\ Food Statement and Report
e ouomng are the texts of
President Truman’s statement on
tcod conseravtion and the report
of the Cabinet Food Committee:
I am making public today a report
from the Cabinet Committee on
World Food Programs which em
phasizes a critical situation calling
for immediate action by every Amer
ican. The report stresses the ex
trrmely grave food situation abroad
and the relationship between our
ability to help meet urgent foreign
food needs and the price situation
in the United States.
The committee states that adverse
crop developments, including those
nf recent weeks, both in North Amer
ica and in Europe, make apparent
a food shortage even worse than a
year ago. The losses from heavy
frosts in Northwestern Europe last
winter have been increased by a
jeneral European drought this spring
and summer. Any significant cut in
the already low rations in those
countries will have most serious con
sequences for their rehabilitation.
In the face of this situation, the
report shows that, without further
action, we .would be able to carry
through a large export program;
but, as a result of sharply reduced
com production and continued high
domestic demand for grain, exports
would not equal last year’s total
shipments—even though world needs
sre greater.
Conservation Effort Necessary.
The United States cannot rest on
this export prospect. To ship more
abroad without adjustments in do
mestic demand, however, would ag
gravate our own price situation.
Ill JJ1 C-CIIHU^ 1 Lo icpuil LI 1C
Cabinet Committee stressed the
urgency of doing everything possible
to meet the problem at home and
abroad. It recommended further
emphasis on shipments of food other
than grain in rounding out our
export program and on arrange
ments for the fullest participation
by other nations in the combined
effort to increase available supplies
and to channel them to points of
greatest need.
The committee made it clear, how
ever. that definite steps to conserve
on use of foodstuffs at home and re
duce the feeding of grain to live
stock will be essential if we are to
make our fullest contribution tow
ards meeting minimum foreign
reeds and at the same time relieve
the upward pressure on prices at
home.
Citizens Food Committee Named.
As a primary step, I am therefore
appointing a Citizens Food Com
mittee to advise on ways and means
of carrying out the necessary con
servation effort. Charles Luckman
of Cambridge, Mass., will serve as
chairman of this non-partisan com
mittee. I am asking the Citizens
Food Committee to meet at the
earliest possible moment to develop
plans for bringing the vital problem
of food conservation to the attention
of every American for action.
At the same time, I am establish
ing a working organization which
will mobilize the resources of the
Government in support of the over
all program. I will also confer with
the congressional leaders of both
parties regarding legislative action
which may be necessary.
While waiting for detailed reconi
mendatlons from the Citizens’ Com
mittee, there is one immediate and
personal thing each of us can do.
We can start now to conserve by
being more selective in foods we
buy,, particularly livestock products
whose production requires large
quantities of grain. Such action on
our part will do two things. We will
save on our family budget and we
will help others who are in des
perate need. I am confident that
the American people, realizing the
extreme seriousness of the situation,
will, co-operate fully.
Cabinet Committee's Letter.
The following letter was ad
dressed to the President by the
Cabinet Committee on Food:
September 24. 1947.
The President,
The White House.
Dear Mr. President:
This will confirm our oral recom
mendations to you. made September
22, at the time we submitted our
report containing a factual appraisal
of the food situation.
We wish to emphasize again the
seriousness of this situation. The
needs of other countries for food
have increased substantially over
the past year through a succession
Weather Report
District of Columbia — Mostly
cloudy but a little sunshine this
afternoon with highest about 64 de
grees. Clearing slowly late this after
noon and tonight and cooler with
lowest around 46. Tomorrow mostly
sunny and rather cool.
Virginia—Clearing and slightly
cooler tonight except much cooler
on the coast. Tomorrow sunny and
rather cool.
Maryland—Clearing and cooler to
night with scattered light frost in
west portion. Tomorrow sunny and
rather cooL
Wind velocity, 18 miles per hour;
direction, north northwest.
District Medical Society ragweed
rnllpn rnnnt for OA Hour* on/linr
9:30 a.m. Sept. 26—0 grains per cubic
yard of air, incomplete due to rain.
River Report.
(From United States Engineers.)
