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    "localId": "16493796",
    "label": "Letter, George V. Allen to Christian Herter Regarding Termination of the People-to-People Program",
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    "title": "Letter, George V. Allen to Christian Herter Regarding Termination of the People-to-People Program",
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        {
            "day": 21,
            "logicalDate": "1958-11-21",
            "month": 11,
            "year": 1958
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    "seq": 1,
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    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/eisenhower/dde-1417/12004541/12004541_0002.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "Mr. Karl Harr\nUNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY\nWASHINGTON\nOFFICE OF\nTHE DIRECTOR\nNOV 21 1958\nDear Chris,\nAbbott Washburn tells me that you and some others at the OCB\nmeeting of November 5 raised questions concerning the People-to\nPeople Program.\nYour questions stem no doubt from reports you have had of the\ndemise of the People-to-People Foundation. That organization was\nformed on February 4, 1957, with the primary mission of raising\nmoney for the whole People-to-People operation. In this it was un-\nsuccessful. When it was concluded that the government could no\nlonger subsidize its efforts, the organizers decided to discontinue it.\nTermination of the Foundation unfortunately created the impres-\nsion in some quarters that the whole Program was closing down.\nThis was altogether untrue. The forty committees had been going\nahead since formation without much reference to the activities of the\nFoundation itself and without any financial support from it. Some had\neven been against the whole idea of a centralization of activities and\nhad refused to work with the Foundation.\nAs of today there are thirty-nine committees in existence.\nTwenty-Eight have carried out projects that have had some impact\non foreign relations, and are actively engaged in more projects at\npresent. Eight have made a start but are inactive at present. Two\nnever have done anything. One is inactive at present for lack of a\nchairman. Only one (the Radio-TV Committee) chose to disband.\nLIMITA\nOHL\nThe Honorable\nChristian A. Herter\nUnder Secretary of State\n- 2 -\nThe one great problem not solved so far is that of getting the\nfinancing completely on a private basis. While a majority of the\nCommittees have managed on whatever slender resources they could\nget together, thirteen are receiving grants averaging about $8,000 a\nyear to provide secretariats and cover their bare office expenses.\nTo give you concrete examples of the accomplishments of com-\nmittees I refer to the enclosed copy of a summary issued several\nmonths ago and to the current issue of PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE NEWS.\nIncidentally, I find the PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE NEWS one of the\nmost interesting publications I see, telling as it does of the numerous\ninstances of activity by private citizens and groups to help build inter-\nnational understanding. We are arranging for the publication issues\nto reach your office. I hope you will look at it from time to time.\nWhile the People-to-People Program is moving slowly, I believe\nit is performing a valuable function. It has contributed a new term\n(\"People-to-People\") to the language of international relations, and it\nhas inspired many person-to-person and group-to-group activities\nover and beyond those formally launched by the committees. It is\nhelping awaken interest in foreign affairs in the ranks of the 700\nnational organizations represented on its committees. It is increas-\ning the volume of communication and contact of our people with other\npeoples. If the theory that bringing governments together in the United\nNations for discussion of their likes and differences is sound, then\nthe people-to-people stimulation of contact and communication must\nSHE Library\nalso be a step forward in seeking understanding.\nAt a conference at the White House on September 29 of this year\nthe Assistant to the President made some comments about the im-\nportance of the Program and the relationship of government to it.\nI am attaching a summary as of possible interest to you.\nOne of the handicaps in developing the People-to-People Program\nhas been scepticism and even downright opposition to the Program by\nsome of our officials abroad. This we are hoping to correct by a quiet\nprogram of education as the Program grows in strength and accomplishment."
}