Message to the Congress Transmitting Fourth Annual Report of the Peace Corps.

To the Congress of the United States:

I transmit herewith from the Secretary of State the Fourth Annual Report of the Peace Corps.

This is a report of service to our neighbors throughout the world. It is the story of new opportunities for growth and learning among our own people.

The expansion of the Peace Corps has been as dramatic as its promise.

Five years ago today the Peace Corps was eleven days old. By mid-summer, 1961, 120 Volunteers were serving in 3 countries. At the close of fiscal year 1965 there were 8,624 Volunteers serving in 46 countries. Africa received 3,278 Volunteers --Latin America received 3,214--the Near East and South Asia, 1,285, and the Far East, 847.

There are many examples of Peace Corps impact. One is Afghanistan. Nine Volunteers went there in 1962 to begin the Peace Corps' work. As of June 30, 1965, there were 136 Volunteers in Afghanistan, located in 19 different towns and villages. Peace Corps teachers reach nearly 40 per cent of all Afghan students at the secondary and university levels.

There are other measures of progress. I am pleased to note that as the number of Volunteers has risen, the cost per Volunteer has declined. During fiscal year 1963, for example, the annual cost per Volunteer was $9,074. For 1965 the cost was reduced to $8,028. The estimate for fiscal year 1966 is $7,832.

The Peace Corps is the largest producer and consumer of language materials in the world. Since 1961, 20,000 trainees have received instruction in one or more of about 60 languages in the Peace Corps training curricula. Twenty additional languages are under consideration for inclusion in future training programs.

Since its inception, 150,000 Americans have volunteered for Peace Corps service. Some 15,000 have served abroad in 49 nations.

As of June 30, 1965, 4,545 Volunteers had completed service and returned to the United States. Thirty-seven percent of all returned Volunteers are continuing their education. Government service is attracting 17.8 percent, while another 16.4 percent are teaching. The remaining 28.5 percent are engaged in private business, non-profit organizations and miscellaneous activities.

It is fair to say that the lives of virtually all Volunteers have been changed by their service in the Corps. They have become aware--in a unique and profound way--of the bond of suffering and hope that unites men and women on every continent. And they are returning home with a new understanding of their nation and the world.

No more valuable experience can be gained by any man.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON

The White House

March 14, 1966