FEBRUARY 6, 1961

PAGE 722

DEVELOPMENT LOAN FUND

Mr. HUMPHREY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate return to consideration of the nomination to the Development Loan Fund.

The VICE PRESIDENT. Without objection, the nomination will be stated.

The legislative clerk read the nomination of Frank M. Coffin, of Maine, to be Managing Director of the Development Loan Fund.

Mr. HUMPHREY. Mr. President, I have been informed that a statement relative to Mr. Coffin will be made, but that we should proceed with the nomination. Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that the nomination be confirmed.

The VICE PRESIDENT. Without objection, the nomination is confirmed.

Mr. HUMPHREY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the President be immediately notified of the confirmation of this nomination.

The VICE PRESIDENT. Without objection, the President will be notified forthwith.

Mr. MUSKIE subsequently said:

Mr. President, it is a pleasure to endorse a good friend and a close political associate of the past decade, Frank M. Coffin, the President's nominee for the post of Managing Director of the Development Loan Fund.

I am sure that most of you know him, either by reputation or from personal association. I want to enter my wholehearted support of his confirmation.

Frank Coffin brings to the task assigned him an impressive background.

In high school and at Bates College he was a superior student, graduating from Bates summa cum laude. His legal training at Harvard Law School was marked by the same scholastic achievement, and he received his LL.B., cum laude.

From 1947 until 1956, when he left the law to become a candidate for Congress, Frank Coffin was known as one of Maine's most brilliant lawyers. He served as law clerk to the late Federal District Judge John D. Clifford, and then worked as trial lawyer for one of Portland's most prominent law firms.

In addition to his law practice, he devoted his energies to community programs. His civic leadership in the community chest, on the board of education for his home city of Lewiston, and as corporation counsel were recognized when the junior chamber of commerce named him as one of Maine's outstanding young men.

Frank Coffin entered politics to give new life to an ailing party and to bring quality and meaning to party platforms. As Democratic State chairman in Maine from 1954 to 1956, he succeeded in both endeavors, demonstrating the organizational ability which has marked his subsequent career in public office.

Frank Coffin's career in Congress has been outstanding. He was elected to the 85th Congress and was appointed to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Reelected in 1958, he received the additional appointment as a member of the Joint Economic Committee. He served on both committees with great distinction. It was his work which brought about the Foreign Affairs Committee study of United States-Canadian relations. As a result of this study, carried out by him and Congressman Brooks Hays, the United States-Canadian Interparliamentary Committee was established. Last year he conducted a monumental examination of the European Common Market.

Mr. Coffin's interest in the Development Loan Fund is not new. He was one of those who participated in the drafting of legislation establishing the agency in 1957. He has sponsored significant amendments to the original act in subsequent sessions of Congress. He has made two exhaustive reports on the agency to Congress, in 1959 and in 1960.

All of these achievements have been possible because of Frank Coffin's keen intellect, his wide-ranging intellectual interests, and his capacity for hard work. He is persuasive and convincing in his actions and his words, because he brings to his presentations thoughtful, meaningful, and careful preparation. He speaks softly, but with the authority of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.

Frank Coffin is a man in a generation, and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him and gain the benefit of his service.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the RECORD at this point as a part of my remarks editorials from four Maine newspapers, as follows:

Editorial entitled "Coffin Should Do Well," from the Lewiston Evening Journal of January 26, 1961.

Editorial entitled "Kennedy Makes a Wise Choice," from the Lewiston Daily Sun of January 27, 1961.

Editorial entitled "Mr. Coffin Joins the Team," from the Portland Sunday Telegram of January 29, 1961.

Editorial entitled "Coffin's Talents Recognized," from the Waterville Morning Sentinel of January 30, 1961.

There being no objection, the editorials were ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:

[From the Lewiston Evening Journal, Jan. 26,19611

COFFIN SHOULD Do WELL

It is pleasing that one of New England's outstanding young men should receive an important post within the new Kennedy administration. It is even more pleasing when this young man happens to be a native of the twin city area. Our reference, of course, is to the naming of former U.S. Representative Frank M. Coffin to head up the U.S. Development Loan Fund Corporation.

