that it is impossible at present to establish world-wide exchange programs on a reciprocal basis. The Department will continue, however, to assist reputable American State, local, and private organizations in promoting educational interchange with parts of the world where there is little understanding of the principles which should underlie such intellectual and cultural relations. This decision follows the Commission's recommendations. The Department will maintain its vigilance in safeguarding the public safety and the security of our Government and free institutions, as you urged. The Department is in complete agreement with the Commission that it is desirable to restrict the travel of individuals sponsored by organizations generally recognized as subversive. Aliens whose intentions are deemed to be subversive, or who are or have been members of organizations professing such intentions, are considered inadmissible to the United States under our immigration laws. Students and scholars who succeed in obtaining the permission of Communist-dominated governments to visit the United States for bona fide educational, cultural, and scientific purposes will frequently be considered by the United States consuls to be inadmissible under these laws. In such a case, the Attorney General of the United States has the legal authority under the ninth proviso of section 3 of the Immigration Act of February 5, 1917, to authorize temporary entry of an alien otherwise excludable. A sponsoring agency may petition the Attorney General to exercise his discretionary authority in such cases. The Department will support such a request made by a reputable sponsoring agency in those meritorious cases where the Department believes that the advantages to the United States outweigh the possible disadvantages. Persons for whom entry is requested, however, should furnish evidence of their intent to participate only in activities consistent with the stated purposes of their visit. As the Commission suggests, such representations will be particularly appropriate in the case of international conferences, congresses, and other meetings of an educational nature, which normally last only a short time. We shall support your recommendations of precautions that should be observed when American students study in eastern Europe. The Department will emphasize to sponsoring organizations the desirability of limiting the exchanges to mature students who will be able to evaluate critically their experience in such countries. Upon request, the Department will also try to inform these sponsoring organizations about the conditions in countries to be visited. The Department intends to make public this exchange of correspondence and to circulate it widely among officers of the Department and the Foreign Service who may be called upon to assist. Any further instructions which are necessary for the guidance of these officers will be issued promptly. I do not wish to conclude this letter without telling you and the members of the Commission that your recommendations reflect the serious thought you have given to the problems involved in these exchanges. The Department appreciates your advice. Sincerely yours, HOWLAND H. SARGEANT, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. IV. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON THE FULBRIGHT ACT OPERATIONS IN 1948 In accordance with section 32 of the Surplus Property Act of 1944 as amended August 1, 1946, by Public Law 584, Seventy-ninth Congress, second session, the following report is submitted, covering operations under paragraph 32 (b) (2) of the act during the period January 1 through December 31, 1948. The report is divided into the following sections: I. Legal Authority, II. Administration, III. Operations in 1948, IV. Financial Report. Appendixes include 1. Texts of agreements concluded during 1948. 2. Lists of members of commissions and boards of directors of foundations appointed in 1948. 3. Names of recipients of awards in 1948. 4. Statement showing funds available to foundations and cumulative obligations and expenditures during 1948. I. LEGAL AUTHORITY Public Law 584, Seventy-ninth Congress, authorizes the use of foreign currencies for financing the exchange of persons between the United States and participating foreign countries with which executive agreements have been concluded. Specifically, authority is granted for (A) Financing studies, research, instruction, and other educational activities of or for American citizens in schools and institutions of higher learning located in such foreign country, or of the citizens of such foreign country in American schools and institutions of higher learning located outside the United States * * * including payment for transportation, tuition, maintenance, and other expenses incident to scholastic activities; or (B) furnishing transportation for citizens of such foreign country who desire to attend American schools and institutions of higher learning in the continental United States * * * and whose attendance will not deprive citizens of the United States of an opportunity to attend such schools and institutions. During 1948 these activities were carried out pursuant to such executive agreements as had been concluded prior to and during that year, and in accordance with other provisions of the act, which place the administrative responsibility for the program with the Department of State and assign to the Board of Foreign Scholarships the responsibility of selecting students and institutions qualified to participate and of supervising the exchange program. As are other similar projects of the United States Government, the program under Public Law 584, is related to those authorized by the Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 (Public Law 402, 80th Cong). However, the Board of Foreign Scholarships is independent of the Advisory Commission on Educational Exchange, created by authority of Public Law 402. Nevertheless, educational exchanges under both acts are directed toward the common objective of a better understanding of the United States in other countries and 1 Not printed. an increase of mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The programs are thus complementary. Executive agreements As reported to the Congress in March 1948 executive agreements under the act were signed with the Governments of China and Burma on November 10 and December 22, 1947, respectively. During 1948 the following executive agreements were concluded: With the Governments of Belgium and Luxembourg, jointly, on October 8; France. on October 22; Greece, on April 23; Italy, on December 18; New Zealand, on September 13; the Republic of the Philippines, on March 23; the United Kingdom, on September 22. The texts of these agreements appear in appendix 1.1 In addition to the agreements which were concluded during 1948, negotiations were in progress with the following countries: Australia, Austria, Egypt, Iran, Netherlands, Norway, and Turkey. The establishment of the Government of India and the Government of Pakistan as a result of the Indian Independence (International Arrangements) Order of 1947 and the conclusion of financial agreements between the two Governments made it possible to take the preliminary steps toward the initiation of formal negotiations. Draft agreements were developed and negotiations will be undertaken as soon as possible in 1949. Though proceeds from the sales of surplus property may be made available for an educational program in Indonesia, the politicomilitary situation in the country makes it inadvisable to initiate negotiations at the present time. Initiation