AUTHORITY TO HIRE AND/OR PURCHASE AIRPLANES Senator LAUSCHE. Now, I notice that under section 15 (d)(3) of the bill there is provision made for the acquisition of airplanes. What is that objective? Mr. SHRIVER. The purpose there is that in some cases-in many cases our Peace Corps volunteers will be operating in relatively remote places, or even very remote places. The classic case is the one of the Peace Corps volunteer 250 miles away from Manila who gets acute appendicitis and has to be brought in to a general hospital by plane. If we did not have the authority to hire a plane under those circumstances this person might die out in the bush. So this authority is in here to meet emergency situations of this type. I should say in addition that we do not contemplate at this time any necessity for purchasing aircraft. Senator LAUSCHE. It would give you the authority to purchase. Mr. SHRIVER. That is right. SUMMARY OF PEACE CORPS AUTHORIZATION REQUEST Senator LAUSCHE. Now, to summarize. You are asking for a budget of $40 million. Mr. SHRIVER. Yes, sir. Senator LAUSCHE. And how many workers do you contemplate having in the field by the end of fiscal year 1962? Mr. SHRIVER. 2.700. Senator LAUSCHE. And this is contemplated to be a sort of a pilot study the first year, and thereafter you will determine whether it should be expanded or whether it should be reduced. Mr. SHRIVER. Not exactly, Senator. We have been working on a pilot experimental basis for 312, almost 4 months. During that time we have tried to get answers to the basic problems-whether there is an adequate supply of manpower, the demand. That was the experimental phase. The President, when he established us on an experimental basis, said at the same time that he wanted to get congressional approval for this operation on a permanent basis, provided that during the experimental stage the justifications seem to be forthcoming. We think the justification has been forthcoming, and we are here now asking for the establishment of the Peace Corps on a permanent basis, not as an experiment. Senator LAUSCHE. I thought this morning I heard someone testify it may be expanded next year after it has been observed how it will operate. Mr. SHRIVER. Oh, yes, sir. That is possible. In other words, it might be expanded in 2 or 3 years, depending on the experience. Senator LAUSCHE. And it is estimated that the average cost will be at $9,000 a year? Mr. SHRIVER. That is our best judgment now; yes, sir. Senator LAUSCHE. And you are now contemplating making contracts with 18 agencies that will provide 25 volunteers per agency, or a total of 450. I am reading from page 27 of the presentation book. Mr. SHRIVER. Yes, sir; that is correct. I would like it to be clear, Senator, in case it is not, that these are our best estimates of what we can do. We do not now have 18 private agencies with whom we are about to complete negotiations. This is what we anticipate doing between June 30 this year and June 30 next year. Senator LAUSCHE. And these 18 agencies which you have tentatively in mind are various religious agencies, general relief agencies, and so forth? Mr. SHRIVER. Yes, sir. We call them private and voluntary. Senator LAUSCHE. And the contracts may be made with the various Protestant denominations, as well as with the Jewish and Catholic religions; is that right? Mr. SHRIVER. Yes, sir. Senator LAUSCHE. I think that is about all. DESIRABILITY OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC ACTION ABROAD Mr. SHRIVER. Senator, may I comment on one of the things which you said earlier? Senator LAUSCHE. Yes, sir. Mr. SHRIVER. You were reading the figures from the U.S. News & World Report about the religious agencies and the people they have overseas. All of us connected with the Peace Corps are very conscious of the excellent work being done and that has been done in the past by religious institutions. I would like to observe, Senator, that even among the religious institutions there is a general feeling, I believe, that there is plenty of room for additional work of this type. Many religious institutions have come to us, asking us for money and for manpower to expand their programs. One of the things that they have been citing is the tremendous need overseas for the type of work they are doing, and the type of work we hope to be doing. In other words, the vastness of this problem is so great that one might say that even all the religious organizations together cannot meet it today, and that they are very happy to see the Government taking an interest in this voluntary service abroad. Also, the volunteers who have come to the Peace Corps indicate that there are a substantial number of Americans who would like to serve in the Peace Corps rather, let us say, than through a religious organization, whatever their reasons might be. Some of them might not have the degree of dedication or religious motivation which would prompt them to serve in a religiously oriented group, but would make them willing to serve in one sponsored by the U.S. Government. We feel that one of the jobs of the Peace Corps is to try to export, if I may use that phrase-export a true and comprehensive picture of the United States overseas. One of the great glories of our country, I think, is the fact that we do have this diversity of activity. We not only have private schools, some of them affiliated religiously and some nonsectarian, but we have public schools. We have private and public hospitals. We have private child-care agencies and also public child-care agencies. It is our hope that overseas our Peace Corps can represent this true diversity of American life. CHARACTERISTICS OF A TYPICAL VOLUNTEER Senator LAUSCHE. May I ask you this question at this time? What would be the average age you anticipate your Peace Corps workers will be at this time? Mr. SHRIVER. My own idea is that the average person would be around 23, 24, 25 years of age. Senator LAUSCHE. And that would mainly cover persons who are finishing their courses in college and will continue their work in the field. Mr. SHRIVER. A substantial number of them will be such persons. But there also will be a lot who do not go to college and probably never will go, but who are skilled craftsmen whose services are needed abroad. Senator LAUSCHE. Now, this man from Indiana, whose name you identified when questioned by Senator Capehart—what is his name? Mr. SHRIVER. Robert Milhous. Senator LAUSCHE. Do you know the man? Mr. SHRIVER. To the extent that I have it here before me in this release this is all I have about him. Senator LAUSCHE. He is an engineer by work? Mr. SHRIVER. He is currently an instructor in civil engineering at Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind., and he