FOREIGN RELATIONS: The American Twang

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Echoing some Capitol Hill sentiment, an editorial in the Washington Post last week suggested that the best way to save OIC would be to sacrifice Director Benton, who had rubbed many a Congressman the wrong way with his super-salesmanship. But last week a group of five big U.S. industrialists* rallied to Bill Benton's defense. In a letter to the Post they wrote: "The kind of criticism that is now being leveled at Bill Benton is the kind of thing that keeps responsible and able people from going into Government work. . . . It would be difficult indeed to find anyone who matches his initial qualifications for administering America's international information and cultural program."