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READERS’ FORUM 
SINNETTE

of discussion and tedious bargaining would be required to negotiate the necessary legal instruments. Even after the most careful deliberations, there would remain certain imponderables, the answers to which would only become manifest after the fact. No one can provide ironclad assurances that voluntary repatriation is a tenable concept much less that it is workable. These however are not the crucial issues. The burning question is, in the absence of a suitable alternative, dare we dismiss the concept out of hand as being too visionary? It is likely that events in the coming months will furnish proof that it must be included on the agenda. 
CALVIN H. SINNETTE


MORE ON FREEDOM BUDGET
I HAVE READ Mr. Robert Browne’s additional comment of January, 1967, bearing upon my reply of November, 1966 to his comment of October, 1966 with respect to "A Freedom Budget For All Americans," issued by the A. Philip Randolph Institute in October 1966.

In support of his view that the "Freedom Budget" is "not practical," Mr. Browne cites that the President's defense budget (including national defense, space technology and all international) for fiscal 1968 was 85.6 billion dollars whereas I had projected only 77.5 billion in calendar 1970 and 85.7 billion in calendar 1975 in the "Freedom Budget" study. Mr. Browne inadvertently neglects that these portions of the "Freedom Budget" are set forth in 1964 dollars, while the President's fiscal 1968 budget is set forth in fiscal 1968 dollars. Adjusting to this change in the price level, the national defense category in the "Freedom Budget" would be lifted to 87.0 billion dollars in 1970 and 97.4 billion in 1975. In other words, when the "Freedom Budget" is converted into fiscal 1968 dollars, which does not change its essential evaluation of our productive resources, it demonstrates clearly that the domestic priorities as set forth are entirely feasible even allowing for the changes to date and considerable further expansion of outlays for national defense (including space technology and all international).

I should add, as the "Freedom Budget" itself makes very clear, that this demonstration does not involve any commitment

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-02-13 11:25:39