got his B.S. degree in civil engineering at Purdue. He is an expert surveyor and is knowledgeable in other fields. For example, there is a man here from Columbus, Ohio—this is an interesting one, particularly to you. His name is Joseph Herp. Senator LAUSCHE. Well, let us stay on the Indiana man for a minute. Mr. SHRIVER. This fellow is very interesting, though. Senator LAUSCHE. I would be glad to hear about him. But have you any idea what motivated the Indiana man? Is it just the desire to serve his country? Mr. SHRIVER. I am sorry, I do not know in this particular case what motivated this specific person. Senator LAUSCHE. When did he graduate? Mr. SHRIVER. I do not have the date. Senator LAUSCHE. But he is a teacher. Who is the Columbus man? Mr. SHRIVER. Joseph Herp. He lives at 179 East Lane Avenue in Columbus. He is 23. He is a native of Cuba. He is trilingual— he speaks English, Spanish, and German equally well. He received his degree in electrical engineering from Ohio State University. special Senator LAUSCHE. When did he get his degree? Mr. SHRIVER. I do not happen to have that information. PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE FOR VOLUNTEERS His Senator LAUSCHE. I am trying to find out whether it is a transition from a completion of his college course to an entry into this voluntary service, which would be in his mind a continuation of study. Mr. SHRIVER. I think in many cases, Senator, that would be the case. Senator LAUSCHE. In many cases it means that it is a continuation of study, and going into the field they will obtain practical experience; is that right? Mr. SHRIVER. I hope that many people will be motivated that way. This man has special skills, including skill as a surveyor, as an electrician, and as a draftsman, mechanical drawing man-this fellow from Columbus. We have complete dossiers on all these people, and any of them you would be interested in looking at, we would be happy to give them to you. MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE PEACE CORPS Senator LAUSCHE. Just one final question. Based upon your letter to me, the principal objective of this program will be to send actual workers into the field where they will be in contact with the citizens, where they will be doers, that is, workers. They will teach in the schools, work on the farms, build roads, promote sanitation by actual work, and such other functions that go with health, education, and economic development. Is that correct? Mr. SHRIVER. Yes, sir. DESIRABILITY OF TEACHING ENGLISH-PHILIPPINES PROJECT Senator LAUSCHE. And you are sending teachers to the Philippines who will teach English? Mr. SHRIVER. Yes, sir. They will also teach general science, and they will be particularly helpful, we hope, in extracurricular work. Senator LAUSCHE. I think that is all, Mr. Chairman. Senator GORE. Mr. Shriver, some people might raise a question as to the desirability of teaching English in countries in which English is spoken only by a small minority of people. In some cases, I dare say it would be subject to question. I recently had contact with the officials of a certain country in which the literacy rate is very low. I believe I was told that there are 26 different tribal languages, very few of which had been reduced to alphabet. The members of one tribe frequently could not understand the language of a neighboring tribe, even on the other bank of the stream. And English or French or some other language which has been taught is the only possible way of developing a means of vocal communication throughout the country. In that case, it seems to me that one of the most helpful things that the Peace Corps could do would be to provide teachers such as Senator Lausche has referred to. Mr. SHRIVER. That is correct, Senator. We have run into that kind of a situation in a number of countries. And in the one big English teaching project which we have already completed, namely, the Philippine project, some of the considerations you have just mentioned were uppermost in the minds of the Philippine officials. That country, perhaps like the one you are talking about, has a large number of local dialects. The so-called national language, Tagalog, is only spoken by a very small proportion of the total Philippine population. As a matter of fact, the English language has a greater nationwide ac ceptance than even Tagalog. And all of the public documents and official work in the Philippine Government is done in English. The officials of that Government are concerned about the deterioration in spoken and written English in their country because English, for them, is, so to speak, a glue that keeps that country-one of the ways in which it stays united. So they have asked us specifically to send English instructors out there. In every case, as I have said several times before, we would only send people who were requested. If a country did not want English teachers, we would certainly not try to impose them on any country. NEED FOR SIMPLICITY IN THE PEACE CORPS Senator GORE. I shall not ask you any further questions, but I shall offer a brief opinion of my own, for whatever it may be worth, on the administration of this important program. I think the success you may be able to obtain may be in direct ratio to the degree to which you can keep this program simple and direct to the people of the countries in which you operate. The foreign aid program has had difficulties in many instances, and is having many difficulties now, because of its identity with and close association with the particular regimes which happen to be in power. As I understand your program, the heart and core of it, as was true of the point 4 program, is a people-to-people program, bringing the skills and talents of the people who, in good will, volunteer to contribute 2 years of their lives to this contest in which we seek the friendship of men. WRITTEN QUESTIONS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE RECORD Several members of the committee have had to attend other committee meetings and have not had an opportunity to propound questions to you. I wonder if it would be agreeable to you if the committee submitted questions in writing to which you would respond. Perhaps the questions and answers could be included in the record. Mr. SHRIVER. Yes, sir; whatever the committee wishes. Of if they want me to come back and try to answer questions verbally, I would be glad to do that. (See App. pp. 229 et seq., for memoranda subsequently supplied by the Peace Corps.) Senator GORE. The meeting is adjourned. The committee will resume at 10:30 tomorrow for the appearance of public witnesses. (Whereupon, at 5:15 p.m., a recess was taken until 10:30 a.m. the: following day, Friday, June 23, 1961.) |