Potomac River clear at Harpers Ferry
and at Orett Falls: Shenandoah clear at
Harperi Ferry,
Humidity.
Yesterday. Per cent. Today Per cent.
Noon_ 73 Midnight_ 98
4 p.m___ 82 8 a.m_97
8 p.m.__ 98 1:30 p.m. __71
Reeord Temperatures This Tear.
Highest. 96. on August 14.
Lowest- 6. on February 5.
High and Low for Last 74 Hours.
High, fit at 1:1,8 p.m.
Low. - i T:<M a.m.
Tide Tables.
fPurnished by United States Coast and
Geodetic Survey. >
Today. Tomorrow.
High _ 4:59 a.m. 3:55 am.
Lew _12:12 a.m. 1:00 a.m
High _ 5:35 p.m. 6:27 p m
Low _ 12:24 p.m. p.m.
The Sun and Moon.
• Rises. Seta.
Bun. today 6:58 7:01
Sun tomorrow 5:57 6:59
Moon, today 5:11 a.m. 2:Oop.m.
Automobile lights must be turned on
one-half hour after sunset.
Precipitation.
Monthly precipitation in inches in the
Capital (current month to date':
Month 1947 Average. Record.
January _ . 3.18 3.55 7.83 '37
February _ 1.27 3.37 6.84 '84
March _ l.OS d.70 8.»4 uj
April _ S.48 3.27 9.13 89
May _ 4 44 3.70 19.69 '89
June _ 6.86 4.13 10.94 Oo
July _ 3.47 4.71 10.03 '86
August. _ 1.81 4.01 14.41 '28
September _ 4.65 3.24 17.45 .34
October _ . 2.84 8.81 ’37
November _ __ 2.?7 8.69 89
December _ 8.32 7 66 ’01
Temperatures in Various Cities.
High Low. High. Low.
Albuoueraue 89 6.3 Miami . _ 85 74
Atlanta. 76 58 Milwaukee 55 41
Atlantic City 64 58 New Orleans 84 71
Bismarck,. 49 29 New York. _ 65
Boston_ 62 5.6 Norfolk. 71 64
Buffalo_ 68 61 Oklah’a City 84 60
Chicago_ 68 46 Omahi_ 88 38
Cincinnati _, 75 50 Phoenix ,, 108 70
Detroit_ 70 37 Pittsburgh 67 .51
SI. Pass_ 92 bl P’land- Me. 62 41
Galveston _ 86 67 St. Louts 80 Si
Harrisburg 61 51 Salt Lake C’y 85 52
Indianapolis 77 52 Sap Antonio 88 54
Kansas City *4 50 San Fran’co 62 56
1>S£ Angeles. 90 6.5 Seattle_ 77 53
Louisville,, 75, 52 Tamo*- 79 66
A
ox unfavorable weather conditions at
critical- periods in the development
of their 1947 crops. Similar condi
tions in this country have produced
a serious drop in our own com pro
duction with the result that there
will undoubtedly be a strong tempta
tion to feed more wheat to live
stock. This will reduce the avail
ability of United States grain for
export shipment more than 2,000.000
tons below last year's level unless
additional positive action is taken.
We wish to make entirely clear our
feeling that the rate of exports which
can now be definitely planned is xjpt
enough in view of the increased
needs in the deficit areas abroad.
Even if we could approximate the
level of last year's shipments, other
countries would still be left in a dif
ficult food supply situation.
The difficulty of attempting to en
large our grain exports beyond what
is now Indicated lies in the domestic
problems resulting from high prices.
We are already faced with the need
for vigorous action to prevent a fur
ther inflationary price spiral.
Special Committee Recommended.
In these circumstances, we rec
ommend a number of measures to
help meet the situation. Some of
these are embodied In the report:
others have been discussed with
you verbally.
We. the American people, must
conserve our use of grain, in food
and in animal feed, so that addi
H/triol rnnnliA* ..ill t. _ 11 _ i_ I m
-a'aitauic 1U1
meeting the most urgent needs of
other countries. The appointment
of a special committee to develop
ways and means of carrying out a
successful conservation campaign is
recommended.
