CIVIL RIGHTS SMOKE SCREEN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000200920128-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 5, 1999
• Sequence Number: 128
• Publication Date: April 20, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

Sanitized - Approved For STATINTL
CI
NOWT ~ N'
VTRGINXA SUN
.lien-Scott Report
IrN 0 0r tj? k!
r en
Cy 210CM 7 S. ALLEN
~;:j, PAUL SCOTT
The historic Senate struggle
over the sweeping civil rights bill
is taking a singular turn.
Whether by deliberate design or
fortuitous coincidence, the pro-
tracted battle over civil rights is
providing a. very effective smoke-
, screen for a wily plan to slip
'President Johnson's controversial
S3.4 billion foreign program
through the Senate Foreign Rela-
tions Committee in piecemeal
form
The first effort to do that
was stopped dead ' its tracks.
But the last has _.. ?een heard
of this !backstage scheme. Pt's
still very much alive and kick-
ing. There are significant indi-
cations it has high-level admin-
istration backing.
Two other dramatic aspects
,of this eventful foreign aid fray.
are;
The rival leaders are Sen-
ators J. William Fulbright, D.
Ark., die - hard foe of civil
rights legislation Who is going
? ?to exceptional lengths to win ap-
proval, of the President's multi-
billon dollar foreign aid propos-
al, and Wayne Morse, D. -Ore.,
veteran champion of civil rights
;:ho is militantly demanding
drastic pruning of large scale
fo?reigr, a'd spending, particular-
ly military.
To "grease the skids" to
ease the President's, huge for-
eign aid authorization bill
through the Foreign Relations
Committee with a minimum of
opposition and public attention,
Flelbright has resorted to be
ingenious strategem of splitting
that idgi'slation into eight sop-
cover lug the major ? provisions lY announcing, '"Mr. Chairman,
(l,tles) :nf bill, there will be no vote on these
bills this morning,"
APR 2 0 1964
"This executive session Was
called for that purpose," re-
i plied Fulhri; ht. "'All members
of the committee have been
polled, and the clerk has their
proxies. Everything is proper
and in order."
said Morse, "but that's not my
oi
t
l
n
.
My point is that as a
Mr. Allen p
member of this committee
I in-
,
Fulbright's justification for sist on further consideration or
This artful maneuver is that ! these bills. For one thing, I
there is little or no opposition Want tiro hear Secretary Rusk.
to some of these provisions and, I want him to come before
therefore, they should be acted tais committee and discuss the
upon separately. Otherwise, he whole question of foreign aid
contends, an across the-board in full detail."
slash of the foreign aid budget ! "cretary Rusk has been
as Congress has voted the last here," con'tended Fulbrighit.--- -- --.
several year, would adversely "'But not while I was present,"
affect these generally approved retorted Morse. "He wasn't here
titles. when I was on hand, and there
The opposition emphatically are many things I want to Zslk
disputes this, molding that fog him about. I have many qucs-
eign aid must be considered as, tions, Mr. Chairman, a groat
a whole to prevent Congress many questions that wil; take
from being lulled into voting hours to consider and discuss. .
,piecemeal appropriations that in B-fore there is any voting on
the end amount to what was tile foreign aid issue, I mint
originally contemplated. insist.that Secretary Rusk and
Senator Fulbright's first move other important witnesses be
to slip several of 7hi's piecemeal summoned for full considera-
bills 'through' the Foreign Relat-' tion of ;;hat we are voting On.,,
ions Committee occurred at an, And that end d that.
tmptiblic-ized closed-door meeting, With the Senate about to begin
last week. the daily debate on civil rights,
Only a few committeemen Fuibright had no alternative but
were present; Fulbright had a to how to Morse. Fulbright had
number of proxies in his pocket; ? the proxies, but Morse had the
and the stage appeared all ,;et, rules in his favor and he won
for his pulling off a neat coup.; the round.
I
It Was a TKO, but it stopped
But 011c of the few committee
men p. rsent was Senator Morse FOuright.
and he balked. Outwardly, the White House
has no direct connection with
With characteristic bluntness,' Fulbright's ingenious strata-;
the scrappy Oregonian not only gene of splitting the President's
derailed Fulbright's plan, but $3.4 billion foreign aid program
served notice he was going to into eight separate, bills. But.
do his utmost to block -the. significantly Foreign Aid DI- 4.
piecemeal strategem. rector David Bell is in close ,
When Fulbright suavely pro-' touch with Fulbright and con-
posed voting on two of the least,; fers frequently with him. Also,
controversial piecemeal meal-.' Bell is known to strongly favor:
ures, indicating he had' enough Fulbright's plan ,Almost'
pzoKles for a majority, . Morsel iwo-t11'i'Ll of the X2.5 billion in
economic foreign aid Congress
voted for' the current fiscal
year, ending July i, is still
unspent .and whobligatcu. -
Sanitized -Approved. For Release : CIA-RDP75-00149R000200920128-1