Mr. TABER. Why do you need that money? You have a great lot of personnel. In the Department you have 19 positions estimated, and in the field you have 5, and then you have coordination committees. I do not understand what you use this money for. Mr. HARRISON. The request of $700,000 covers the administrative expenses of the organizations through which our field information program is carried out. Mr. TABER. You mean clerical help? Mr. HARRISON. Clerical help and other field employees who are servicing the programs of the operating divisions, as well as general administrative expenses. Mr. TABER. Other committees from other departments? Mr. HARRISON. No; this is entirely within the committees. The operating divisions are Radio, Press, and Motion Pictures. NUMBER AND WORK OF COORDINATION COMMITTEES Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. How many committees do you have? Mr. HARRISON. We have a central committee in each country. Mr. HISLE. These are committees of United States citizens resident in the other American republics who have volunteered their services for the purpose of assisting in our information program. Mr. RABAUT. How many did you have there originally? Mr. HARRISON. The first was formed in fiscal year 1942; by the end of that fiscal year we had a central committee in each country. Mr. RABAUT. The same number of committees, but you have had more personnel. The personnel is tapering off? Mr. HISLE. The personnel reduction is in the Regional Division staff. The Division directs and correlates the administration of the committees which carry on the press and radio and motion picture programs in the field. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. How many committees have you? Mr. HISLE. We have 21 central committees, that is, 1 in each country-with one exception-where there are 2-Ecuador. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. How many people do you have on a committee; what will they average? Mr. HISLE. That varies from country to country. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. What is your personnel of the 21 committees, over all? Mr. HISLE. The average number of employees is about 10 per committee. We have 234 employees in the committee administrative set-up. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Are these all American citizens, or are some of them from the other countries? Mr. AKIN. The coordination committees are composed of outstanding United States citizens resident in these various countries who, by reason of their abilities, and experience in Latin America, are particularly well equipped to give advice and direction to the local staffs who are handling the programs. The committees have been granted funds with which to maintain paid staffs. About 90 percent of the local staff is made up of citizens of the countries in which the committee is located. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. You have an average of $35,000 per committee. Will you give us a typical break-down of the $35,000? Mr. HISLE. A country average is misleading, since the other American republics vary greatly in size. The over-all total is $700,000. We have a statement showing 234 employees for all committees with an average salary of $1,579. (Other figures from the statement referred to are quoted later in the testimony of the Regional Division.) Mr. TABER. Each committee has an average of 8 or 10 employees? Mr. HARRISON. The number varies with each country. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. I thought you had one in every country. Mr. HISLE. We have one central committee in each country, except one country where there are two-Equador. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. How many committees have you, all told? Have you that figure? Mr. AKIN. We have a total of 67 central and regional committees. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. What is the personnel on those committees? Mr. HISLE. The total personnel on the administrative pay rolls of those committees is 234. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. For 67 committees? Mr. HISLE. All the committee members serve without salary. The paid staff hired by the committees, both central and regional, aggregate 234. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Can you give us a break-down of the $700,000 for the maintenance of coordination committees? Mr. HISLE. The total personal-service cost is $369,597; for travel expenses the amount is $30,741; for transportation of things the amount is $7,105; for communications expenses the amount is $31,308; for rents and utilities the amount is $68,493. That covers all rentals of space required in operating the committees, including their motionpicture, press, and radio activities. For printing and binding the amount is $11,734; for contractual services the amount is $48,636; for supplies and materials the amount is $45,384; for equipment the amount is $24,833; and for small local projects which the committees carry out, the amount is $62,169. NUMBER OF COORDINATION COMMITTEES Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Have you always had these 67 committees? Mr. AKIN. No; we set up one at a time in each country. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. How many did you have in the last fiscal year? Mr. HISLE. We had approximately the same number. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. You are planning for the same number in the next fiscal year? Mr. AKIN. We are planning the same number because these members serve without pay, and they are instrumental in carrying on the work outside of strictly governmental channels, carrying the program to the people. The number of committee members who serve without compensation of course, does not in any way affect the amount of funds supplied to them. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. But the number of committees, does, definitely. Mr. AKIN. Yes; the number of committees does affect the number of people on the paid staff. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Do you need all of these regional committees? Mr. AKIN. In order to maintain the coverage outside of the capitals, we do. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Will you put in the record a break-down by countries of the committees, and the number of regional committees, and where they are? Mr. AKIN. Yes, sir; we will be glad to do that. (The statement requested is as follows:) FIELD ORGANIZATION Central committees, all capitals and Regional committees Continued. GUIDANCE AND REFERENCE DIVISION Mr. RABAUT. The next item is tab 8, the Guidance and Reference Division. Mr. TABER. Why do you need $168,790 for this guidance and reference set-up? What do you do with what, and why do you need all that money? Mr. HARRISON. This is the estimate for the Division which gives direction and planning before programs are put into effect. 