Other steps should include: In
creased exports of United States
foods other than grains; joint inter
national efforts to assure maximum
food shipments from all exporting
countries; further efforts by import
ing countries to increase their own
collections of food, and the chan
neling of exports to the most crit
ical areas.
We w'lsh to emphasize that the
most important immediate measure,
however, and the only one which can
both increase the available supplies
and relieve inflationary pressures. Is
an all-out drive for domestic con
servation.
Respectfully,
MEMBERS. CABINET COMMIT
TEE ON WORLD FOOD PRO
GRAMS.
THE CABINET COMMITTEE ON
WORLD FOOD PROGRAMS.
September 22, 1947.
Dear Mr. President:
Because of adverse crop develop
ments particularly in recent weeks,
both in North America and in
other areas of the Northern Hemis
phere, it is now apparent that the
world food shortage is even worse
than it was a year ago. There is a
serious gap between minimum needs
of food-deficit countries and total
supplies available for shipment
from surplus-producing areas.
Your Cabinet Committee on World
Food Programs is submitting here
with a general appraisal of the food
situation.
Respectfully vours,
CABINET COMMITTEE ON
WORLD FOOD PROGRAMS,
CLINTON P. ANDERSON,
S^rrpt.arv r\f A errionltnm
• Chairman).
G. C. MARSHALL,
Secretary of State.
W. A. HARRIMAN,
Secretary of Commerce.
REPORT ON TME FOOD
situation:
It is now generally known that the
world food shortage is even worse
than it was a year ago. Storms and
floods last winter, followed by
droughts this summer, have taken a
heavy toll of crops in many im
portant food-importing countries.
Grain harvests in France, Italy and
other European countries are sub
stantially below last year. Produc
tion prospects for potatoes, sugar
beets, pulses and fodder crops have
been lowered in Central and West
ern Europe. Much of this deteriora
tion in world food production has
taken place in the last 30 to 60 days.
As a result of these conditions, the
gap between available exports and
minimum needs of the importing
countries is estimated at about 15 per
cent—or 4.500,000 tons—in terms of
grain alone. It was hoped earlier
that increased local production of
other foods might serve to reduce
this gap, but the recent declines in
crop prospects in these deficit areas
make it clear that this hope is now
lost.
This situation in the deficit areas
points up the direct obligation that
rests upon the United States, along
with all other exporting countries.
, to do everything possible to make up
the inevitable shortages. There is
no need to review here the place
of adequate food supplies as a
foundation stone in building a stable
structure of economic and political
rehabilitation. We must send every
pound of food that it is practical to
ship to these countries of greatest
need. There can be no disagree
ment on this basic purpose.
Com Crop Prospects Down.
Our plans to carry out this pur
pose have been complicated by crop
developments in North America dur
ing recent weeks. Deterioration in
United States corn crop prospects
has reduced the estimated supply of
corn for the year ahead to a total
about 700.000.000 bushels below last
year. The total supply of the four
principal feed grains will be down
about a billion bushels. This makes
it appear certain that continuation
of heavy demand and high prices
for livestock products would pro
vide the incentive for farmers tc
feed much more wheat, cutting
heavily into the record 19*7 crop
A further complication is the fact
that Canada's wheat prospect.' have
recently been estimated at about
15 per cent below last year.
These facts call for careful ap
praisal. The need to ship large sup
plies abroad is unquestionably great,
Also important is the need to pro
tect our own economy and price
structure, In this situation, it is
imperative that, a balance be struck
which will call for shipment of the
last food calorie which can be pro
vided without undermining the Na
tion's strength and effectiveness.
It is obvious that auctua balance
cannot be an infiej®le determina
tion. It will be affected by changing
conditions. The measure of the
United States contribution- in the
world-wide effort to keep rations
from dropping below the danger
point will also be relative. In ap
praising export possibilities for
19*7-8, it will be helpful to compare
them with our shipments last year.
Record Food Shipments.
From July 1. 1948. through June
30. 1947, the United States exported
nearly 18,500.000 long tons of food
stuffs—the largest total ever shipped
from one country in a single year.
IT
These shipments represented about
49.6 trillion calories of food—enough
to supplement the diets of 300,000,000
people to the extent of around 450
calories a day throughout the year.
