THE STAT PROGRAM IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP66B00403R000200160017-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 29, 2004
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: August 1, 1964
• Content Type: OPEN

041-the agency did not receive surplus food
and had to increase its financial assistance to
this refugee group. Some refugees were re-
settled into the United States, Canada, and
Australia, but this was balanced out by new
arrivals. " Clothing and medicines are the
chief items of aid dispensed by the fund.
The United `Church Board for World Minis-
tries, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, N.Y.
The, United Church's Division of World
Service administered a $1.5 million fund for
the relief of refugees last year. It had op-
erationsyin 46 countries, with special pro-
grams in Italy, Greece, Lebanon, and Ecua-
dor. With a major emphasis on self-help
projects, the board helped finance the work
of other agencies. These included: Division
of Inter-Church Aid-Refugee and World
Service of the World Council of Churches;
Church World Service, National Council of
Churches of Christ in U.S.A.; Heifer Project;
and the Meals for Millions Foundation.
United Hias Service, 425 Lafayette Street,
New York, N.Y.
United has Service assisted 5,100 persons
to resettle in the United States, Canada,
Latin America, Australia, and Western
Europe in 1963.
In planning for 1964, the agency estimated
that 5,800 persons will be assisted to resettle
during the current year. Estimated opera-
tions for the coming period take into ac-
count the stepped-up migration of Jews
from Eastern Europe, the increased number
of departures from Morocco to Canada, the
continuation of assistance to Jewish refugees
from the Middle East.
The agency is working out arrangements
under which top priority can be given to the
parents of unaccompanied Cuban Jewish
children who have been unable to join their
parents in the United States" since the sus-
pension of transportation between Havana
and Miami following the October 1962 mis-
siles crisis.
The Tolstoy Foundation, Inc., 989 Eighth,
Avenue, New York, N.Y.
The Tolstoy Foundation registered 16,000
refugees in Europe, Middle East, and Latin
America last year. The foundation has con-
tinued its self-help projects of integration in
Western Europe, expanded Its old-age-home
facilities, developed cultural programs for
intellectuals and students and provided
camp programs for the children of refugees.
A major effort was made in 1963 to integrate
European refugees from China In Latin
America, providing permanent care for the
aged and incapacitated. The foundation
took a major interest in Tibetan refugees in
1963, exploring avenues of resettlement for
theirs, especially in the United States. A
series of reports in depth on possible reset-
tlement areas is being prepared. The foun-
dation conducts an educational program for
Tibetan lamas in a monastery in New Jersey.
World University Service (WUS), 20 West
40th Street, New York, N.Y. '
Needy students from all over the world
benefit from WUS aid. Last year WUS con-
tinued five major programs aimed at refugee
Algeria: Financial assistance was given to
150 Algerians studying in Europe, and food,
drugs, clothing, etc. were provided to refugee
students in Tunisia and Morocco. In 1964,
WUS is helping the Algerian university com-
munity get back on its feet, which requires
$30,000 in assistance.
Angola: Financial aid ($70,000 since 1961)
has beer provided on a continuing basis to
refugee students from Angola and other
African territories ruled by Portugal.
ClUua,, More than $600,000 have been pro-
vic'ted over the past 6 years to foster' higher
education in Hong Kong. This program con-
tinued last year, In addition to which 11 Chi-
nese professors were brought to the United
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States to study and 5 students were sent to
Canada.
Hungary: Since 1956, WUS has been aiding
Hungarian refugee students, a $6 million pro-
gram. They have been able to continue their
studies in new countries of residence. There
are enough funds on hand to terminate this
program in the near future.
South Africa: Grants to colleges in neigh-
boring countries enable non-white refugee
students from South Africa to continue their
educations.
United Ukrainian American Relief Commit-
tee, Inc. (UUARC), 5020 Old York Road,
Philadelphia, Pa.
United Ukrainian American Relief Com-
mittee, Inc., through its European Headquar-
ters in Munich, Germany, continuously as-
sists more than 20,000 Ukrainian refugees and
escapees in integration, helping to find em-
ployment and to solve housing problems.
The agency continues its immigration pro-
gram in cooperation with ICEM sponsoring
new immigrants to the United States under
the regular quota.
The World Alliance of Young Men's Christian
Associations (YMCA), 291 Broadway, New
York, N.Y.
