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Statement by the President Concerning Aid by California to Chile Under the Alliance for Progress.

February 13, 1963

GOVERNOR BROWN and I are pleased to announce that a special mission from the State of California is now in Washington preparatory to leaving for Chile to explore ways in which the State of California may participate in the Alliance for Progress in that country.

This is a pioneering effort. It is the first time a State has been called upon to investigate the extent to which all of its resources can be brought to bear on the development problems of another country.

The direct widespread participation by State governments and institutions in the Alliance for Progress can make an important new contribution to the success of that vital program. If the States of the United States-with their wealth of experience and knowledge in the field of rural development--can play a significant and responsible role in the Alianza, then the possibilities for rapid progress will be greater than ever before.

It is clear that the problems of rural and agricultural development are among the most critical in a Latin America which is 70 percent rural. The greatest reservoir of skill, experience, and accomplishment in agriculture--anywhere in the Western World--is in the States of the United States. State governments, universities, and private groups have succeeded in building the most abundant rural economy ever known. It is my hope that we will now be able to put these capacities directly to work on similar problems in Latin America.

California has developed an agricultural economy so abundant that it is able to export 75 percent of its production. Chile, with many of the same problems, geographical features, and products, is now embarked on a development program designed to lift its own agricultural economy and bring a better life to millions of Chilean workers. I believe that the State of California can be of substantial assistance in that effort.

Mr. Moscoso and I are most grateful to Governor Brown for his enthusiastic response to this challenge. We believe that the California-Chile project can break fresh ground for the Alliance for Progress and create a whole new dimension of widespread popular participation in America's overseas programs.

Note: The statement was made in the Cabinet Room at the White House during a meeting with officials of the State of California and the Agency for International Development. In his statement the President referred to Governor Edmund G. Brown of California and Teodoro Moscoso, U.S. Coordinator, Alliance for Progress.

John F. Kennedy, Statement by the President Concerning Aid by California to Chile Under the Alliance for Progress. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/236952

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