72467-45- -34 JUSTIFICATION OF ESTIMATES MR. TABER. What do you do in that Division? Is this a departmental force entirely? Mr. DIEHL. Yes. I offer for the record the following justification: GUIDANCE AND REFERENCE DIVISION Objectives. The major objectives of this Division are: (1) To establish the strategy by which an integrated, affirmative information program will be pursued and Axis propaganda refuted by the force of facts; (2) prepare special guidance and plans of operation, covering our relations with each of the other American republics, our objectives with respect to situations that affect the Western Hemisphere, and our relations, integrated with those of the other republics, to particularly important countries and areas outside the Western Hemisphere; (3) to analyze and make recommendations concerning economic, social, and political problems which arise in connection with the operations of the Office. Operations. There is made available to the Division, with appropriate safeguards from a security standpoint, confidential outlines of policy communicated to the Office from departments and independent agencies engaged in the prosecution of the war. The Division also obtains intelligence information through liaison with the operating divisions of the Office, the Military and Naval Establishments, and other war agencies. On the basis of facts developed from these sources and through discussions initiated with, and suggestions and guidance received from, other Government agencies, this Division: 1. Produces twice-daily, weekly, and special-occasion guidance notes for issuance by the Office for the assistance of the coordination committees, short-wave radio programs, and the operating divisions of the Office. 2. Prepares special guidance reports relating to the other American republics and to special situations and critical areas which bear on the relations between the republics of this hemisphere. 3. Integrates the information program of the Office with that of the Office of War Information. 4. Acts as a service division in research for other divisions of the Office and presents reports concerning political, social, and economic developments in the other American republics (current and potential) for the use of the Office. Data are interpreted and analyzed at the request of other divisions of the Office or initiated by the Division in anticipation of such requests. 5. Prepares a daily information bulletin and special economic bulletins for distribution throughout the Office, copies being sent to officials in other Government agencies. 6. Represents the Office on a number of interpartmental committees dealing with specific commodities and problems which arise in the Western Hemisphere. This is a service division. Information flows into the Office from and concerning the other American republics from various sources. This Division summarizes and analyzes information that comes in from these sources and from the field and supplies that information to the various operating divisions of the Office. The Division also prepares and issues guidance memoranda which direct the emphasis of the daily work of the operating divisions. Mr. RABAUT. Is that a sort of screening process? Mr. DIEHL. Yes; it is. Also, the guidance work is most important. COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS Mr. TABER. What is the program for cooperative research projects? Mr. DIEHL. That is mainly to cover projects in cooperation with other governmental agencies, such as the Department of Commerce, with which a joint project may be undertaken. I offer for the record the following justification: Cooperative research program Estimated obligations: 1945. 1946. $33, 767 34, 500 This covers projects undertaken in cooperation with other Government agencies, principally the Department of Commerce. It is planned during the coming fiscal year to make analytical studies on increased trade between the United States and the other American republics in response to a widespread demand. On the basis of the distribution of current reports it is estimated that the cost involved in the preparation and dissemination of this information will amount to $30,000. There will be a revision of the Handbook of Basic Data on the Other American Republics. This project covers a summary of basic data on the economic, social, geographic, and political factors comprising the economy of each of the 20 other American republics. Copies of this handbook are distributed to libraries of the country, inter-American centers, Government agencies, and to the general public by sale through the Government Printing Office. The cost of printing is estimated at $4,500. Mr. TABER. Are we contributing to that also? Mr. HISLE. Yes, we are. Mr. TABER. Why should this agency be engaged in analytical studies of trade of the United States and other American republics? Mr. HARRISON. Because in carrying out our programs those facts are most helpful to us. Mr. TABER. Have we not got two or three other agencies that have figures concerning trade between the United States and other American republics? Mr. HARRISON. Yes, and we use them as much as we can. Mr. HARRISON. We get help from the Department of Commerce, some from the F. E. A., and some through the Department of State. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Can they not give you what you need; can you not get that information simply by calling them on the telephone? Mr. DIEHL. No, sir. BASIC DATA CONCERNING OTHER AMERICAN REPUBLICS Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. How far back are you on basic data concerning the other American republics? That must be pretty well up to date. Mr. DIEHL. It is pretty well up to date, up to last year, but some pertinent information has to be held back for security reasons. To bring it up to date for the current year requires additional material and revision. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. If we eliminate the $34,500 in the estimate that would not hurt anybody very much, would it? Mr. HISLE. It would not leave us with any funds for the special type of information that we are interested in getting, or the revision of the basic data handbook, both of which are important to our work. Mr. CASE. Do you check also with the Tariff Commission on their studies of foreign trade possibilities? Mr. DIEHL. Yes, we do. There is an interdepartmental committee on which both our Office and the Tariff Commission are represented. We work with them, using their studies, and they use ours. Mr. CASE. In what way do your studies relate to a field occupied by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce and the Tariff Commission? |