ing. His letter was written me on January 29, 1963, and I think it will be profitable to read it into the record because it indicates an interest which leaves little question to be raised as to the salability of this particular enterprise, Interama, to those who see in it a lodestar that will bring in countless billions of people to find there the values that will be shown.

Incidentally, we have in Florida something like 16 million guests every year and I have already spoken of the 1.5 million who live in this immediate vicinity in the two counties of Dade and Broward. I think I should say also that we have now 6 million people in our State and have become 9th in population of the States in the Nation.

Mr. Ball, writing to me on January 29, 1963, stated as follows. I will present this for the record but I would like to read it to those members here so that they may know just how far he is willing to

go:

Pursuant to the conversation which Dr. Irving Muskat of Miami, Fla.. had with you and that which you and I had subsequently, this is to advise that if the Federal Government decides to put up a building, and such other exhibits as would be incident thereto

I digress to say the building will be constructed now through the loan from the Community Facilities Administration

on the Interama grounds-and I am in hopes that they will also, in view of the Alliance for Progress, make an additional contribution to help construct some of the Latin American buildings, as I feel this would be one of the most effective steps that could be made to promote the Alliance for Progress— several of my associates and I fully expect to go forward with the operation of a tower, to be the tallest observation tower in the world, at the Interama, and are carrying on conversations for the financing of the structure at present. I am now waiting for the reports of engineers and contractors and believe they will be favorable.

I understand that since that time they have been made and are favorable.

The Interama, in my opinion, will do much to build up and cement our friendly relations with Latin America and greatly accelerate our commerce with those rapidly developing countries. It will provide a showcase not only for Latin America, but for the United States as well, where all of our Latin American friends can exchange ideas and displays of merchandise with our American industries and merchants.

In other words, I am strongly of the opinion that the Interama, under the able leadership and management of Dr. Muskat, will be an outstanding success in promoting both commercial and cultural relations with our Pan American friends.

With warm personal regards, I am

Sincerely yours,

EDWARD BALL.

Mr. Chairman, I have not personally had the chance to confer with Mr. Walt Disney, but I understand that he too has shown a similar interest in this project. I know from what I have been told by Dr. Muskat, Congressman Pepper, by Congressman Fascell, and others, that he engaged the services of the ERA (Economic Research Associates) to report to him upon the potential patronage at an establishment of his quite comparable to the one he made such a success of and which I think is such an asset to our Nation in the Anaheim-Los Angeles neighborhood.

I am told that the report of ERA has been so highly favorable that there is no question about Mr. Disney's willingness to come in. As to that, I shall have to say that I have had no personal contacts with Mr. Disney. I believe, however, that other witnesses can speak to those contacts.

Mr. Chairman, in concluding my rather brief and rather general statement, I just want to say that I think that the job of bringing Latin America closer together with us, and us closer with them, on the basis such as is proposed in a permanent meeting place, permanent exhibit hall, permanent place for cultural exchanges, for all sorts of social exchanges, that need is so great that we must meet it.

I believe there is no greater contribution that can be made to the Inter-American Alliance than the completion of such a structure. My distinguished colleague, Congressman Pepper, has asked me to comment on certain connections that I had with the Seattle and with the New York fairs. At that time, at the time of the planning and the financing of Federal operations in those two fairs of which I am very proud, I happened to be chairman of the Subcommittee on Appropriations handling the Commerce Department and its connection with such exhibits. It happened to be my pleasant duty, in cooperation with Senator Magnuson as to the Seattle exhibit, to very actively support and to have my small part in the making available of the Federal participation in that exhibit.

As to the New York Fair, it happened that I had an even more active part and the two Senators from New York, Senators Javits and Keating he was the Senator at the time-requested me as did General Potter with whom I had close relations since he was Governor of the Canal Zone in certain periods when I had handled our appropriations for that activity, and with Mr. Moses-since he had been perhaps our best witness on the tidelands matter and with which I will make no further comment except to say we got very closely together in that. He asked me to very actively help in connection with the New York fair matter. I was very glad to be able to help and to handle it on the floor, as I think most who were there at that time or in Congress at that time know.

