Executive Order 10915—Amending Prior Executive Orders to Provide for the Responsibilities of the Director of the Food-for-Peace Program

Whereas American agricultural abundance offers a unique opportunity for the United States to promote the interests of peace in a significant way and to play an important role in helping to provide a more adequate diet for peoples around the world; and

Whereas exports of farm products are of great importance to the domestic economy, furnishing approximately 11 percent of total farm income; and

Whereas many government functions and activities relate to the movement overseas of agricultural products and commodities, and a number of government agencies have responsibilities in connection with these activities; and

Whereas it is of fundamental importance that we have a national food policy directed toward using our agricultural abundance as a national asset to meet foreign policy objectives.

NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows:

SECTION 1. Executive Order No. 10900 of January 5, 1961 (26 F.R. 143), headed "Administration of the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act Of 1954, as amended," is hereby amended by renumbering sections 6 and 7 thereof as sections 7 and 8, respectively, and by inserting after section 5 the following new section 6:

SEC. 6. Director of the Food-for-Peace Program. Subject to the direction of the President, the Director of the Food-for Peace Program (provided for in a letter of the President bearing the same date as this order) shall be responsible for the continuous supervision and coordination of the functions hereinabove delegated or otherwise assigned to officers or agencies of the Government. The foregoing provisions of this section shall not be construed as terminating any delegation or other assignment of function made by other sections of this order."

SEC. 2. Executive Order No. 10893 of November 8, 1960 (25 F.R. 10731), headed "Administration of mutual security and related functions," is hereby amended by adding at the end of Part I thereof a new section 111, reading as follows:

SEC. 111. Director of the Food-for Peace Program. Subject to the direction of the President, the Director of the Food-for-Peace Program shall be responsible for the continuous supervision and coordination of the functions under Section 402 of the Act (22 U.S.C. 1922). The foregoing provisions of this section shall not be construed as superseding any delegation or other assignment of function made by the Act or by other sections of this order."

JOHN F. KENNEDY

THE WHITE HOUSE,

January 24, 1961