NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011
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of visits by leaders, teaches, and students provided means of development and maintaining cultural relations with the people of the area. In November, public affairs officers of posts in Southeast Asia met in Rangoon, reviewed informational and cultural programs and made suggestions for improving them which are now receiving the attention of the officers in the Department of State concerned with directing and coordinating the programs.
(7b) As of July. 1, administration of economic and technical assistance in Burma and Indochina was transferred in accordance with statutory requirements from the Mutual Security Agency to the Technical Cooperation Administration. In Indochina and Thailand, MSA continued to administer the economic aid programs. Amounts allocated for economic and technical assistance programs in FY 1953 and tentatively for FY 1954 were as follows:
FY 1953 Proposed
FY 1954Indochina *$24.0 million $25.0 million Indonesia 3.6 million„ 4.0 million„ Thailand 6.2 million„ 5.0 million„ plus 2.0 for the
NortheastBurma 1.2 million„ 0 * Not including $30.5 million for direct military
support (common use) items.
Burma gave notice of a desire to terminate the technical assistance agreement as of June 30, 1953 (For a discussion of this situation see below under Burma.)
(7c) The projects which make up the economic aid programs of the United States were adopted after careful review of possible consequences and benefits and their contribution toward United States objectives including that of encouraging restoration and expansion of commerce in countries of Southeast Asia with each other and with the rest of the free world. While internal production and domestic and foreign trade are moving slowly back toward prewar levels it is too early to expect an expansion as with the volume before and during the war. Efforts to stimulate the flow of raw material resources (illegible text) solution of problems of increasing the production of actual and potential farm lands, forests, and mines. A number of economic aid projects aim either to develop the power necessary for exploitation of these resources or initiate action necessary for exploiting unused resources on an
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