The Master Chef

It happens every year. As the time approaches for Congress to vote money for foreign aid, the President of the U.S. must try to find some way of dealing with Louisiana Democrat Otto Passman, chairman of the House subcommittee that passes on foreign aid appropriations. It makes little difference what the President decides to do. For in any event Passman is certain to try to slash foreign aid to the barest nubbin. And he often succeeds.

Thus, in 1957. when the foreign aid program was before Passman's subcommittee. Republican Dwight Eisenhower invited Passman to the White House. Ike meant to use all his great persuasiveness on Passman. But he never got a chance. No sooner had Passman entered the President's office than he launched into a long recitation, flung verbal graphs around the room, polka-dotted the President with decimal points, cascaded the room with statistics. When Passman finally left, the President turned to an aide. "Remind me," he groaned, "never to invite that fellow down here again."

Last week came Democrat John Kennedy's turn--and Passman is nothing if not nonpartisan about his attitudes toward foreign aid. His subcommittee whacked $1.1 billion--or about 24%--from Kennedy's $4.7 billion foreign aid program. Passman pushed the slash through the full Appropriations Committee, then through the House itself. The long-term Development Loan Fund (aimed at easing Allies like Greece and Iran into a realistic self-help economy) was cut by more than one-third, defense assistance by one-seventh, defense hardware by one-eighth, the Alliance for Progress by one-eighth, etc. Passman also inserted into the appropriation bill a ban against aid to any country "whose government is based upon that theory known as Communism." This was aimed especially at Poland and Yugoslavia --and. in these instances, good riddance.

"Still Cookin'." Otto Passman looked upon all his handiwork not as that of a butcher but as that of a master chef. Cried he in response to criticism: "They say if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. Well, I'm still cookin'."

Instead of trying to mollify Passman (which was useless), President Kennedy attacked furiously (which may have been equally useless). "It makes no sense at all," he declared, "to make speeches against the spread of Communism, to deplore instability in Latin America and Asia, to call for an increase in American prestige and an initiative in Eastern Europe--and then vote to cut back the Alliance for Progress, to hamper the Peace Corps, to cut off surplus food shipments to hungry Poles." The President expressed hope that the "irresponsible action" inspired by Passman would be corrected.

Seven Ps. If the President thought he might bulldoze Passman, he was quickly disillusioned. Taking the House floor in his own defense. Passman said that he had withstood the "unprecedented use" of Kennedy's "Seven-Point Formula." That formula, he cried, is "comprised of the application of Prestige. Personality, Propaganda. Persuasion. Power. Pressure, and maybe Punishment." He deplored the fact that "we have poured the American taxpayers' wealth into dictatorships, so-called neutral nations. Communist-dominated nations." He recalled instances in which foreign aid went wrong. A subchaser given to Ethiopia, for example, turned up as a private yacht. "Of course, Haile Selassie's enjoying that yacht." he cracked. "I hope to visit with him on it when Congress adjourns." He wondered how the 2O-man board of governors of the Inter-American Development Bank managed to spend $143,358 on a conference in Brazil. "They had a little clambake down in Rio. Man. how I would have liked to have been there."

Passman also quoted former Congressman John Kennedy as saying in 1951 that the U.S. could not afford to raise the standard of living around the world. "I shall not be personal." Passman said, getting personal. "I am sure that the gentleman was sincere." He warned that "you cannot continue indefinitely spending in excess of your revenue. You won't have enough gold left in five years to paint your watches."

With little difficulty. Passman got the House to go along with him. And at week's end all that the frustrated Administration forces could hope for was that the Senate would restore some or most of the cuts, leaving the final compromises to a House-Senate conference. But Otto Passman, who will be a key participant in that conference, seemed pretty chipper about the prospects for achieving the biggest slashes ever in the foreign aid program.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.