The following table gives a rough
breakdown of the calorie value of
1946-7 exports, by major commodity
groups:
1946-47 Food Exports.
Trillion of Per cent
calories, of total.
Wheat and flour.. 31.2 62.9
Coarse grains _ 12.1 24.4
Rice - 13 2.6
Beans and peas. . . .6 1.2
Edible fats, oils,
and peanuts ... 2.0 4.1
Dairy products ... 1.3 2.6
Dried fruits 3 .6
Citrus juices __Negible Negible
Vegetables (includ
ing potatoes'.-.. 3 .6
Meat and poultry
products and fish .5 1.0
Total . 49.6 100.0
Last year's exports included 14 V.
million long tons of grain (more
than 550 million bushels'. Wheat
and flour in wheat equivalent, made
up nearly 400 million bushels of this
total, with corn, oats, barley, rye
and grain sorghums accounting for
the rest. In terms of food calories,
grains represented nearly 88 per
cent of all export shipments.
This year there will not be avail
able, under conditions now pre
| vailing, as large a volume of grain
1 for shipment. It now seems likely
i that about 400 million bushels of
wheat and flour will be available
i v uwuuv uiv onuu, ao met
j year. However, the total of other
i grains and grain products estimated
to be available for shipment this
year are not much more than one
third the quantity exported during
1946-47—about 70 million bushels as
compared with 175 million bushels.
Corn exports will have to be limited
almost entirely to the 19 million
bushels bought last spring and
moved out during July and August.
Barley, grain sorghums, oats -and
rye will make up the rest of the
expected 70 million bushels of these
! “course grains.”
In arriving at these estimates, the
probable price effects of exports at
various levels were given careful
consideration. The undesirable re
sults of a price spiral, with impacts
both at home and abroad, are
apparent.
Present indicated domestic use of
grain would leave about 470 million
bushels (12.3 million long tons) of
all grain for export—more than two
million long tons short of last year's
record shipments. (See following
table showing availability of grain.
1946-47 and 1947-48, and possible
utilization of 1947-48 United States
grain supplies.!
full co-operation of all nations. It
is believed that food exports in
1947-48 from countries other than
the United States could be increased
by about 5.3 million tons over the
quantities shipped in 1946-47. Over
3 million tons of this total would
be accounted for by increases in
exports of grains (including coarse
grainsi and rice. Sugar shipments
can be increased by about l.S million
tons, according to present estimates,
and increases in shipments of edible
fats and oils would account for
most of the remainder. (See'follow
ing table.)
Exports, 1946-7 and estimated
quantities available for export, 1947
Grain Availability—1946-7 and 1947-8*
(Millions of bushels.)
1A4H-7 1347-S
production Total production Total
tCarry-in. and imports, supply. tCarry-in. and imports, suppiy.
Wheat.. 100 1,156 1,256 83 1.409 1.492
Corn . 173 3.288 3.461 350 2,404 2,754
Oats .. 292 1.510 1.802 278 1.227' 1.505
Barley _ 58.6 268.4 327 55.6 295.9 351.5
Gr. sorghums. 9.2 106.7 115.9 10 90 100
Rye _ 2.3 20.2 22.5 2.3 26.6 28.9
Totals _ 635.1’ 6.349.3 6384A 778.9 5.452.5 6.231.4
• All grains on a July-June year except corn which Is on an October -
September year.
t Grain only.
Possible Utilization of 1947-8 Grain Supplies.*
(Millions of bushels.)
*■ *■ i Industrial Total Balance
and other Carry- domestic available
Food. Feed Seed. uses. Out** Utilisation.for export.
Wheat ... 510 350 87 .. 147- 1,094 400
Corn ... 150 2.350 13 65 174 2.752 i21
Oats .. 50 1,150 110 185 1.495 10
Barley .. 80 160 19 10 603 329.5 23
Gr. sorghums. 3 67 3 3 id 86 ' 14
Rve .. 7 6.3 5 6 2.6 26.9 2
„• Totals_ 800 4.083.3 237 84 579.1 5.783.4 t470
* All grains on a July-June year except corn which Is on an October
September year.
t At this time, before next year's crops can be estimated, these figures
represent the minimum safe carryovers. Pinal estimates will depend
| upon crop prospects next spring.
i Includes 19,000,000 bushels of corn exported in the July-September
quarter of 1947, which is an addition to the 2,000.000 bushels estimated
to be exported during the corn crop year.
