Like a rat nibbling at a giant cheese, the Republicans go about reducing expenditures. For in this election year, every saving they can show the voters means stronger support at the polls. One area where cuts are convenient is foreign aid. And it is especially easy to pare dollars from the funds bringing foreign students to the country. Few people know, or care, whether this country supports an educational exchange program.

A bill to reduce by one-third the number of foreign students in U.S. universities has already passed the House and will soon go to the Senate. Under the proposal, funds to support foreign students in this country will be cut from $7 million to $1,500,000. In these days when Government spending annually totals over $60 billion, savings on student exchanges are insignificant. But the value of the exchange program is not. Reports from overseas show that it has done immeasurable good in combating rumors and false popular impressions of the United States. The foreign student in this country knows a vastly different segment of American life than does the foreigner who sees only U.S. tourists and movies.

Particularly hard hit under the House bill are Asian students. While the new cuts would climinate one out of every three European visitors, three out of five Asian places would be dropped. And the number of Asian exchange students is much lower in the first place. Since many Far Eastern leaders hold degrees from U.S. universities, cuts here are particularly unwise.

This budget paring will also make American students far less welcome as the guests of foreign governments. No nation wants to give more than it receives in any area, education included. But most important is the loss of a great source of good will to get savings that would be virtually infinitesimal.