The YMCA acts as a complementary service
to the large global programs of the United
Nations, governments and churches; ' it is
concerned with the morale of refugees. It
is not a relief or migration agency. It tries
to establish community centers in the camps
(a home-away-from-home) and through
them help in the organization of education-
al, recreational, religious programs, etc. The
agency also offers language training, orien-
tation courses for prospective migrants,
camping for the children, together with han-
dicrafts and vocational training. To support
all this it conducts leadership training
courses among the refugees so that most of
the leadership and work comes from them.
World Relief Commission, Inc. (National As-
sociation of Evangelicals) (NAE), 12-19
Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, N.Y.
Their refugee work is small compared with
the other agencies. However, in Korea and
in Bujumbura, Burundi, Africa, they supply
food, clothing, and medicines to needy refu-
gees in those areas, along with activity in
projects for the handicapped.
USCR OBSERVES ITS 5TH ANNIVERSARY
In October 1963 at the annual meeting of
the board, notice was taken of the fifth anni-
versary of the founding of the U.S. Commit-
tee for Reguees. The committee was orga-
nized by the major resettlement agencies,
Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and nonsec-
tarian, following a White House conference
called by President Eisenhower in April 1958.
The president of the committee, Mr. Max-
wdll M. Rabb, received a commemorative
gavel given to him on the occasion by Dr.
Luther H. Evans, representing the members
of the board.
Citations for distinguished service to refu-
gees were given by the board to retiring Com-
missioner General John H. Davis, for his serv-
ice to the Palestine refugees in the care of
UNRWA; to Senator PHILIP A. HART of Mich-
igan, for his work as chairman of the Sen-
ate Subcommittee on Refugees and Escapees
and especially for his leadership in the effort
to revise the immigration statutes; and to
Mr. Hal B. Cook, publisher of Billboard maga-
zine for his assistance to the committee in
publicizing "All Star Festival" through the
record industry.
The United Nations High Commissioner,
in his message to the meeting, said in part:
"On the occasion of your annual meeting I
should like to convey to you and through you
to the members of your board, my very sin-
cere thanks for the efforts that were made
by the U.S. Committee for Refugees during
the present year to further the cause of the
refugees.
"In this connection I should mention our
joint endeavours to promote the sale of All
Star Festival in the United States. Even if
this venture has not met with the success
we had hoped for, I know that thanks to the
untiring efforts of your executive vice presi-
dent and the members of your' Secretariat,
innumerable new contacts were established
with the leading personalities in radio, tele-
vision, and other information media. Much
information about refugees was thus con-
veyed to the American public during the pro-
motion of the sale of the record. This is
important. Indeed, awareness of America's
participation in the international action of
solidarity towards refugees is dependent
upon the extent to which the American peo-
ple are properly informed.
"It is our important duty to keep alive
International concern for refugees and to see
to it that this concern is translated Into a
practical way of bringing assistance to ref-
ugees. Governments, intergovernmental
agencies, and voluntary agencies all have
their roles to play. Each in its own way is
the expression of the will of the great mass
of the people who in every country form what
Is called public opinion.
"It is the particular task of the U.S. Com-
mittee for Refugees to help keep the Ameri-
can public Informed. and, shoulder to shoul-
der with other organizations, to keep alight
the 'pilot light of international solidarity'."
Following the morning business session of
the ;annual meeting, the committee joined
with the American Immigration and Citizen-
ship Conference in sponsoring a luncheon
at the Waldorf-Astoria. Some 350 persons
from business, labor and refugee resettlement
agencies gathered to hear Representative
Emanuel Celler, Senator Kenneth B. Keat-
ing, Senator Philip A. Hart, and Mayor Rob-
ert F. Wagner speak on the theme: "Immi-
grants and Refugees-Yesterday's Laws and
Today's Needs." The presiding officer was
the Honorable Angier Biddle Duke, president
of the AICC and member of the USCR board.
THE HIGH COMMISSIONER'S RECORD PROJECT
On February 28, 1963, the Office of the
High Commissioner for Refugees of the U.N.
issued a long-playing record album called
"All Star Festival"-a collection of songs by
distinguished popular artists. Proceeds from
the sale of the records were to be used for
special projects in. the High Commisisoner's
program.
The record was issued In the United
States under the auspices of the U.S. Com-
mittee for Refugees. The committee's re-
sponsibility was to give the record the best
and most thorough public exposure possible
and to assist in its sale and distribution.
Record sales around the world exceeded 1
million copies though the sales in the
United States were disappointing. Proceeds
from the sale, now more than $100,500,000,
were assigned to the much-needed projects
of the High Commissioner.
Copies of the record are still available at
$3.98 for monaural and $4.98 for stereo.
Please order from the committee's office.
