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Show Justice Is Sole Principle : C . ? Guiding Steps of UNRRA ,, , -Hn Relief and Rehabilitation Program Claims ti ; 5 Support of Congressmen Noted for i ' Internationalist Viewpoint. ' L. By BAUKIIACE News Anulyst and Commentator. WNU Service, Union Trust Building Washington, D. C. While the bombs are bursting over Europe, it is pretty hard to think of postwar activities. America just doesn't like to do it. Furthermore, it is perfectly natural that, after our experience in the last war when we talk about "relief" for Europe, we feel we don't want to play the role of "Uncle Sap" again. The one organization which has gone ahead with very definite, specifically spe-cifically delimited plans for civilian civil-ian international activity, is the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Rehabili-tation administration. Forty-four nations na-tions have combined to set up this organization and finance its work. The United States' part in this organization or-ganization has the specific authorization authoriza-tion of Congress. But it never could have had this backing if it hadn't been for the wholehearted cooperation coopera-tion of certain men in Congress whom nobody by the greatest stretch of imagination could label as internationalists. One of them largely responsible for the unopposed un-opposed authorization by congress for the $1,350,000,000 which is America's Ameri-ca's contribution to the UNRRA fund was Sen. Arthur H. Vanden-berg, Vanden-berg, a member of the foreign relations re-lations committee, who cannot be described as an "internationalist." He supported UNRRA in this way ftor a long and careful consultation consulta-tion with the State department concerning con-cerning the administration's obligations obliga-tions which the United States had to accept if it joined this body of 44 nations. Vandenberg was supported by representatives of the delegation from Ohio, among others, a middle western state not noted for international inter-national tendencies. I asked a member of the UNRRA staff why he thought these people were convinced that the United States ought to take part in this humanitarian movement which although al-though it proclaimed ultra-practical aims might naturally be doubted by the cynical. "Nobody who has read the limitations limita-tions which this organization has placed upon itself could have the crust to oppose it," was his answer. Selling Point At that moment, I took this rather categorical statement with a grain of salt. Later, after talking with Morse Salisbury, who is well known over the air to many of the readers of this column and all of the listeners listen-ers to the "Farm and Home Hour," I must admit I was sold. Morse Salisbury gave up an important im-portant position in the department of agriculture which he had held through various administrations to handle the public relations for UNRRA under former governor of New York Herbert Lehmann, its administrator. ad-ministrator. I broke in on him when he was puzzling over the question of an emblem or flag or a designation for UNRRA somebody thought it ought to have a distinguishing insignia in-signia but he was unconvinced and then he said something to me which is important to remember. "Here is one governmental institution insti-tution governmental in the sense that 44 nations are backing it which, instead of wishing to perpetuate per-petuate itself, as most bureaucratic units are said to do, has for its chief aim self liquidation. Like the boys in the front lines, it wants to get the job done and then quit." The object of UNRRA is to do what it can to resolve to normalcy the chaos produced by the war and then quit. For that reason, former Governor Gover-nor Lehmann has set as one of his objectives the keeping of the number num-ber of administrative employees down to the absolute minimum. I'll have more to say about that later, first just a very brief summary of what UNRRA has set as its objective, objec-tive, how it hopes to obtain the objective, ob-jective, as set forth in its so-called "bible," containing the official statement state-ment of the resolutions of the organization. This is the document which I was told if anyone read he would not have the crust to oppose the UNRRA program. On November 9, 1943, the representatives repre-sentatives ef there 44 nations met In the White house and signed an agreement to cooperate in binding bind-ing up the wounds of war. Later, they met in Atlantic City and drew I up resolutions spelling out what would be done under the agreement. Since they knew the bitterness and controversy which grew out of the unpaid war loans of the last war, one prime purpose is to achieve their aim without running up a lot of uncollectible debts. In other words, they got down to brass tacks and decided that their effort to restore re-store normalcy in the world should be accomplished on a very simple principle of justice. They divided up the world into two categories. First, those who have enough of the things needed to feed and clothe and house their people, and those who don't. Then there is another division between be-tween those who, while they don't have the basic resources, nevertheless neverthe-less have the money to pay for them. f All of the nations which have enough to take care of their own people are to contribute 1 per cent j of their national income as of the year ending June 30, 1943. Those nations like France and Holland and Belgium and Norway and others which have been able to get gold or other wealth away from the Axis robbers and into Allied or neutral countries expect to pay for the supplies they get. Those countries which have no foreign trade or credit balance abroad will receive supplies and services to bring their people up to a rather stern standard of living and get normal daily life started again. The supplies contributed will be put into regular business channels chan-nels and most of the people who get them will pay in their own money. Of course, this money would have no value outside of the country coun-try involved. It would, however, have value within the country and UNRRA would take, we will say in the case of Greece, drachmas for the supplies delivered. No Big Payroll Those drachmas would be spent within the country and will help carry out the principle which Governor Gov-ernor Lehmann has laid down that UNRRA itself will not develop a big payroll. It will help the people to help themselves. Let me give you an example: The Greeks haven't enough food. Their various public utilities are smashed to pieces, they have no shoes to walk on, their hospitals and other health institutions have been destroyed or disintegrated. All right. UNRRA will set down a certain number of pairs of shoes in Greece it will set down a certain amount of food, a certain amount of cloth-ing, cloth-ing, a certain amount of machinery and other supplies that will be paid for in drachmas which are nothing more than pieces of paper as far as the rest of the country is concerned, con-cerned, but which have a cash value in Greece. They will take those drachmas and hire personnel, people who will arrange to load the supplies into trucks at the ports where UNRRA sets them down and handle the distribution dis-tribution of food and clothing through the agencies within the country; they will do the dirty work of rebuilding the waterworks and electric light plants, the public schools and other buildings necessary neces-sary for an ordered life. Thus employment em-ployment will be. furnished out of the nation's own wealth. This is a very brief attempt to show how UNRRA works but as I sat in the Du Pont building on Connecticut Con-necticut avenue and heard Mr. Salisbury, who is one of the most practical-minded government officials offi-cials with whom I have dealt in my 30 years experience in Washington, Washing-ton, detail UNRRA's activities, I began be-gan to feel quite an emotional upsurge. up-surge. Salisbury may have felt it too but, of course, he wouldn't show it any more than I would since both of us are laconic middle-westerners I said: "Isn't this whole idea an historical innovation?" He replied: "Well, yes. But don't think the 44 member nations are laying any pattern for postwar planning in UNRRA. They have created here an organization of a purely transitional nature. It's merely an attempt on the part of the nations which have something to offer to provide it. If the others can pay for the food and clothing and other things they get, 1 they are willing to pay for it. If they can't, the contributing nations na-tions are going to get it to them." . ' B R I E F S . . . by Baukhage I 1 : At present 19 per cent of the Vital messages are carried for ' ' trucks on the road are at least 10 marines by trained dogs when phone i 1 years old and a minimum of 8 per wires are cut. j ' cent are more than 15 years old. j An increase of 31 per cent in the I ' Nylon's high-service temperature number of juvenile delinquency 1 of approximately 275 degrees i cases disposed of by representative ' Fahrenheit, greatly exceeding that : juvenile courts last year over the : 1 of other thermoplastics, has contrib- : 1942 figure is reported by Katherine 1 ute-' to the plastic's quick adoption F. Lenroot, chief of the Children's ' lor war use bureau. U. F Department of Labor, t I 1 |
