Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-04-20
BEHIND
THE NEWS
BY Paul
MalIon

M 49, 49, q s~4sNT - -
w Treasury Secretary Mor-
genthau is again taking up the
postwar world bank proposal IN
which the basic idea is that
the United States contribute
the bulk of the money but for-y
felt a control commensurate
with its investment.
Assistant Secretary Of State
Berle is in London negotiating
for a postwar air agreement
but. he says, not considering
the acquisition of air bases for
the United States. EX-GoV.
Lehman is working on food re-
Mobilization whereby we con-
tribute the food and other
officials are laboring on world
WPA plans which call for the
United States 10 finance re-
construction.
The working basis upon
which all are proceeding in all
these things seems 10 be APP
proXimately the same, namely
that this country must give but
not take. Our negotiators
seem inclined TO look at this
nation as rich and powerful
and they wish to be free with
It's power as we'll as money.
THEY are perfectly sincere.
L Their premise IS that We
must help the world but they
follow it so deeply that they
want To repudiate every thought
of gain for Us as unworthy, any
thought Of acquisition as al
most SIN.
But take the long range view,
Suppose We spend and lend
postwar money throughout the
world for its rehabilitation. AT
first sight, that leeks like real
help, and ii temporarily.
II is Just about the same help
AS a shot in the arm, only that.
Then come the after-effectS
After the money IS spent, or
when the loan cannot be repaid,
you begin 10 get the real APP
praisal of such help.
Foreign nations cannot repay
except in goods but we can take
only a very limited amount. For
them TO borrow more and more
money from us never improves
their position only ptunges
them further and further in a
debt they already cannot pay.
QUT to give them the money
~ outright helps them only
temporarily also. If it enables
them to build industries that
compete with ours. it hurts our
trade, weakens our position for
good in the world and gives
them some improved position as
AS against us-but does it
help" the worldSTSAwh
OF course not. 1t only helps
France or Poland or Whatever
nation, as against the United
States, which really hurts the
world If you assume that our
leadership and our superior
position is good for the world in
the first place-aS YOU must
The only way a real con-
Structive, economic help could
he achieved is If We get some
thing productive economically
out of such gifts and loans.
This is not nationaliSm. i'm
perlalsm or such tommy-rot 1t
IS the simplest common sense.
WE whole thing, therefore.
Il seems to be getting off on
the wrong foot-the idea Of
giving unbalanced by acquiring,
the notion Of weakening the
world, not building it up-and /
mean weakening in every re-
Spect, because a man who makes
loan to another who cannot
repay WeakenS both himself and
the recipient. This can only be
justified as charity, not eco
Monies
The handling Of the situation
demands wisdom and rStraint.
On the World Bank, the first
questions that must arise from
any common sense standpoint is
whether IL is needed, whether
existing exchange facilities cal
ready managed completely by
our government are not enough
for any good use.
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