I mention these things since I have been requested to do so by Congressman Pepper. My interest in our showing our best foot forward to the world is not confined to the Interama. Yet I must say that insofar as this hemisphere is concerned, I have heard of no project which offers anything like the prospects or potentialities, or Î think the assurance of our better relations in this hemisphere than does Interama, its realization or its completion.

To its completion, of course, the active participation of our Government with a permanent and effective and an attractive exhibit there is an absolute sine qua non. It is for this reason that I have been so happy to have and to accept the invitation of your distinguished chairman to come over here and testify.

I do not think we can strike a better lick for the Inter-American Alliance and for the realization of its high objectives to which our Nation is dedicated than in supporting actively and going ahead fully to the realization of the Interama project.

I thank you, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen.

Mr. FASCELL. Thank you very much, Senator Holland. We appreciate your coming over here. While we would like to ask questions of our distinguished Senators, we realize that you have business elsewhere and we will defer our questions until the presentation by the technical people.

Senator HOLLAND. Mr. Chairman, I may say that I am quite used to having questions shot at me.

Mr. FASCELL. I knew you would not duck any. We thought as a matter of procedure it would be better if we held our questions until the presentation was completed.

Mr. PEPPER. Mr. Chairman, we are very pleased today to have our distinguished Senator, a long and able advocate of Interama, the Honorable George Smathers.

STATEMENT OF HON. GEORGE A. SMATHERS, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA

Senator SMATHERS. Thank you very much, Congressman Pepper, Mr. Chairman, and members of the subcommittee.

First may I say what a real pleasure it is to have the opportunity to appear before you. I might say it affords me particular pleasure in the light of the fact that at one time I had the very high privilege of serving in the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. GROSS. Not in these plush surroundings.

Senator SMATHERS. I was getting ready to say in less prestigious surroundings than I see here today. I must say much improvement has occurred since those days when I was here. It was a very happy experience for me. At that time I was privileged to serve with men who have become distinguished here and in other bodies. At that time Congressman Burleson, I think, was a member of the committee. Mrs. Bolton was a member. We had as members of the committee at that time Congressman Mansfield, who has since become the majority leader of the U.S. Senate. We had Senator Ribicoff on the committee at that time, who in the interim served as Governor of his State and Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. John Davis Lodge, of course, is one whom we all loved and respected.

This is indeed in some respects a very happy and in some respects a sentimental occasion for me to be back here.

Mr. FASCELL. Senator Smathers, we are very happy to welcome you back here on your sentimental journey. As your successor on this committee, I found it very difficult and very challenging to fill the spot left by your big shoes.

Senator SMATHERS. You are very generous. From my information your efforts far exceed anything which I was able to accomplish on this committee. At that time, gentlemen, I sought service on the Subcommittee for Latin American Affairs and developed a keen interest in that area of the world. It has been with me ever since. It was at that time that I was privileged in the House to become the author, as Senator Holland stated, of the first bill which created and put the Government on record in favor of Interama. It is the same bill introduced by Senator Holland and Senator Pepper in the other body.

Mr. Chairman, it has been my experience that I can save time, not only yours but everyone else's time, if I will stick rather closely to my script. I know that time becomes pretty much of the essence here on occasions such as this.

It is my firm conviction that the early development of Interama will play a substantial role in the economic and cultural unity of the Americas by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and goods between citizens of all the nations of the hemisphere.

Today, more than ever, the United States is vitally concerned with maintaining its historically close ties with its neighbors to the south and with aiding their economic development.

We are especially concerned with the fulfillment of the promises of the Alliance for Progress.

In particular, the creation of Interama will implement one of the major goals of the Alliance, that of bringing together the people of the Americas and providing a framework within which private enterprise is able to lend its talents to building stronger Latin economies.