NEW BOARD MEMBER ELECTED
Maxwell M. Rabb, president of the U.S.
Committee for Refugees, has recently
announced the election of Mrs. Frances
Humphrey Howard of Washington, D.C. to
the Board of Directors of the Committee.
Mrs. Howard, whose brother is Senator
. HUBERT HUMPHREY, of Minnesota, is an officer
in the Agency for International Develop-
ment. Since September 1963 she has been
responsible for liaison activities between the
AID and the private voluntary foreign aid
organizations.
As an officer of the Agency, Mrs. Howard
has traveled extensively in the Far East and
in Latin America and has had firsthand
acquaintances with the problems of refugees
in many parts of the world.
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20226 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE Aug,,,
Mrs. Howard Is a prominent lecturer and
sociologist who has, during a long career of
public service, worked In the interest of citi-
zen participation in governmental and inter-
governmenital programs for peace and inter-
national understanding. She has been a
member of the Advisory Committee of the
V.S. Committee for Refugees since its
ormation in 1958.
DETROIT SYMPHONY BENEFIT CONCERT
The U.B. Committee for Refugees spon-
sored a benefit performance of the De-
troit Symphony Orchestra on Easter Monday,
March 80, Mr. William Warfield was the
featured soloist, John B. Ford, III, of De-
troit, a member of the USCR Board, made
the initial arrangements with a Detroit com-
mittee of his distinguished fellow citizens.
The Committee members, were Walker L,
Cisler, Mrs. John Lord Booth, and John B.
Ford, Jr. Honorary patrons were U Thant,
Adlai E. Stevenson, Gov. George Romney, and
Mayor Jerome P. Cavanagh.
The concert was a cooperative effort by the
Committee with vital assistance from the In-
ternational Institutes, the AAUN and many
individual organizations and corporations.
Detroit has more than 100 nationality
groups. One of the highlights of the con-
cert was the participation of members of this
group in national dress as guides and ushers.
This highly successful event in support of
the UN. refugee agencies-the UNRWA
and the UNHCR-was the culmination of
Detroit's observance of. World Refugee Day.
DETROIT'S MOTOR INDUSTRY To HELP UNRWA
An interesting byproduct of the benefit
concert on March 30 is the commitment of
major auto manufacturers to make contribu-
tions of equipment to UNRWA Vocational
Training Schools. In 5 of the 11 schools
maintained by the UNRWA, the young men
are given 2-year courses in automotive
mechanics. The equipment with which
these young men now work is both inade-
quate and obsolete. General Motors,
Chrysler and American Motors have agreed
to supply motors, transmission assemblies,
fuel pump assemblies, etc., together with
tools and training manuals for each of these
schools.
This Is a contribution of major significance
for many reasons, and the Commissioner
General, Mr. Miehelmore together with his
staff, as well as the Officers and Board of
the USCR, are deeply grateful to the motor
companies for their generosity and interest.
THE TREASURER COMMENTS
The fiscal year 1964 ends June 30, and to
date we have figures available only- through
the month of May. Financially, the year is
similar overall to our past experience in that
our income roughly balances our expenses.
We are slightly on the positive side this year
as we-are predicting a small profit against
a small loss in the preceding year.
Our sources of income show a slightly dif-
ferent mix with stronger support from foun-
dations and somewhat less support from
individual contributors, Through May 31,
we had taken in $53,000 in contributions,
and I am pleased to report that we earned
almost $13,000 through our sale of Christmas
gift wrap paper. The gift wrap program
Is Increasingly important to our financial
health, and we are planning to expand this
program substantially this fall.
Dr. Wilson and his staff have done a com-
mendable job in keeping expenses to the
minimum, and It Is their careful attention
to the cost of doing business that allows our
committee to accomplish what it does on
such a limited budget. The committee con-
tinues to operate well within its authorized
budget of $126,000.
We are thankful for the continued finan-
cial support of our many friends.
ABEAM CLAUDE. Jr.,
Treasurer, U.B. Committee for Refugees.
A WORD TO CONTRIBUTORS
The work of the United States Committee
for Refugees Is supported entirely by the vol-
untary contributions of its friends. Friends
who contribute $12 or more will become
members of the committee and will receive
all Its publications. Make checks payable to
the "UnIted States Committee for Refugees,
Inc. A Contributions are tax deductible.
E STAT PROGRAM IN SOUTHEAST
ASIA
Mr. HUMPHREY. Mr. President,
every Senator remembers the Seabees
from World War II. Their near-epic
deeds of construction work across the
Pacific theater gave real meaning to
their distinctly American motto: "Can
Do."