More Emphasis on Other Foods.
It is obvious that' the United
States will have to put more em
[ pha.sis on shipments of foodstuffs
other than grain. A careful survey
of possibilities, which are regarded
as practicable under present cir
cumstances from the price and other
points of view, shows that even then
we shall probably fall short of last
.years total shipments unless ar
rangements can be made for ship
ment of supplies which are produced
in other countries. The movement
of substantial quantities of Cuban
sugar to food-deficit countries is an
important illustration of this possi
bility.
The next table gives a rough esti
mate of United States export avail
abilities of all foods for the 1947-8
year. It is broken down in terms of
calorie value, percentage for major
commodity groups and cost on a
calorie basis. The cost item, of
course, is a vital one. Some com
modities which conceivably might
be exported, but. for which the
calorie cost would obviously be so
great as to remove them from prac
tical consideration, have not been
The table shows that the calorie
! value of grains in the export pro
gram this year would be only about
82 per cent of the total, as com
pared with 88 per cent last year.
; From the cost point of view the fol
lowing listed commodities would
cost, at present prices, from $2
to $5 per 100.000 calories: Wheat,
flour, coarse grains, dry peas, lard
and edible oils. (Cuban sugar also
falls in this price range.) Foods
costing between *5 and $10 per
100.000 calories would include
| milled rice, dry beans, dried prunes,
j raisins, peanuts and nonfat dry
I milk solids. Most other dairy prod
! ucts would range from *15 to *20
I per 100.000 calories. Concentrated
citrus juices would range between
i *20 and *30. Practically all other
animal products and processed
1 fruits and vegetables would run con
i siderably higher than *30.
The table follows:
8 from countries other than the
United States:
1P4T-4S.
(Thousand Lons Tons.)
Breadgrains . _ 9,733 11,000
Coarse grains _ 3,688 4.500
Rice _ 1.500 2.500
Subtotal _14521 TfF.OOO
Edible fats and oils . 2.100 2.600
Meat _ 1589 1,973
Cheese . - 171 155
Eggs (shell
equivalent) _ 109 123
Subtotal .. 4.369 4.860
Sugar* .... " 7,600 ~9A06
Total . 26,890 32,260
* Raw value.
Argentina and Australia could
provide most of the increase in
grains (Argentina 1,300,000 tons,
Australia. 600.000 tons), and Burma
most of the increase in rice ex
ports. (Seven hundred seventy
five thousand tons out of an esti
mated total increase of 1.000,000
tons). Cuba can be expected to
supply most of the increase in
available sugar, and the Philip
pine Republic almost the entire
increase in edible fats and oils.
Serious Gap Still Left.
Even with this expected increase
in exports from other countries,
together with the food that woulc
be available under present circum
stances for shipment by the United
States, there would still be a serious
gap between the minimum needs of
deficit countries and the total of
food stuffs which could be supplied.
In view of this serious situation,
additional steps should be taken to
increase the availability of food
supplies for export and the efficiency
of their use. A definite responsi
bility rests on the deficit countries
, to make the most effective possible
use of their indigenous production
by strengthening their collection
and distribution systems and by
spreading carefully all available
supplies over the 12-month period
of the marketing year. As men
Estimated Export Availabilities 1947-8.
Trillions Probable. Average cost
of r> of cost *V of per 100.000
calories. total. mil. dol. total. ealories.
dollars.
