Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume IV, Foreign Assistance, International Development, Trade Policies, 1969–1972

90. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Irwin to President Nixon¹

Washington, March 27, 1972.

SUBJECT

• FY 1972 Military Assistance Fund Shortfall

I refer to Secretary Rogers’ memorandum of March 14, 1972, presenting four alternative courses of action with respect to FY 1972 MAP shortfall.² At that time, the Department of State expressed a preference for the utilization of Section 506 of the Foreign Assistance Act as the best early solution to the problem of meeting the shortfall for Turkey and Korea, particularly in view of the imminent arrival of Turkish Prime Minister Erim.

Under current circumstances, the Department believes that there are only two alternatives for dealing with the MAP shortfall problem: (1) an FY 1972 MAP supplemental; or (2) focus our efforts to obtain our full FY 1973 MAP budget request. There is attached a memorandum summarizing the pros and cons of proceeding with an FY 1972 MAP supplemental,³ which I understand is the preferred course of action of Secretary Laird.

The choice is difficult. Within this Department there is support for both alternatives. On balance, however, I recommend that we should not submit an FY 1972 supplemental to the Congress. Instead, I prefer the strategy of maximum effort to secure earliest possible passage of the FY 1973 Security Assistance legislation at the fund levels requested. Following the enactment of the appropriations, we would then consider with Defense the impact of the total fund situation for MAP on our programs and our relationships with our Allies and would then determine whether the shortfall for FY 1972 and FY 1973 justified the submission of an FY 1973 supplemental for MAP to the next session of Congress.⁴

John N. Irwin II

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 324, Foreign Aid, Volume II 1972. Secret. Attached to a March 28 memorandum from Kennedy and Lehman to Kissinger summarizing the change in the State Department position and recommending he sign a memorandum to the President, Document 91.
2. Document 87.
3. Undated paper entitled “FY 1972 Supplemental for MAP,” not printed.
4. On May 17 NSC Staff Secretary Davis sent a memorandum to Executive Secretary of the Department of State Eliot, in reference to this memorandum and the March 14 memorandum from Rogers, confirming her phone message that the President had decided to take no further action on the subject at that time. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Subject Files, Box 324, Foreign Aid, Volume II 1972)