Due to a Republican landslide in Maine in the national election, Coffin was defeated by Gov. John H. Reed for the governorship. Since the former local attorney's return to Washington there has been much speculation regarding his future within the Kennedy administration.

There has been general expectation that any office offered him would be in the foreign affairs arena. As a Congressman Coffin displayed interest in foreign affairs and had the distinction of being named to the House Foreign Affairs Committee during his two terms of office. This was unusual in itself, as few freshmen House Members have been appointed to this highly important committee.

Coffin showed a flair for understanding foreign relations problems. Among his achievements was participation in a deeply analytical report on Canadian-American relations. Many of the recommendations contained within this report should serve the United States in the months ahead, since there has been growing restlessness displayed by our neighbor up north over what many Canadian leaders consider to be too much American economic influence in the Canadian economy.

Frank Coffin's new post technically establishes him at the Assistant Secretary of State level. It will not be completely unfamiliar to him in one respect, for he was among those who aided in drafting the bill to create the Development Loan Fund. The basic objective of the agency is to make available long-term loans under the Nation's mutual security program.

In accepting the office Coffin told the Journal that he believed the fund could make a major contribution in promoting progress, stability, and freedom orientation "to the one-third of the world's population on which our long-range chances for peace probably depend." We expect Frank Coffin to do an excellent job as Managing Director of the Development Loan Fund.

From the Lewiston Daily Sun, Jan. 27, 1961

KENNEDY MAKE A WISE CHOICE

This newspaper is gratified to learn that one of the significant policymakers of the Kennedy administration, in a post that will assume growing importance as the months pass, will be Frank M. Coffin, the former U.S. Representative of this congressional district, and the Democratic candidate for Governor in last November's election.

Mr. Coffin, it was revealed a day or so ago from Washington, will shortly move in as Director of the Development Loan Fund, an agency set up 4 years ago to supplement the foreign-aid program. Operating as a Government corporation, it makes loans to underdeveloped countries on longer than conventional terms, and also advances credits for projects abroad for which other financing is not available. That is about all we know about Mr. Coffin's new job, but we expect to learn a good deal more, and it is rather impressive to discover that this corporation will control, if the full budget appropriation is approved, a fund of $700 million.

From what we know of Mr. Coffin, and what we think we know of the new President, this corporation will play an important role in the cold war, with the available funds allocated imaginatively but also wisely.

There are, outside the Communist world, hundreds of millions of people whose transition from a primitive to a modern machine economy can only come about through huge investments in the exploitation of their natural resources and raw materials -- power, metals, timber, machine tools, food, and all the rest. We need them on our side, and President Kennedy could not have selected a better strategist and field general than Mr Coffin.

From the Portland Sunday Telegram,

Jan 29, 1961

MR. COFFIN JOINS THE TEAM

President Kennedy's appointment of Frank M. Coffin as Director of the Development Loan Fund is acknowledged in this State with much enthusiasm. The qualifications of the former Congressman from our Second District are such as to make the appointment well received everywhere.

Here in Maine we add that extra measure of pride and warmth reserved for local boys who make good.

The former Lewiston attorney served his district and his State as well as a Congressman as he had earlier served his party as its State chairman. We believe he would have served well as Governor. He may yet do so.

For the present he will direct his considerable talents and demonstrated energy in the service of the whole country -- and other nations too, for that matter.

While the post for which Mr. Coffin has been chosen is not of the first-line status of a Cabinet position, he is not heading some obscure agency which churns along in routine fashion whatever its direction or management. His agency performs a vital effort in the foreign aid program by its handling of long-range development loans which many times prove more effective than outright grants. Not only does such procedure encourage sound handling of such aid by the recipients but also is of particular value to those many nations where pride is hurt by the charity stigma of outright grants. Through its offices nations may be advanced credits for projects that cannot be otherwise financed, another procedure by which friendly relations may be cemented.

Mr. Coffin is admirably equipped for this role in which he will be involved in policy making in the State Department. As Congressman the Maine man served on the Foreign Affairs and Joint Economic Committees and did so with distinction. Among other things he made himself something of an expert on the problems posed by the European Common Market and the relations of the United States with Canada. The significant role of the Development Loan Fund cannot fail to be enhanced by his presence at its head.