CONTENTS H. R. 7997, 8032, 8033, 8090, 8174, and 8233 Statement of— Dunn, Pead P., Jr., director of foreign trade, National Cotton Council Falk, Ernest, manager, Northwest Horticultural Council_ Lynn, John C., representing the American Farm Bureau Federation Phillips, Hon. John, a Representative in Congress from the State of Morse, Hon. True D., Under Secretary, Department of Agricul- ture, letter of November 19, 1953, to Hon. George D. Aiken_- Mehl, Joseph M., Administrator, Commodity Exchange Authority, 69 Additional data submitted to the committee by— Mehl, Joseph M.: Morse, Hon, True D., Acting Secretary, Department of Agricul- 69 Spencer, Frank H., Assistant Administrator for Management, Agri- cultural Research Service, Department of Agriculture___. Additional data submitted to the committee by- Wells, Oris V., Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service: Marketing activities of the Agricultural Marketing Service.......... Clarkson, Dr. M. R., Deputy Administrator, Agricultural Research Vesicular exanthema program indemnities, fiscal year 1953_ Vesicular exanthema program indemnities, fiscal year 1954_.. Richards, Preston, Deputy Administrator, Commodity Stabilization Brott, J. Olney, general counsel, American Bankers Association__ Farrington, P. F., Solicitor, Department of Agriculture. Shulman, Edward M., Deputy Solicitor, Commodity Credit Corpo- Dahl, Harvey A., assistant to the director, Agricultural Credit Service, Department of Agriculture, accompanied by Edward M. Shulman, FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE MONDAY, MARCH 22, 1954 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The committee met, pursuant to call, at 10 a. m., in room 1310, House Office Building, Representative Clifford R. Hope (chairman) presiding. Present: Representative Hope (chairman), Andresen, Hill, Harvey, Lovre, Belcher, McIntire, Williams, King, Harrison, Cooley, Poage, Grant, McMillan, Abernethy, Polk, Wheeler, Thompson, and Jones. Also present: Representatives Jamie L. Whitten, of Mississippi; John Phillips, of California; Walt Horan, of Washington; and Eugene J. McCarthy, of Minnesota. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. We have met this morning for the consideration of several bills which are identical in form and which have for their purpose, as stated in the title, the promotion of agriculture of the United Statesby acquiring and diffusing useful information regarding agriculture in foreign countries and the marketing of American agricultural commodities, and the products thereof, outside of the United States; to authorize the creation of an Agricultural Foreign Service in the Department of Agriculture; and for other purposes. These bills have been introduced by the gentleman from California, Mr. Phillips; the gentleman from Washington, Mr. Horan; and the gentleman from California, Mr. Hunter; and the gentleman from Mississippi, Mr. Whitten; and the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Poage; and myself. (The bills are as follows:) [H. R. 7997, 83d Cong., 2d sess.] A BILL To promote the agriculture of the United States by acquiring and diffusing useful information regarding agriculture in foreign countries and the marketing of American agricultural commodities, and the products thereof, outside of the United States; to authorize the creation of an Agricultural Foreign Service in the Department of Agriculture; and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, for the purpose of encouraging and promoting the agriculture of the United States and assisting American farmers, processors, distributors, and exporters, to adjust their operations and practices to meet world conditions, the Secretary of Agiculture shall acquire information regarding the competition and demand for United States agricultural products, the marketing and distribution of said products in foreign countries and shall be responsible for the interpretation and dissemination of such information in the United States and shall make investigations abroad regarding the factors affecting and influencing the export of United States agricultural products, and shall conduct abroad any other activities including the demonstration of standards of quality for American agricultural products for which the Department of Agriculture now has or in the future may have such standards, as he deems necessary. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as prohibiting the Department of Agriculture from conducting abroad any activity for which authority now exists. (b) This Act shall be cited as the Agricultural Foreign Service Act of 1954. SEC. 2. (a) To effectuate the carrying out of the purposes of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to appoint or assign to service abroad such personnel as he determines to be necessary without regard to the civilservice laws. Such personnel shall constitute the Agricultural Foreign Service of the United States, provided that no person shall be assigned or appointed to the Agricultural Foreign Service of the United States who has not been a citizen of the United States for at least ten years and has not demonstrated his loyalty to the Government and his attachment to the principles of the Constitution of the United States. (b) When an officer or employee of the Agricultural Foreign Service is assigned or appointed to a post abroad he shall have the designation of Agricultural Attaché, Assistant Agricultural Attaché, Agricultural Commissioner, Agricultural Officer, or such other title or designation as the Secretary of Agriculture may deem appropriate. (c) Upon the request of the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of State shall regularly and officially attach the officers or employees of the Agricultural Foreign Service of the United States to the diplomatic mission of the United States in the country to which such officers or employees are to be assigned by the Secretary of Agriculture, and steps shall be taken to provide them diplomatic privileges and immunities equivalent to those enjoyed by Foreign Servic personnel of comparable rank. (d) the Secretary of State may reject the name of any officer or employee assigned abroad by the Secretary of Agriculture if in his judgment the assignment of such person would not be in the public interest of the United States. (e) No officer of the Agricultural Foreign Service of the United States shall be considered as having the character of a public minister. (f) When attached to a mission abroad, personnel of the Agricultural Foreign Service of the United States shall conduct their activities in accordance with the protocol of the mission to which they are