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• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP72-00337R000500270047-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 1, 2006
• Sequence Number: 47
• Publication Date: April 16, 1971
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 2006/08101 :CIA-RDP72-003378000500270047-4
16 April 1971
MEMORANDUM FC9R THE RECC9RD
SUBJECT: Conversation with Mr. David Abshire on Case Bill
Re Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty
1. This afternoon I talked with David Abshire, Assistant Secretary
of State for Congressional Relations, who said he and Martin Hillenbrand,
Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, had had several conver-
sations with Senator Clifford P. Case, the most recent today, when they
told the Senator they plan to call on the Senate leadership to try to get
support for legislation to provide overt funding for the Radios. According
to Abshire, Senator Case seemed agreeable and indicated he would delay
Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings on his bill until late May in
order to provide an opportunity for the solution suggested by Abshire to
be worked out. Abshire said he hoped that, if he could get the Senate leader-
ship to agree in principal to support the necessary legislation to provide
overt funding for the Radios after Fiscal Year 1972, CIA, support could be
relied upon in the meantime.
2. I told Abshire that I was quite pessimistic that this would be
possible in view of what I understood to be the adamant position of both
Chairman Ellender and Chairman Mahon. I said in view of this I thought
we would have to try to get something passed by 30 June 1971, since the
Agency would probably be in no position to provide any funding after that
date. Abshire said he didn't think State could possibly move quickly enough
to accomplish this, and he suggested that I join with him in calling on
Chairmen Ellender and Mahon to try to get them to relent and permit Agency
funding for FY 1972. I said I would be glad to cooperate or accompany him,
but I thought we should at least try to go all out for some kind of legislation
before 30 June. I said it seemed to me that if the Administration and the
Senate and House leadership, including Ellender and Mahon, plus Senator
Case and Representative ?gden Reid, could all be lined up behind this
objective, then quite possibly we might accomplish it. In any event, I said I
thought this should be our maximum objective and any alternative should
only be a fall back position.
P,pproved For Release 2-0010-$Tb~ - - ~3'~7R~0050~700~"T~
 Approved For Release 2006/08101 :CIA-RDP72-003378000500270047-4
3. Although Abshire remained skeptical, he indicated it was worth
exploring. He suggested that Deputy Assistant Secretary for European
Affairs Dick Davies join us in meeting with Mahon and Ellender and I said
we might also include Cord Meyer and/o ho could
argue the merits of the Radios on the basis of firsthand experience. In
response to my question, Abshire said he thought we could count on active
support by Clark MacGregor if called on, but this would not be needed in
our initial rounds with Mahon and Ellender.
4. Abshire made the further point that once the Foreign Relations
Committee had started hearings on the proposed legislation, it should be
much easier to reassure skeptics in the Congress that the problem was
on its way to solution, and thus turn aside probings into the "black budget. "
I said I wasn't at all sure we could count on this, pointing out that the main
problem was not so much the issue of the Radios as the fact that this issue
could be used as a device for opening up the whole "black budget" question.
5. We tentatively agreed to try to make dates with Mahon and
Ellender for Tuesday, 20 April 1971.
JOHN M. MAURY
~'1_.egislative Counsel
Orig.
-Subj.
1
- Ex/Dir
1
-John Clarke
1
- OGC
1
-Cord Meyer
1
1 - Chr ono
Approved For Release 2006/08101 :CIA-RDP72-003378000500270047-4