126. Memorandum From Robert S. Smith of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft), Washington, December 15, 1976.1 2

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MEMORANDUM
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
ACTION

December 15, 1976

MEMORANDUM FOR: BRENT SCOWCROFT
FROM: Robert S. Smith

SUBJECT: First Annual Report on U.S. International Population Policy

Attached at Tab 1 is a revised version of a memorandum from you to the President seeking his approval for a memorandum for you to send to the Chairman, Under Secretaries Committee (Tab D), accepting the First Annual Report on U.S. International Population Policy and commenting on two aspects of that report.

This report was first sent to you by Roger Harrison, before I came on board, on August 9. You made certain changes at that time and a revised version was sent to you on August 30. I understand that this went forward to the President,: but that no action was taken on it between then and the middle of last month. In November, I recalled the dossier to bring it up to date, which I have now done. The principal changes are:

-- I have eliminated the proposal for a Presidential statement on U.S. population policy; it is no longer timely;

-- I have eliminated references to the budget (AID) for international population programs; it has been dealt with in the budget process;

-- I have eliminated the requirement of a supplemental report on performance criteria from the NSC Under Secretaries Committee.

Ambassador Marshall Green, who directs the Interagency Task Force on this subject, concurs in these changes. At the same time, he believes that it would be extremely useful to the ongoing efforts in the international population field to have a record of the President’s acceptance of the report as well as the comments which are contained in the proposed memo from you to the Chairman of the Under Secretaries Committee. I concur.

The report summarizes steps taken toward implementation of NSSM 200 and suggests a change in emphasis from increasing the supply of population control services toward increasing the demand for these services. This provides a useful new dimension to our population control efforts.

The report fails, however, to establish performance criteria for effective use of assistance. Treasury (Tab C) has withheld its unreserved approval of the report primarily for this reason. Other members of the Task Force have expressed similar criticisms.

For this reason, the proposed memorandum from you to the Chairman of the Under Secretaries Committee directs AID to include such performance criteria in its future population assistance programs.

Is it possible to get this to the President for his approval before he goes on Christmas holiday?

RECOMMENDATION:

That you forward to the President the memorandum at Tab 1.