Wheat, flour .. 32.9 71.9 1,066.0 49.0 3.24
Coarse grains. 4.6 10.1 146.1 6.7 3.15
Rice .. 1.3 2.8 85.8 3.9 6.77
I Beans and peas__ .7 1.5 32.2 1.5 4.81
| Edible fats, oils and peanuts-- 3.0 6.6 153.9 7.1 5.06
, Dairy products _ 1.07 3.7 253.5 11.7 14.81
Dried fruits _ .6 1.3 46.3 2.1 8.15
I Citrus Juices . • .1 .2 18.5 .8 24.74
Vegetables (including potatoes' .2 .4 46.3 2.1 22.54
Meat and poultry products and
Ash _ .7 1.5 328.0 15.1 46.02
Total _ 45.8 100.0 2,176.6 100.0 4.75
U. S. Not Working Alone.
The United States will not, of
icourse, be working alone in the job
of getting food to deficit areas. The
'world food problem requires the
\ '
* v
■r 5
tioned in this report, increased em
phasis must be placed on foods
other than grains for shipment
from the United States and sup
plies from all exporting countries
k
—- i
Here are 16 of the members of the Citizens’ Food Committee named by President Truman
today.
must be channeled to the areas of
most critical need.
Immediate consideration must be
given to the conservation of our
grain supplies, through a voluntary
campaign to economize domestic
use—particularly of those livestock
products whose production requires
large amounts of grain. Recom
mendations for any legislative ac
tion might might be necessary to
maximize the availability of United
States grain for export should also
be considered.
Animal League Picks Up
Only 670 Kittens in Month
The kitten situation, which was
getting pretty much out of hand
last month when 1.126 were picked
up as strays, has improved some
what this month with only 670
netted thus far. the Washington
Animal Rescue League reported to
day.
The reason for the decline was not
immediately apparent.
But if Washington is swarming
with kittens, the dogs, puppies and
cats are not far behind. The league
has taken in 241 cats, followed
figuratively as well as literally by
114 dogs. Only 56 stray puppies
found themselves in league custody.
Thirteen creatures of miscel
laneous types were brought to league
headquarters. 71 O street N.W. They
included squirrels, pigeons, rabbits
and small birds, all injured and:
needing care.
All told, September has netted the j
league a bumper crop of 1,096 j
animals, while the Tail Waggers'
Club reported 1.310 animals were
treated there.
Truman to Salute Workers
In Chest Drives Tomorrow
j President Truman will salute the
volunteer workers in the Commun
jlty Chest campaigns in a Nation
wide radio address at 10:30 p.m.,
EDT, tomorrow. The campaigns
will open soon in more than 800
immunities.
| Assistant Secretary of the Treas
ury Edward H. Foley. jr„ 1948 cam
pajgn chairman of the Community
Chest Federation. National Capital
area, will respond briefly for the
tampaign organization here.
1 The 30-minute program will also
include the following Hollywood
stars: Jack Benny, Edgar Bergen,
Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour. Mar
garet O'Brien and James Stewart.
Schedule Changes
R.F.firP. R.R.
Beginning September 28th, leave
Washington tor Richmond and
ACL 6:40 p.m. instead of 6:00
p.m.; via Richmond ond SAL 7:05
p.m. instead of 6:10 p.m.
Rotary Governor Stresses
World Service Challenge
A “tremendous challenge'1 for the
future in the field of international
service faces the Rotary clubs,
Howard S. Leroy, governor of the
clubs for this district, told Wash
ington members at a meeting yester
day in the Mayflower Hotel.
“Rotary in the first 40 years has
done a tremendous global job. mostly
in channels of club and community
service as they are known to us,”
he declared.
In the next 40 years, he went on,
the organization has a' challenge
to meet in international service.
The club also heard Edward J.
Keyes, recently appointed executive
director of the Community Chest
Federation, who spoke on the fund
campaign for $3,900,000 to begin
November 12.
Top Butter Grades
Drop at New York
Sy the Associated Press
NEW YORK, Sept.. 25.—Top grades
of butter dropped 23* cents a pound
today on the wholesale market.
Grade AA sold at 77 cents and
grade A at 75 cents a pound, com
pared with 8614 and 84 cents, re
spectively. September 15.
Consumer resistance . in relail
rt avap n trs p A A/1 4 t A/1 tfrttK fUe waaamI
downward trend in wholesale butter
prices.
Louis Bleroit made the first cross
ing of the English Channel in f’
powered airplane in 1909.