attached, and shall be subject to the general supervision of the head of the mission in such matters, but with respect to their technical duties, they shall be responsible to and subject only to the orders of the Secretary of Agriculture. SEC. 3. (a) The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish such grades and classes of responsibility for personnel of the Agricultural Foreign Service of the United States stationed abroad, and shall assign, promote, demote, transfer, or reinstate such officers and employees to such grades or classes as he may deem appropriate. He shall fix the salary range for each grade or class of responsibility but in doing so he shall take into consideration the salary range of comparable positions in the Foreign Service of the United States existing at the post to which personnel are to be assigned. (b) The Secretary of Agriculture may assign any officer or employee of the Agricultural Foreign Service of the United States to duty in the United States for a period of not more than three years without a change in grade or status. SEC. 4. The Secretary of Agriculture may, under such rules and regulations as may be necessary, provide to personnel of the Agricultural Foreign Service allowances and benefits similar to those provided by title IX of the Foreign Service Act of 1946. Annual leave for personnel under this Act shall be on the same basis as is provided for the Foreign Service of the United States by the Annual and Sick Leave Act of 1951 (5 U. S. C. 2061). SEC. 5. (a) Such personnel of the Agricultural Foreign Service as determined eligible therefor by the Secretary of Agriculture shall be entitled to the same benefits as officers of the Foreign Service of the United States in the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System as provided for in title VIII of the Foreign Service Act of 1946, except that such personnel may with the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture continue to serve until they reach the age of seventy. (b) The Secretary of Agriculture may by regulation provide for necessary adaptation of the system to the Agricultural Foreign Service of the United States, including the exercise of him of functions assigned by said title VIII to the Secretary of State. (c) The Secretary of the Treasury shall in carrying out his functions under said title VIII and in the preparation of estimates of appropriations to be made to the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund take into consideration the participants of the Agricultural Foreign Service of the United States. SEC. 6. Provisions in annual appropriation acts of the Department of State facilitating the work of the Foreign Service of the United States shall be applicable under rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture to activities pursuant to this Act. SEC. 7. The Secretary of Agriculture may make rules and regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act and may cooperate with any Department or agency of the United States Government, State, Territory or possession or any organization or person. In any foreign country where custom or practice requires payment in advance for rent or other service, such payment may be authorized by the Secretary of Agriculture. SEC. 8. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for the purpose of carrying out this Act. [H. R. 8032, 83d Cong., 2d sess.] A BILL To promote the agriculture of the United States by acquiring and diffusing useful information regarding agriculture in foreign countries and the marketing of American agricultural commodities, and the products thereof, outside of the United States; to authorize the creation of an Agricultural Foreign Service in the Department of Agriculture; and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, for the purpose of encouraging and promoting the agriculture of the United States and assisting American farmers, processors, distributors, and exporters to adjust their operations and practices to meet world conditions, the Secretary of Agriculture shall acquire information regarding the competition and demand for United States agricultural products, the marketing and distribution of said products in foreign countries and shall be responsible for the interpretation and dissemination of such information in the United States and shall make investigations abroad regarding the factors affecting and influencing the export of United States agricultural products, and shall conduct abroad any other activities including the demonstration of standards of quality for American agricultural products for which the Department of Agriculture now has or in the future may have such standards, as he deems necessary. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as prohibiting the Department of Agriculture from conducting abroad any activity for which authority now exists. (b) This Act shall be cited as the Agricultural Foreign Service Act of 1954. SEC. 2. (a) To effectuate the carrying out of the purpose of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to appoint or assign to service abroad such personnel as he determines to be necessary without regard to the civilservice laws. Such personnel shall constitute the Agricultural Foreign Service of the United States, provided that no person shall be assigned or appointed to the Agricultural Foreign Service of the United States who has not been a citizen of the United States for at least ten years and has not demonstrated his loyalty to the Government and his attachment to the principles of the Constitution of the United States. (b) When an officer or employee of the Agricultural Foreign Service is assigned or appointed to a post abroad he shall have the designation of Agricultural Attaché, Assistant Agricultural Attaché, Agricultural Commissioner, Agricultural Officer, or such other title or designation as the Secretary of Agriculture may deem appropriate. (c) Upon the request of the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of State shall regularly and officially attach the officers or employees of the Agricultural Foreign Service of the United States to the diplomatic mission of the United States in the country in which such officers or employees are to be assigned by the Secretary of Agriculture, and steps shall be taken to provide them diplomatic privileges and immunities equivalent to those enjoyed by Foreign Service personnel of comparable rank. (d) The Secretary of State may reject the name of any officer or employee assigned abroad by the Secretary of Agriculture if in his judgment the assignment of such person would not be in the public interest of the United States. |