153. Editorial Note
On November 16, 1967, the White House Press Office issued a statement by President Johnson, indicating his appointment of an Industry-Government Special Travel Task Force to recommend how the U.S. Government could best increase foreign travel to the United States and thus improve the nation’s balance of payments. This statement also announced the President’s appointment of Robert M. McKinney as working chairman of the new Task Force. McKinney had previously been Ambassador to Switzerland and had served on an earlier Balance of Payments Task Force.
Other members of the Task Force included leaders in the fields of travel, transportation, public relations, entertainment, publishing, and hotels. Government representatives on it were Anthony M. Solomon, Winthrop Knowlton, John W. Black, Donald G. Agger (Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, Department of Transportation), Andrew F. Brimmer (member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), Charles S. Murphy (Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board), and Harry M. Shooshan (Deputy Under Secretary for Programs, Department of the Interior).
The statement also indicated that the Special Travel Task Force, which was to report to the President “no later than the early part of next summer,” would supplement the already existing Cabinet Task Force on Travel, chaired by Vice President Humphrey.
In addition to preparing a program to meet the nation’s balance-of-payment goals, the new Task Force was directed to “build into its program ways and means that will insure that more and more foreign visitors truly learn to know our country and our people,” the results of which would “inevitably and beneficially broaden the areas of mutual understanding between the peoples of the world.” The President also hoped the Task Force would recall his remarks of August 11, 1965, in which he encouraged Americans and foreigners alike to “travel to see more of the wonders and beauties of this vast and marvelous land of ours.” (White House press release, November 16, 1967; Washington National Records Center, RG 40, Department of Commerce Files: FRC 74 A 20, U.S. Travel Service, 1967–1968)
Text of the President’s remarks to the See U.S.A. Committee on August 11, 1965, is in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965, pages 872–874.
President Johnson had earlier announced his intention to appoint such a Task Force in his Economic Message on January 26, 1967; see Document 114.
In a November 16 memorandum to Secretary of Commerce Trowbridge, attached to the White House press release, John W. Black noted [Page 440] that the White House made “several alterations in the last list of names which we saw on September 25” (the September 25 list has not been found), and he listed those approved, added, and dropped from the September 25 list. He also added some personal comments on the composition of the Task Force.