After the war the Seabees, though
greatly diminished in numbers, con-
tinued to add to their list of accomplish-
ments by digging up and carrying away
half of a small mountain in the Philip-
pines to build a runway, by constructing
a Marine camp on Okinawa, by rushing
to the aid of the battered residents of
Guam when virtually the entire island
was leveled of Its homes by Typhoon
Karen in 1962. Most recently, they have
rushed to the scene of the Alaskan earth-
quake to help In relief work. The Mayor
of Anchorage said "God bless the Sea-
bees" when they left, their mission ac-
complished. All of these tasks were in
addition to their routine tasks of train-
ing, numerous smaller construction tasks,
and the major task of being ready to
deploy with the Marines if necessary.
The Seabee effort in Thailand and
South Vietnam consists now of Seabee
technical assistance teams--STAT, as
they are called by the Navy. The 13 men
on these teams are high caliber, highly
motivated, and highly trained men with
years of experience in all the jobs Sea-
bees do.
What do they do? They specialize in
"community development work." They
build bridges, build dams, dig wells,
grade roads, build schools, build libraries
and-they can do just about anything
else in the line of construction work.
They do this in the outlying districts,
in the isolated towns, in the more
poverty-stricken areas of Thailand and
South Vietnam, areas which are par-
ticularly susceptible to the blandish-
ments and terrorism of communism.
In Thailand, the STAT is accompanied
by a "shadow" team of Thai men; It Is
part of the job of our men to-teach their
shadow team construction skills while
both teams are doing the job. This on-
the-job training is the most valuable
training these Thais have ever gotten.
It is, moreover, hoped that this program
will be self-regenerative, that is. that
these That teams will then teach other
apprentice Thai teams the skills they
have learned from us.
How has this experiment in people-to-
people relations turned out? It has been
an impressive success. Large numbers
of American servicemen are going to
work right with the people of the coun-
try, rolling up their sleeves with them,
working alongside one another, and-
most Importantly-teaching them some-
thing worthwhile, something that wT,.
raise their standard of living, In addition
to Improving the community's health,
sanitation, flood control, and so forth.
The STAT has been called the mili-
tary peace corps and the reasons for that
Comparison are obvious. Like the Peace
Corps, the STAT put something into the
country: They develop human resources.
Such a contribution Is valuable indeed.
Dollar for dollar, the STAT program
has been called one of our best oversee
investments. These teams have earned
praise from high officials of every coun-
try involved, even though the program
as a whole is still relatively young.
Although this STAT program Is not
widely known, I believe It Is encouraging
to learn of this down-to-earth attempt to
assist our friends in southeast Asia to
build better communities for themselves
and their families. The Seabees in the
STAT program merit our commendation
and thanks.
VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES BY
HON. RUFIO HECHANOVA, FINAN-
CIAL MINISTER OF THE PHILIP-
PINES
Mr. MORSE. Mr. President, in this
country at the present time is one of the
outstanding young leaders of our sister
republic across the Pacific, the Philip-
pines-Ruflo Hechanova, who is the
financial minister of the Philippines.
He is a dedicated public servant of the
Government and the people of the
Philippines. He Is a proved, true friend
of the United States and recognizes that
if freedom is to survive in the great
contest between totalitarianism and free-
dom, that is struggling for the minds of
millions of people around the globe, the
friends and practitioners of freedom
must stand together.
As a member of the Committee on For-
eign Relations, I should like to say to Mr.
Hechanova that we are delighted to have
him In the United States and are honored
that he is paying a call upon Congress
today. It is a great pleasure for us to
have him with us and to have the op-
portunity to meet with him and discuss
some of our mutual problems, not only
in the Pacific but elsewhere in the world. _-
PRINTING AS A SENATE DOCUMENT
OF PRAYERS BY SENATE CHAP-
LAIN
Mr. MORSE. Mr. President, I send to
the desk for appropriate reference a
resolution that reads as follows:
Resolved, That five thousand copies of the
prayers offered by the Rev. Frederick Brown
Harris, Doctor of Divinity, Chaplain of the
Senate, at the opening of the daily sessions
of the Senate during the Eighty-seventh and
Eighty-eighth Congresses, together with cer-
tain prayers offered by him at national oc-
casions sponsored by the Senate, be printed
as a Senate document, and that two thou-
sand five hundred additional copies be
printed and bound for the use of the Senate.
I submit the resolution in this form
now, but it may be necessary to modify it
later, after an estimate of the cost has
been received.
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