NEW YORK, Tuesday—The U.S. House of Representatives passed the appropriation bill for foreign aid without making any provision for funds for the United Nations program of technical assistance. President Eisenhower had requested $17,958,000 to meet the United States' obligations under this program, but still the House ignored it. So the only hope of getting funds for the program reinstated is through action by the Senate.

There are many areas in the world where assistance from the United States or from any nation is looked upon with some suspicion, for fear it is an effort to bring about economic domination of the country, but the economic aid that comes through the U.N. is always acceptable. Technical assistance has been particularly valuable because the programs are worked out with the different nations, and technical advisers are sent to help carry them through.

In the past, when we carried on the Point Four program, which was not tied to Mutual Security and therefore was not conditioned by acquiescence on the part of the aided country to take certain military steps, aid was often provided in conjunction with U.N. technical assistance, and this facilitated the carrying out of projects in countries with limited means.

The technical assistance program of the U.N. was started four years ago. During this period the U.S. has contributed just under 60 percent of the program funds. Its pledge for 1954 was made in November of 1953 and was to be $13,861,809. Of this amount $3,904,188 has already been appropriated, but $9,957,621 of the U.S. pledge for 1954 has still to be appropriated. It was this amount plus an additional $8,000,000—approximately half of the U.S. contemplated pledge for 1955—which was represented by the $17,958,000 which President Eisenhower sought but which the House disallowed.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee reported strongly in favor of authorizing this appropriation because they realized the great value of this program.

In their report they stated: "The committee feels that this program deserves continued U.S. support. A multilateral approach is much better in some countries where public opinion will accept aid from international organizations but not from a foreign nation, and for some problems of regional scope. It is also more economic for the U.S. to share the burden of supplying this know-how with other nations. The favorable impact of the U.N. technical assistance program is best demonstrated by the fact that last year the Soviet Union and some of its satellites bowed to world public opinion and made their first token contribution to this program."

Let us pray that the Senate will restore this appropriation and not leave it to the Soviets to take our place in this program.