THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN WASHINGTON

FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 1975

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,

Washington, D.C.

The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 1:45 p.m., in room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Charles C. Diggs, Jr. [chairman of the committee], presiding.

Present: Representatives Diggs and Harris.

Also present: Edward C. Sylvester, Staff Director; Dorothy M. Anderson, Professional Staff; and Jack Barthwell, Summer Intern. The CHAIRMAN. The meeting will come to order.

STATEMENT OF THE CHAIRMAN

I personally want to thank all of you for being here today, the participants on our panel and the recipients of this information, the distinguished representatives of various countries that are accredited to the United States. I want to especially thank the dean of the diplomatic community, Dr. Sevilla-Sacasa for his most cooperative and supportive role in this effort.

As I stated in the letter of invitation to you, the Committee on the District of Columbia for the House of Representatives, and its Subcommittee on the International Community, have become increasingly aware of the range of concerns by members of the international community in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and because of the special constitutional role of our committee, which has oversight responsibility for nondiplomatic problems of the international community, we feel it is appropriate that we hold this meeting, which is consistent with the establishment of the subcommittee which took place when I assumed the chairmanship of the full committee some 2 years ago.

I guess my sensitivities relative to the problems of the international community were occasioned by my own experiences as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, now known as the International Relations Committee, which put me in contact with so many of you and your predecessors over the years. We had a hearing on this general subject in April 1973. At that hearing we heard testimony from both the Government and from international service organizations, but there was no representation at that time from members of the international community. So we would like all of you to feel that this is your meeting. We want you to feel free to raise any questions or make any comments that you have on your minds.

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Note that I have referred to it as a meeting. It is not a hearing. and so, therefore, the general guidelines with respect to appearances before a congressional body do not apply in this case. We want you to raise issues that you think would be of concern to Members of Congress or anyone on the panel. We are interested not only in the problems that affect you as members of the diplomatic community and of the international community, but we would like to provide you with information that will enable you to better assist your nationals living in this country as students, permanent residents, or simply tourists, or those who are transitory visitors in other categories.

As you all know, we are fast approaching the height of our tourist season in the Nation's capital, and most of you know that some 20 million people come to Washington, D.C. on an annual basis; most of whom come during the summer months. These visitors come from across the country, and from around the world.

We also are particularly interested in this exchange at this time because we are really just 6 months away from the beginning of a Bicentennial, during which period it is estimated that the influx of visitors from abroad and elsewhere will increase the 20 million annua! figures perhaps as high as 40 million. And there are interrelated programs and concerns occasioned by that.

The multiplicity of problems and difficulties which the international community experiences, such as physical space for embassies, executive protection of properties and personnel, immigration concerns, come to us. Leasing and purchasing of property involves certain kinds of problems. Students-just to name a few-these have never been fully explored in a way that we feel that it ought to be. So as to recognize these problems and to identify those agencies, both Federal and local, and in the private sector, normally charged, or who have some responsibility for these matters, and in many instances public officials and private agencies, seem to be unaware of many of the problems of temporary residents from abroad who may face insurmountable odds in seeking to carry out their missions in this rather complex Washington, D.C. community.

There may be many questions raised today where acceptable answers are not forthcoming at this time. However, we of the committee stand ready to do all in our power to lend the necessary assistance in facilitating the most adequate response to those concerns. So, if there are problems that you wish to take up with us beyond this meeting, you may feel free to make contact with us and use us as an instrument to try and get answers to these questions.

I would now like to introduce, or rather call the roll of the Government representatives and others who are going to be participating. I am not sure whether all have arrived, but I would like to call the roll, and as I call the roll, if you would just raise your hand and rise, so people will know who you are.

Mr. Hampton Davis, who is the Assistant Chief of Protocol for Special Services, from the Department of State.

Also, from the Department of State, the Deputy Assistant Chief of Protocol for Special Services, Richard Gookin.

From the Department of State Bureau of Security and Consular Affairs, we have Stephen Dobrenchuk, the Chief of the Public Services

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Division of the Visa Office, and questions about visas can obviously be answered here.

Mr. A. Roy McKay; he is a Special Assistant to the Deputy Director for Legal and Security Affairs in the Passport Office.

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From Immigration and Naturalization Service, Edward O'Connor, who is the Associate Commissioner, Examinations Division.

