Evening star., 1945-05-22
u. s., Britain, Canada
Join in Reconvefsion
Plans, Truman Reports
By ]. A. FOX.


The United States, Great Brit
ain and Canada are co-ordinat-
ing their reconversion plans ION
a broad front so that these ma
tions will be devoting equitable
shares of industrial capacity to
the war against Japan" Con-
gress today was told in the 10Th
report on lease-lend operations
forwarded by President Truman.
The report, which disclosed that
the United States had made lease
lend allocations to her Allies OF
nearly $40,000,000, 900 as of April l,
did not expand on this idea of inte-
grated planning, which was report
ed In connection with a statement
that Allied war production would be
substantially reduced as the result
of the defeat of Germany, and that
these reductions will permit some
reconversion from war to civilian
production and some increase in
commercial exports"
Russia Status Secret.
1t added the qualification that
such adjustments must remain
subject, Of course, to the overriding
consideration of maintaining the
most effective flow of war supplies
to win total victory over Japan"
The report made no direct refer
ence to the future lease-lend status
of Russia, to whom aid, via Europe,
has been cut off with the cessation
of hostilities in the western theater.
In his message transmitting the
report-his f1rst-Mr. Truman said
"lease-lend and reverse lease lend
will be continued as an effective
weapon" of the combined offensive
against Japan, in which Russia oc-
cupies the role of nonbelligerent.
Tells of Fight Ahead.
Total victory will be achieved
only when Japan, as we'll as Ger
many, is completely vanquished," he
said. I'VE and our Allies in the
fight against Japan have not yet en-
gagged the main forces of Japan's
armies in her home islands and in
Asia. These powerful forces almost
everywhere have the advantage of
shorter, interior supply lines. The
unconditional surrender of a nation
of 100000 people, strongly in
trenched in Asia after seven years
of aggression, whose soldiers die in
battle rather than surrender, will be
a tremendous task that will require
every ounce of power that we and
our Allies can deliver from the bases
we now are winning and have yet to
win"
The report itself said the pro-
gram OF war aid to our Allies has
been adjusted and reduced to take
into account the end of hostilities in
Europe and the new military situa-
tion. Future programs of lease lend
aid will continue to be based, as in
the past, ON the controlling conSid-
Grafton of the most effective prose-
cution of the war"
A table showed that March lease
lend was about half billion dollars
under that for February and that
the fgure-$972, 900, ,00O-was the
smallest ALLEGATION in any month but
one in the last two years. In No.
vember, 1943, the total was $685.
900 1000.
Explodes Canards.
Nor was there an estimate of fu-
ture needs. While lease-lend has
been extended another year beyond
June 80, the Budget Bureau has not
yet sent to the House Appropriation
Committee the request for new funds
to carry on.
The report showed reverse least
lend from the Allies to this country
totaling $4,656, 900. 1t also sought
to explode various canards about
the lease-lend program which it said
had been widely circulated.
Among the fiction denied was "a
chronic rumor" that Soviet Russia
has exchanged lease-lend planes for
Japanese rubber, and a rumor de-
scribed as particularly vicious"
that Great Britain has removed la
bels from lease-lend goods and sub
stituted their own, thus getting the
credit in the country where the
goods are used" Charges that do
mestic shortages of meat, food and
cigarettes are due to lease lend ship
ments abroad also were denied.
Earlier reports have taken this same
line about food and cigarettes, but
this was the first instance when a
detailed effort has been made to
quash the many other rumorS.
The report showed that lease lend
aid-including goods and services
direct to the Allies, has amounted to
s38,971 ,797 900 since March, 1941,
and that commanding generals re-
ceived nearly billion more, prin-
cipally for the French forces in
North Africa, and for China. Actual
exports amounted to $29, ,31O, ,457 900.
Exports were apportioned as fol-
lows: United Kingdom, $12,775, ,392,-
900; Russia. $S,4o9, ,695 900; Africa,
Middle East and Mediterranean
area, $3,813, 3,058, 900; China and India,
S2,023 ,339, 900; Australia and New
Zealand, s1,257089 900; Latin Amer
lea, s226,859.000; other countries,
$805, OPS.
An