Evening star., 1943-11-09
Relief Pact Shows
Allies Mean Business,
Roosevelt Declares
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agreement comes right after the dec.
laration of Moscow, where tht
United States, Britain, Russia ane
China pledged united action in the
prosecution of the war and the
furtherance of world peace in the
postwar era.
The White House was crowded fol
the ceremony which comes a day ir
advance of the meeting in Atlantic
City of the council which will be tht
policy making groups for the UNRRA
The nations signed the agreement
in alphabetical order with Sir Over
Dixon, Australian Minister, affixins
his name first, and Ambassador
Constantin Fotitch of Yugoslavis
last to sign.
AS result of the alphabetical
arrangement, Ambassador Andre
Gromyko of the USSR; Lord Hall
fax, British Ambassador, for the
United Kingdom, and Mr.. Roose-
welt, for the United States, signed ir
that order.
The signing ceremony required
only 20 minutes and was completed
at 1222-eight minutes before
President Roosevelt was scheduled
to go on the air with his speech.
All Flags Displayed.
I'VE finished eight minutes aheaC
of time, so chat among yourselves
until the air is ready for us, MI
Roosevelt told the officials, who sal
around a long, green-covered table
for which the flags of the A nations
formed a backdrop.
The chair at the Presidents right
was unoccupied: as each signer was
called in by George T. Summerlin
chief of protocol he advanced to Mr.
Roosevelts side, bowed. shook
hands, then sat down and signed
the agreement.
Mr.. Roosevelt departed from the
text of his prepared address to well
come his guests on behalf of the
Nation TO this historic conference
and as he concluded added the hope
that all the success in the world
will attend the council meetings.
Stresses Joint Effort.
In his speech. Mr.. Roosevelt
stressed that the task of aid
ing the victims of the Axis is
one that must be borne by all
declaring that responsibility for al
leviating the suffering and misery
occasioned by the new order must
be assume not by any lndl-
vidual nation. but by all the united
and associated nations acting to-
gethar. No one country could-or
should-attempt to bear the burden
of meeting the vast relief needs
either in money or supplies.
That expression was interpreted
as the Presidents answer to critics
of the giant relief agency who have
charged this country was planning
to undertake an undue share of the
burden of postwar reconstruction
Outlining the task facing the
UNRRA. the President recalled that
the Germans have carried on their
campaign of thunder and desola-
ton with but a single purpose
that in the lands they occupy there
shall be left only a generation OF
half-men. undernourished. crushed
in body and spirit. without strength
or incentive to hope. ready, in fact
to be enslaved and used as beasts
of burden by the self styled master
races"
Task Termed Urgent"
Consequently, he continued, the
work confronting the administration
is immediate and urgent" Many
Of the most fertile food regions of
the world, he added, either are under
Axis domination or have been
stripped, and additional regions
will be blackened as the German
and japanese forces in their retreat
scorch the earth behind them"
So the President declared, ''it
vii! be the task of UNRRA to op-
crate in these areas of food Short
ages until the resumption of peace
full occupations enables the liberated
peoples once more TO assume the
full burden of their own support.
1t will be for UNRRA, first, to as
sure fair distribution of available
supplies among all of the liberated
peoples, and. second. to ward off
death by starvation or exposure
among these peoples"
Describing what had been done
already in the way of extending
relief in the liberated areas, the
President said it was not only hu-
name and charitable for the United
Nations to supply medicine. food
and other necessities to the people
freed from Axis control" but rather
a clear matter of enlightened self
military strategic neces-
sity."
Cites Experience in Africa.
That has been shown. he ex-
planned, in nearly a years expert
ence in French Africa and later in
Sicily and in Italy. Mr.. Roosevelt
said the program in French Africa
was a joint venture of this country
and Great Britain, and now the next
step is to handle the problems of
supply for liberated areas on a
United Nations basis rather than
the cooperation of only two ma
tons
I'VE have shown that while the
war lasts, whenever we help the
liberated peoples with essential sup
plies and services, we hasten the
day of the defeat of the Axis
powers" !" Mr.. Roosevelt emphasized
He ampliled that the quicker the
liberated areas can be stabilized "the
more quickly our own boys overseas
will be able to come home"
In addition to the diplomats, who
will leave by special train for At
lantic City tomorrow, the ceremony
was attended by justices of the
Supreme Court, military and naval
chiefs and leaders of the House and
Senate
Mrs. Roosevelt watched the pro-
ceedings from a seat near one end
of the table.