No. 277
Editorial Note
In a special message to Congress of June 1, 1953, President Eisenhower transmitted Reorganization Plan No. 7 of 1953 relating to the establishment of the Foreign Operations Administration. In a separate message to Congress that same day, the President stated that his aim in establishing the new agency was “to centralize further the foreign assistance and related economic responsibilities” of the Executive Branch of the United States Government. In implementing this reorganization, Eisenhower continued, “I am taking certain administrative actions. These include the transfer from the Secretary of State to the Director of the Foreign Operations Administration four responsibilities: the administration of the Act for International Development; assistance to private foreign relief organizations; programs for aiding persons who have escaped from Communist areas; and operating functions with respect to United States participation in the United Nations Technical Assistance Program, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, the United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency, and the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration”. In addition, “Reorganization Plan No. 7 of 1953 provides for abolishing the offices of Special Representative in Europe and Deputy Special Representative in Europe, as authorized by section 504 of the Mutual Security Act of 1951, as amended. I am establishing a new United States mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and European regional organizations. The chief of the mission will report to and receive instructions from the Secretary of State. The mission will include representatives of the Secretary of Defense, [Page 543] the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of the Foreign Operations Administration”.
In further explanation of his actions and aims, the President circulated a “Memorandum on the Organization of the Executive Branch for the Conduct of Foreign Affairs” to the Heads of all Executive Departments and to the Director for Mutual Security dated June 1, 1953. In this memorandum, the President stated, inter alia:
“… the overall foreign affairs reorganization which I desire to achieve is designed to emphasize the primary position of the Secretary of State within the executive branch in matters of foreign policy.… It will be my practice to employ the Secretary of State as my channel of authority within the executive branch on foreign policy. Other officials of the executive branch will work with and through the Secretary of State on matters of foreign policy.… The Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of the Treasury, as appropriate, shall review plans and policies relative to military and economic assistance programs, foreign information programs, and legislative proposals of the Foreign Operations Administration and the United States Information Agency [established simultaneously with the FOA under Reorganization Plan No. 8], to assure that in their conception and execution, such plans, policies and proposals are consistent with and further the attainment of foreign policy, military policy and financial and monetary policy objectives. The Director of the Foreign Operations Administration and the Director of the United States Information Agency will assure the concurrence or participation of the appropriate Secretary before taking up with me any policy matters of concern to that Secretary. The heads of these new agencies should furnish information to the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Treasury in such manner and form as may be agreed between the head of the agency and the Secretary concerned to insure that the program of the agencies and the implementation of such programs conform with foreign policy, military policy, and financial and monetary policy objectives. To the maximum feasible extent consistent with efficiency and economy, the internal organization of the new agencies should be designed to permit ready coordination with subordinate levels of the Department of State. This would suggest parallel areas of responsibility for constituent units of the State Department and of the two new operating agencies wherever feasible.… The Director of the Foreign Operations Administration should take full advantage of the advice and assistance available in other agencies. He should coordinate his operations with related operations in other agencies. At the same time, I expect the Director of the Foreign Operations Administration to maintain full control and direction over all foreign economic and technical assistance programs rather than turn this responsibility over to other agencies”.
The complete texts of President Eisenhower’s special messages to Congress on the “Organization of the Executive Branch for the Conduct of Foreign Affairs and the Transmission of Reorganization [Page 544] Plan No. 7 of 1953” are printed in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953, pages 342–349. The memorandum on the Organization of the Executive Branch for the Conduct of Foreign Affairs, sent on June 1, 1953, to the Heads of all Executive Departments and to the Director for Mutual Security, is ibid., pages 351–354.