged in, the savings will be tremendous. Our people are paying the highest taxes in the history of the country, and this spiral of higher taxes and more Federal spending cannot long go on, because if it does, this country will collapse internally and if that happens our enemies abroad will have accomplished their purposes beyond their fondest hopes. Economizing is not pleasant, but economy in Government must be achieved. We are fighting two wars-the so-called cold war abroad, and the war against inflation at home. To win both of them calls for strong and heroic measures and in this we must not fail. I hope that my recommendations and the plan I have outlined will meet with the approval of the committee. I, for one, plan to go into each of the appropriations requests and cut out the fat. The departments in this bill will be doing this committee, the Congress, and the country, a distinct service if they will present their requests in the most cogent manner possible, and will constantly bear in mind that reductions must be achieved, and will be achieved, whether they desire them or not. DEPARTMENT OF STATE SALARIES AND EXPENSES STATEMENTS OF CARLISLE H. HUMELSINE, DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY AND EDWARD B. WILBER, BUDGET OFFICER BUDGET TABLE Senator MCCARRAN. We shall take up the consideration today of the appropriations requested by the Department of State for the fiscal year 1953. I will ask to have inserted in the record at this point a table showing the comparison of appropriations for the Department of State for the fiscal years 1951 and 1952, and the budget estimate for 1953. (The table referred to is as follows:) |