WORKER PLOTS OWN FOREIGN AID PLAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73-00475R000100920001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 18, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: May 21, 1964
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT ?
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/12/18: CIA-RDP73-00475R000100920001-5
Sf
WASHINGTON post
'AND TINIF_S HERALD
?
MAY 21 1964
Worker Plots Own Foreign Aid
By B. D. Ayres -
Staff Reporter
A former Department of
Commerce worker has staked
his future-- Including his
$15,000? in retirement savings
?on a plan to set up a per
son-to-person, grassroots level
foreign aid program spon-
sored by American busi-
nessmen.
T h e program, christened
American Partners Inc. by its
-4?-yeilt-old founder, Tom Hall
Miller, would use .technical
!advice and small low-cost
loans from U.S. businessmen
and companies to set up
small businessmen , in devel-
oping nations..
? Similar projects are Under
'consideration by other groups
and individuals as part .of a
growing effort: to by-pass the
bureaucratic nature and ef-
fect of government-sponsored
aid. . ,
? T h e American . Partners
p 1 an, Miller sax's, w ou 1 d
complement but in no way
replace U.S.-sponsored for-
eign aid ? programs. He ? says
the plan would simply avoid
the massive' aid concepts .in
which funds' almost always
ares used on.,.largel- projects
and seldom. "trickle down" in
recognizable form to.the man
in the street. ?
Few loans from American
P3rtners would exceed $5000
and most would-be less than
$2000, Miller says. ,
Miller proposes to reach
the foreign man in the street
through the American man in
the street.
Thus, to 'set up a radio
repair service in Peru,
A m eric an Partners would
persuade an American busi-
nessman ? preferably one as-
sociated with electronics?to
loan a Peruvian the funds
necessary for establishing a
shop. Training w ould be
provided through part of the
loan or perhaps through an
American Partners volunteer
experienced in radio repair.
Because of the person-to-
person nature of the Ameri-
can Partners plan, Miller
thinks its impact would be
"direct and immediate." He
also -.thinks the plan would
provide a better image of
America than that -provided
by massive aid. -? ?
'Among other attributes,
Miller said,:fsthis project will
identify . the American. :indi-
victual instead of the imper-
sonal American dollar. It will
create a new, small- business
class in developing countries
and perhaps will lead to
some joint ventures."
. As an ? International Trade
Fairs representative for the
Commerce ,Department, Mil-
ler spent almost a decade
overseas working with both
company executives and shop
owners in India, Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Italy and Ceylon.
Two years ago he resigned
from Government work to
devote full time to the
American Partners concept. .
In a year he spent his re-
tirement savings and ? was
forced to go back to work. He
now is a public relations
executive with Carl Levin As-
sociates, one of the project's
strongest supporters.
The impact of the Ameri-
can partners plan, 'M ill e r
says, will stem from two key
points ? low interest rates on
loans and a provision to, pro-
vide loans to men with
business potential but not
loan collateral. .
Miller proposes to peg in-
terest. ratea. considerably be-
10w.' prevailing., commercial
rates, which exceed 30 per
cent in some countries. He
says streamlined administra-
tion and the non-profit aspect
of American Partners' will aid
in reducing rates.
The business potential of a
man requesting a loan is to
be determined by a local
board .composed of' native
businessmen a n d American
businessmen stationed in the
area. If approved, the loan re-
quest immediately will be for-
warded to American Partners'
U.S. headquarters at 1725 I st.'
nw. and a search will be start-
ed for an American sponsor. ,
Miller now is attempting to
acquire a $10,000 grant from
the U.S. Agency for Interna-
tional Development for a two-
month survey to prove the
project's worth. AID officials
informally ha v e indicated
that they would consider
providing up to 50 per cent
of the initial operating funds
for a worthwhile pilot ?pro-
gram in two Latin American
countries. ? ?
? Miller is confident that if
AID joined in support. of ,the
project's administrative costs,
American business would ;be
quick to follow. '
?
. ? .
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/12/18 : CIA-RDP73-00475R000100920001-5