385. Letter from Freeman to
Bowles, June 301
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Enclosed you will find some correspondence with Ted Sorensen which resulted from a New
York Times story commenting on what they took to be a different approach
to Food for Peace by the President and the Secretary of Agriculture. The
contents are, I think, self-explanatory.
I surely enjoyed lunching with you the other day. If I recall rightly,
you were going to send me over some material. If so, it has gone astray
and I wonder if you would check for I would like to see it.
I have thought a good deal about our conversation and we are going ahead
here in the Department along the lines that we reviewed. I hope that by
October we will have the study referred to, which is described in the
memorandum from Dr. Cochrane attached hereto. If it is as good as I hope
it will be, it should provide some useful help in developing our
country-by-country plans. I am still strongly of the opinion, Chet, that
the actual operation of such plans ought to be made the responsibility
of operating departments and, if I may say so, particularly Agriculture,
which is so important to the countries in question. I acknowledge your
admonition that we may not here at all times have approached these
problems either with a very deep understanding or wisdom, yet extensive
technical knowledge is available here and also very broad experience,
and, in the long run, it would be my feeling that in this fashion we
will get the best execution of necessary programs.
In any event, please do keep me informed. We are seeking to contribute in
every way we can. Agriculture needs to be a vital force in American
foreign policy, and we hope to make it exactly that.
Warmest personal regards.
Sincerely yours,
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Enclosure
June 29,
1961
Enclosed is the clipping from the New York
Times which we discussed on the telephone. I felt sure that
I was not expressing a policy contrary to that of the President, but
it is reassuring to be verified in that feeling. I enclose also a
copy of my address to the Food for Peace Council which incorporates
what I said to them, although I did not follow the script strictly.
I am also taking the liberty of sending you a copy of a letter that
I wrote to Dave Bell in
connection with this whole matter a few days ago, which relates to
the policy question involved, which you and I have reviewed a number
of times.
I would paraphrase here briefly the direction in which I hope we can
move which is outlined in some detail in my letter to Dave. By
October we hope to complete our inventory study which is expected to
bring together for the first time with reasonable accuracy, data in
connection with food needs country-by-country, what we have done
with our food in connection with those needs, what could be done,
and an evaluation of our technical assistance programs where
agriculture is concerned in the various developing countries. (See
memorandum from Cochrane). With this information we will have some
guidelines as to the scope and extent of the program we ought to
envision where food is concerned. Then it would be, I believe, sound
public policy and have tremendous impact both domestically and
around the world if we boldly stated that we stood prepared to meet
a given percentage of that need. Such a statement would challenge
the rest of the world to join us in both filling hungry bellies and
furthering constructive economic-development programs. Such a
challenge to the Soviet and to the balance of the free world would
project dramatically the kind of concept of free America we want to
convey. Then we would proceed to implement such a program through
the medium of country-by-country plans, developed along the lines
outlined in the economic assistance program and its new
organizational structure. So far as carrying out these plans in
detail there is still, I think, some bedrock thinking to be done and
perhaps some experimenting. The vital thing, I believe, is that we
are ready to use the magnificent productivity that we have for
constructive purposes. If we are able to do it methodically,
systematically, and sensibly and to dramatize it appropriately, it
will mean, I think, a great deal in the world struggle for
freedom.
Sincerely yours,