Interama-with its four distinct areas-will provide this meeting ground-in the international industrial, cultural, and festival divisions.

Furthermore, Interama will give renewed impetus to the economic integration of the hemisphere. Here representatives of the existing common market of Central America will gather with representatives of other nations to break down trade barriers and expand the common market principle even further.

The showcase of Interama will provide the logical focus for nurturing and guiding these very desirable economic trends.

Because Interama is conceived as a permanent, continuing center it will be able to do all these things over the many years which will be required for the economic metamorphosis of Latin America.

Mr. Chairman, the idea of Interama dates back nearly two decades. During this period many persons, and the several units of government in Florida, have given their unflagging efforts to the fulfillment of this plan.

For instance, the city of Miami has donated to Interama more than 1,700 acres of land-estimated to be worth $50 to $60 million after its preparatory development.

Similarly, the city of North Miami has signed a 30-year agreement to provide Interama with a potable water supply and the necessary sewage disposal facilities.

Dade County, where the project is located, has authorized $500,000 for Interama, of which $325,000 has already been spent on engineering studies and preliminary designs.

From the beginning, the State of Florida has given Interama wholehearted support. In 1951, the State legislature created the Inter-American Center Authority as a corporate agency of the State. In 1963, the Florida Legislature memorialized the President to lend his full support to U.S. participation in Interama and to encourage Latin American involvement as well. In addition, the State road department has guaranteed construction of $8 to $10 million worth of interior and access roads.

Florida courts have also validated $21 million worth of Interama revenue bonds, of which $8 million have been issued.

Congressional support was manifested most recently when 228 Members of the House and 51 Members of the Senate signed a petition on behalf of the project. Subsequently, the Community Facilities Administration granted a $22 million loan to Interama for the construction of a Federal pavilion and other similar structures to house the exhibits of Latin American nations taking part.

No less than four Presidents have given their endorsement to the Inter-American Center. Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson have all given their warm endorsement to this idea.

Charged with the conduct of our foreign policy, each Chief Executive has recognized the potentiality of Interama as a positive instrument for good in our relations with the Americas.

Since 1893, when the Federal Government participated in the Chicago World's Fair, funds of the United States have been appropriated for seven other expositions.

In every case, however, each event was of a temporary nature. With Interama we have the opportunity to construct a permanent facility-one which can reflect both continuity and change.

There will be the continuity of the Inter-American Center itself coupled with changes-in cultural programs, in new exhibits, in new ideas.

Here will be an unparalleled opportunity to work out the theme of Interama-the exposition of the American way of life, of progress with freedom.

The U.S. pavilion and exhibit may well serve as the first greeting of our Nation to the many travelers from Latin America coming to these shores.

For citizens of the United States, what better way to see the attractions of foreign lands than by visiting the international area pavilions? In this way, they can see the U.S.A.-and still sample the flavor of Latin America.

In its location at Miami, the gateway to the Americas, Interama stands ready to become the catalyst in creating the community of ideas and the integration of economies which has long been envisaged.

Mr. Chairman, this program has been studied at length. It is now about to flower. No better assurance can be given its future success than for Congress to speed the completion of the legislation sought here today. Fifteen years ago, we adopted a joint resolution paving the way for Interama. We must now complement that action by authorizing the participation of the United States in the Inter-American Cultural and Trade Center.

Mr. Chairman, that is the extent of my remarks. I will be happy to answer any questions or perform in any other fashion which the distinguished chairman might wish for me to do.

Mr. FASCELL. Thank you very much, Senator Smathers. I think we better proceed with the rest of the presentation.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, could I ask a question?

Mr. FASCELL. Mr. Frelinghuysen.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Will the Senators be here after the rest of the witnesses have made their presentations or are we going to lose them? In other words, I would like to ask a couple of brief questions of the Senators if they are not going to be here later on.