404. Memorandum from McGovern to Waters, January 221
Office of Food For Peace: Responsibilities and Procedures
On January nineteenth, a discussion luncheon was held at the White House with the following persons present: Secretary Orville Freeman, Assistant Secretary John Duncan, and Mrs. Dorothy Jacobson, USDA; Assistant Secretary Ed Martin, State; Herbert Waters, State (AID); Director David Bell, Bureau of the Budget; Myer Feldman, Deputy Special Counsel to the President; and George McGovern.
The participants agreed that the President’s executive order of January 24, 1961, establishing the Food For Peace Office, has served a useful purpose in expediting, expanding, and dramatizing the Food For Peace Program. The group concluded that there are two broad continuing functions of the White House Food For Peace Office:
1. It shall keep under surveillance all Food For Peace activities and make suggestions to the operating agencies relative to program problems or opportunities. New ideas received or generated by the Food For Peace Director will be made known to the operating agencies. While the Interagency Staff Committee will continue to review Food For Peace proposals, the Food For Peace Director will provide leadership in preventing unreasonable delays or difficulties.
2. It shall provide a centralized focus for Food For Peace publicity. All news releases shall be informally noted, presumably by telephone, by State (AID), USDA, the Food For Peace Office, and, when necessary, by the Budget Bureau, before they are released. Important announcements will be referred by the Food For Peace Director to the White House Press Secretary for release by the President. The Director will serve as the coordinator for all Food For Peace publicity, but any announcements from this office shall give due recognition to the roles played by the operating agencies. We will also maintain liaison with USIA, the American Food For Peace Council, and the U.S. Freedom From Hunger Foundation (FAO).
- Role and function of the White House Food for Peace Office. No classification marking. 1 p. Washington National Records Center, RG 286, AID Administrator Files: FRC 65 A 481, Agriculture, FY 1962.↩