Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 2 · column 2 of 5 · from the scan, no model involved
States. Repeatedly, he has told Congress in strongest terms that every-dollar asked for military and economic assistance was essential to defend our national interests and the safety of our families from the economic and military threats of the Kremlin. / Just as legularly, enough, Cong ress has beer, presented with evidence of outrageous waste and bungling in various specific aid programs. The most recent, uncovered by a subcommittee headed by Rep. Porter Hardy of Virginia, involves our efforts in the tiny Southeast Asian country of Laos.
As with other relativley newindependent nations in that part of the world, we have been trying to bolster Laos, military and eco nomically, in order that :t not fall prey to the communists. According to the Hardy report, however, Washington headquarters of the foreign aid program knew relative ly little of what its people w-ere doing out there.and what sotn2 of the bureaucrats in the field were doing included feathering their Own r.ests with-bribes from favor, ed contractors. One consultant on the payroll of the United State Government aid mission ill Lao-:. a retired Army brigadier genera! also Was On the payroll of a company seeking foreign aid contracts in Laos, the Hardy subcommittee reported.
Just how much all of this cost the taxpayers through improper use of their money is uncertain. In addition, though, the Hardv group declared that we had cause:! cruel inflation and widespread currency speculation by forcing on money into the economy of LaoV “at a faster rate than it possibly could be absorbed.”
It was stated further, that the State Department, instead of military men, decided wt should pay for supporting a 25,000-man army in Laos when, in fact, “significant military opinion has' suggeseted a force of 12,000 to 15,000.” * Perhaps it is inevitable in such a farflung operation as our foreign , aid that there be incidents of waste and poor judgment. It is hardly reassuring, how-ever, to read a succession of such reports as the year pass...;..now it is Laos; at othetimes it has been Iran, Pakistan , or some other country in which our assistance efforts were being
60.7%