From the U.S. Labor Department, the Manpower Administration, John Sheeran, who is Chief of the Immigration Certification.

Mr. Leonard Burchman, Director of the Intergovernmental and Interagency Relations component.

And Mr. Edgar McVoy, the Director of the International Manpower Institute.

We also have, from the Government here, representatives of the Executive Protective Forces, Paul Rundle, who is Deputy Assistant Director, U.S. Secret Service, and Earl Drescher, who is Chief of the Executive Protective Service, U.S. Secret Service, and as you know, has responsibility for security of residents and foreign personnel— diplomatic personnel.

From the private sector, several international service organizations, Robert Wade, director of the Foreign Students Service Council.

Mrs. Peggy Brasko, program officer, Foreign Students Service Council.

Robert Cleveland, president of Meridian House.

Nancy McCloskey, acting director of the International Visitors Service Council.

Paula Jeffries, the president of THIS, which stands for The Hospitality and Information Service.

And we have a realtor here who has dealt extensively with housing problems, leasing and purchasing and otherwise in the diplomatic community, Mr. Clarence Robinson.

I would now like to introduce the chairman of the Subcommittee on the International Community, a distinguished gentleman from the State of Virginia, Congressman Herbert Harris, who will in turn introduce our participants on the panel for their presentations. Congressman Harris.

STATEMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE HERBERT E. HARRIS II

Mr. HARRIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I appreciate very much being able to be here with you and continue an operation of the committee that I believe is very important. I think the leadership you have shown in both the District Committee and in the Foreign Affairs Committee have led the committees to an awareness of the need to help with the things that go on in everyday life as far as the international community here in Washington is concerned.

I would like to say that I see a number of my friends in the audience, and I would just simply like to say hello to them.

Professionally, I have worked in international affairs for the past several years. I was thinking, as you were speaking, that some years back, I directed an international exchange program-I think that was back around the turn of the century sometime, Mr. Chairman-and

for 3 years, I had the responsibility of actually meeting foreign trainees and placing them in the United States for a year's time. And I have a sensitivity to the great challenge that the embassy personnel often have with regard to the problems of individuals, and I know how difficult it is, in a foreign country. I have worked in foreign countries and know the many mundane, routine things that can bother us in the way of zoning and living and surviving within a framework of laws and institutions that are not always familiar.

I would like to make reference to the Bicentennial, as we are about to conclude our hearings this evening, that I am sensitive to the special problems that it brings to all of you in the international community, and I hope that we will be able to identify problems where we can be helpful. I had just noticed the other day, as a matter of fact, that the law which extends free parking privileges to persons with diplomatic credentials will be expiring in a month, and I do not believe the Park Service has requested a renewal of this law. This is something that perhaps this committee could look into.

There are other, I am sure, very prosaic problems which we may have, but they are very important. I am very pleased and honored to be a part, Mr. Chairman, of the effort to try and help the international community.

With that, I would like to introduce Mr. Hampton Davis, the Assistant Chief of Protocol for Special Services of the Department of State. Mr. Davis.

STATEMENT OF HAMPTON DAVIS, ASSISTANT CHIEF OF PROTOCOL FOR SPECIAL SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Mr. DAVIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I would like to say that it is a privilege for me to take part in this gathering today, and I wish, first of all, to thank Chairman Diggs and Chairman Harris for inviting representatives of the protocol office of the State Department to be here, and also to commend them for their thoughtfulness and concern that they have shown in organizing what I consider to be a very worthwhile meeting and performing a real service to the diplomatic community here, as we approach the Bicentennial year, which undoubtedly will bring new strains and new problems to a community that already had enough of them. I am very pleased to see such a good representation from the diplomatic corps; almost half of the almost 130 diplomatic missions in Washington are represented here, and several of them by their ambassadors, which is a tribute to the importance which your embassies attach to this gathering.

I hope that I will be able to, in some small measure, make a contribution to the success of the meeting, and I am sure that the many experts here on my right and on my left will, if I do not.

PROTOCOL SERVICES

Many of you are known to me and to my colleague, Mr. Gookin, and I think that you have a fairly good idea of what our part of the Office of Protocol seeks to do. But since this is an informational meeting, I will briefly review what we do have to offer.