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I
Statement on Aid to Europe
Following k the text of a state
ment by President Truman on
aid to Europe:
The Secretary of State has trans
mitted to me the official report of
the Committee of European Eco
nomic Co-operation, prepared by the
representatives of 16 nations who
have been meeting in Paris since
early July. At my request Secretary
Marshall is sending a message to the
chairman of the committee, Foreign
Minister Bevin, acknowledging re
ceipt of the report by the United
States Government.
As the document itself states, it is
an “initial report.” and is subject
to review and revision. Nonetheless,
it reflects an unprecedented effort
at economic co-operation by the 16
countries participating in the Paris
Conference. In the light of the
political tensions and the economic
instability in Europe, it is an im
portant and encouraging first step
that these nations had the initia
tive and determination to meet to
gether and produce this report.
The problem to which this report
is addressed not only underlies the
political and economic' well-being
of Europe, but is also of key im
portance to a stable peace in the
world. The people of the United
States recognize, as do the people
of the European nations, that the
earliest practicable achievement of
economic health, and consequent
political stability, in Europe is of
utmost importance for the peace
onH nro]l.Kaino of t « nmi-l/l
Four Lines of Action.
I note that the program pre
sented in the roptr is based on the
four following lines of action by the
16 European nations: (1) A strong
productive effort; (2), the creation
of internal financial stability; (3),
maximum co-operation among the
participating countries;, and (4), a
solution to the trading deficit with
the American continent, particu
larly by exports. These are sound
principles and will appeal to the
common sense of the American peo
ple. Their effective translation into
practice is vital, both to European
recovery and to world-wide eco-J
nomic health.
While the 16-nation committee
has been meeting in Paris, the
United States Government has been
proceeding with complementary
studies on this side of the Atlantic.
Last June I appointed three com
mittees to study the relationship be
tween aid which may be extended
to foreign countries and the in
terests of our domestic economy.
One of these, headed by the Secre
tary of the Interior, has been mak
ing a study of the state of our
natural resources. Another of these
studies, relating to the impact on
our national economy of aid to
other countries, is being conducted
by the Council of Economic Ad
visers. The third group, a non
partisan committee of distinguished
citizens under the chairmanship of
| the Secretary of Commerce, was re
quested to determine the character
and quantities of United States re
sources available for assistance to
foreign countries and to advise the
President on the limits within
which the United States may safely
and wisely plan to extend such
assistance.
Other agencies of the executive
branch of the Government have also
been considering the role which
should be played by the United
States in European recovery.
Many Sent Abroad.
The great interest of the Congress
in this subject has been demon
strated by the number of its mem
bers whom it has sent abroad to
study prevailing conditions at first
hand.
We shall need to consult with rep
resentatives of the European com
mittee to obtain clarification and
amplification of the initial report
and to obtain further information,
as it becomes available, as to the
specific measures to be adopted by
the participating countries in carry
ing out the principles set forth, in
the report.
I am requesting the special com
mittees which X appointed and other
Government agencies to appraise
the information received from the
European committee in the light of
the studies they have conducted.
irouiw ui lius appraisal will oe
made available to the appropriate
congressional committees.
On the basis of these studies,
which will go forward without de
lay, the facts will be presented and
recommendations will be formulated
so that the American people through
their representatives in Congress
can determine to what extent and
in what manner the resources of
the United States may be brought
to the support of he renewed Euro
pean efforts to achieve sustained
economic recovery. When the Ameri
can people are satisfied as to the
scope of the necessary program
and the sufficiency of measures of
self-help and mutual help being
taken by the European countries,
and when we can determine what
resources we should and can wisely
make available. I am sure that w*
shall respond as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, certain problems have
arisen in connection with the eco
nomic situation in Europe that are
of such an urgent nature that their
solution cannot await the careful
study required for the overall deci
sions which will be based on the
reports. These problems are of an
emergency nature which demand
immediate attention.
It is for this reason that I have
requested a group of congressional
leaders to meet with me on Monday,
September 29, to discuss plans for
determining the action to be taken
by the United States to aid in pre
serving the stability and promoting
the recovery of the nations which
participated in the Paris Conference.
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617 F ST. N.W.
30 Years Same Address
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