of negotiations for a program in Siam must await completion of an agreement on terms of repayment of the surplus-property credit. Various factors affected the progress of negotiations of the agreements initiated in 1948. Among these are problems of (1) exchange rates and protection of currencies from loss through depreciation and conversion, (2) legal status of educational foundations or commissions in terms of the national laws of the foreign country, (3) discussions in terms of the national laws of the foreign country, (4) discussions of the nature and scope of the contemplated program with the various ministries of foreign governments concerned with the clearance of the agreements, (5) determination of the privileges and immunities to be accorded the foundations or commissions and the individuals participating in the program, and (6) clarification of the responsibilities of the United States Government and the foreign government under the agreement. II. ADMINISTRATION A. The Department of State The general responsibility for the direction and administration of the program as a whole rests with the Department of State. It is the function of the Department to give policy and administrative guidance to all the agencies concerned with the operation of the program. This guidance insures its coordination with other activities in this field carried out by the United States Government and its conformity with our objectives of foreign policy. The Department is also re1 Not printed. sponsible for the conclusion of executive agreements with foreign governments for the use of foreign currencies in the program. The Department authorizes expenditures of funds by the foundations and commissions and, after obtaining the recommendations of the Board of Foreign Scholarships, approves specific programs formulated by them. Initial announcements of opportunities available under the several programs are prepared and issued by the Department. In addition, the Department provides secretariat services for the Board of Foreign Scholarships. B. The Board of Foreign Scholarships The original members of the Board of Foreign Scholarships appointed by the President in 1947 were the following: Francis T. Spaulding, Commissioner of Education of the State of New York, Helen C. White, professor of english, University of Wisconsin, vice chairman. Sarah Gibson Blanding, president, Vassar College. Laurence Duggan, president, Institute of International Education. Charles E. Johnson, president, Fisk University. Walter Johnson, professor of history, University of Chicago. Ernest C. Lawrence, professor of physics, University of California. Martin R. P. McGuire, professor of Greek and Latin, the Catholic University of America. John W. Studebaker, United States Commissioner of Education. Col. John B. Andrews, personal representative of the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, was appointed to the Board in 1948, following the resignation of General Bradley. Mr. Studebaker and Mr. Duggan also resigned during the year, and appointments will be made to fill these vacancies early in 1949. During 1948 the Board held five meetings. At these meetings it presented its comments on programs proposed by the foundations and commissions abroad, recommended policies regarding the selection of candidates, qualified schools for participation, and selected 101 candidates for awards. Several subcommittees were appointed by the Board to consider certain specific problems connected with the selection of candidates. In addition to their regular meetings, the members of the Board gave freely of their time and efforts in advising on general problems and in making the program known to the American public. C. United States educational foundations and commissions As provided in the executive agreements, United States educational foundations, or commissions, were established in participating foreign countries. Such organizations are established to facilitate the administration abroad of the program, and hold and disburse all funds available for the educational exchanges authorized by the act. They are known as foundations, except in countries where the term would be inappropriate. The management and direction of the affairs of the commissions and foundations are vested in commission members or board of directors, which consist of citizens of the United States and citizens of the participating foreign countries. The foundations and commissions have responsibility for the general supervision and direction of all activities abroad. They initially recommend specific programs to the Department of State, in the light of the opportunitities and needs for educational exchange in the foreign countries in which they are located. Foundations, or commissions, were established in the following countries during 1948: Belgium and Luxembourg, Greece, New Zealand, the Republic of the Philippines, and the United Kingdom. As of December 31, 1948, the members of the commissions for France and Italy had not yet been named. The names of the persons appointed in 1948 to serve on the boards of directors of foundations and on the commissions appear in appendix 2.1 D. Cooperating agencies Certain activities related to the selection of candidates for awards have been delegated by the Department of State, with the concurrence of the Board of Foreign Scholarships, to three cooperating agencies in this country. These agencies disseminate information on available opportunities, inform the public on the policies which govern the selection of candidates, receive and comment on proposals for educational-exchange activities, accept applications for awards, and recommend qualified candidates. Through the Department of State, appropriate proposals for specific activities received and recommended by the cooperating agencies are transmitted to the foundations and commissions abroad for use in the formulation of specific programs. Applications of recommended candidates are also forwarded to the foundations and commissions abroad for review prior to final selection by the Board of Foreign Scholarships. The Institute of International Education performs these functions. for candidates for student awards; the United States Office of Education, for candidates for teacher exchange with foreign elementary and secondary schools; the Conference Board of Associated Research Councils for candidates for research scholar and visiting professor awards, and for teacher exchange in American elementary and secondary schools abroad. In the exercise of these functions, the cooperating agencies solicit the assistance and advice of competent American specialists and organizations. A. Scope of activity III. OPERATIONS IN 1948 Agreements signed during 1948, in addition to the two concluded in 1947, provided the basis upon which nine separate country programs could be undertaken. Five of these were actually initiated in 1948. The programs in France and Italy awaited the formation of the commissions in those countries. Since the foundation in Belgium, which will also carry out activities in Luxembourg, and the commission in the United Kingdom were not formed until November and December 1948, it was not possible to carry out an exchange of persons with those countries in what remained of the 1948-49 academic year. These two programs will be announced early in 1949. B. Summary of awards The Board of Foreign Scholarships selected 101 individuals to receive awards. As shown in the following tables, 65 American citizens were chosen and 36 citizens of 2 of the participating foreign countries. On December 31, 1948, 11 awards had been offered to 1 Not printed. |