Evening star., 1945-12-15

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first half of the pledge. After STALL
ing and wrangling for weeks over
such nonsensical details as the pro-
posed freedom of the press" amend
ment, the remaining $550,000,000 of
the first half finally was appropri-
ated.
Before the end of this month
every cent of that money will have
been spent or committed. But the
result will be merely to carry
UNRRA's operations into the mid
die of February. After that time, un-
less Congress meets the remainder OF
our commitment, disease, debilita-
ton, starvation will take over a
great pat of Europe.
Time Required.
UNRRA cannot order supplies
unless the money has been appro-
priated. And after the supplies
have been ordered it requires time
to get them to their destination
Even now, with its organization
demonstrating real efficiency, seven
weeks elapSe on the average be-
tween the time when procurement
of the goods begins and the time
when the goods are loaded aboard
ship. So, if the money is in hand
by the end of this month to enable
operations to continue without in
terruption, only the most energetic
work on the part of the staff in
Europe will prevent a serious break
down in distribution.
Failure to appropriate now, let
ting the matter go over into Janu-
ary, when Congress returns from its
vacation, will mean actual collapse
of the work and disaster to millions
of men, women and children.
Present efficiency of UNRRA is
due to various factors. One is the
availability of cargo ships, released
by the armed forces. Another is
the availability of certain supplies
from Army surplus. Still another
and very important factor is the
availability of high-class personnel
likewise released by the armed
forces-in this case, the armed
forces of other Allied countries as
well as our own. Officers who have
served with distinction in Europe,
particularly men who have revealed
unusual organizing and administra-
tive ability, as well as intimate
knowledge of the countries being
aided, have been drawn into the
UNRRA and are now actively at
work.
Whatever inefficiencies may have
been revealed in the past-and
many of the charges" against
UNRRA have been proved baseless
it is pretty generally agreed that
New York'S former Governor, Her.
bert Lehman, has an organization
of great competence and excellent
morale working now.
Backing Of America.
He has also the backing of Amer
lean public opinion and requires
only the translating of this opinion
into the dollars that have been
promised That calls for action by
Congress in the next few days, be-
fore the members board trains for
home
With the money in hand and
with every energy strained, UNRRA
will not win a total victory against
the Four Horsemen. Famine, Pes
thence and Death will still take
great toll. Only War, can it be
hoped. will be forestalled, the kind
of war against their neighbors to
which distracted peoples resort
when the sufferings of peace seem
to cease making sense.
In order that We may be able to
say that we've done all we can to
prevent the utter collapse of Eu-
ropean civilization, two steps must
be taken in Congress. The Senate
must pass bill, already passed by
the House, to authorize the second
half of our pledged contribution.
Both houses must then pass a bill
appropriating the funds.
The House having authorized the
second half of the pledge, the Sem
ate Foreign Relations Committee