Evening star., 1946-12-29
UNRRAGives
ItalyNewHo
Relief Officially Ends
December 81 for
Former Foe
Rv Frank O'Brien
By Frank O'Brien

Il VI lllSl w
By Frank O'Bien
ROME. - When UNRRA closes
shop in Italy-sometime after the
first quarter of 1947-the agency
will have given the nation, its mis-
sion chief says, "about one-half OF
the stake that she needs in the post
war world"
UNRRA officially dies in Italy, as
elsewhere, on the last day OF this
year. This only means, however,
that after that time nothing more
will be added, and that UNRRA will
deliver what already has been ap-
portioned to Italy.
UNRRA will have delivered, in all,
10,250, 900 tons of fuel, food, metals,
rubber, medical supplies, fertilizers
and cloth or raw textiles, valued at
over a half billion dollars before the
Italian program ends.
Seventy per cent of the deliveries
already have been made. OF that,
at least three -fourths already is
flesh and disease-resistant stamina
in Italian bodies, or steel and NOR
tar, locomotives that have coal or
oil to move them and factories that
have fuel and power to produce.
Italy today is "a country well on
it's way to taking its place in world
of reconstructed nations" an official
UNRRA announcement said.
No Gratitude in Press.
Italy, if her press and official
pronouncements are the standard,
takes all of this pretty much for
granted. Much less is visible in the
press, and in official and political
speeches, about this biggest relief
program of all time, than about the
hard terms of the peace with
Italy.
Before the UNRRA program In
Italy began-coming to S1l Tor each
Italian man, woman and child-the
Foreign Economic Administration
spent $1OO,OOo,O00 in relief.
Altogether, UNRRA and its pred
ecessors have poured minimum OF
$500, 1000 900 of relief into Italy.
The peace treaty demands $780,
100000 from italy in reparations-
all to Russia, Greece, Albania, Yugo-
slavia and Ethiopia-which is only
$40 1000, 900 more than half the direct
dollar value of the relief Italy has
received.
When Allied armies first began to
succor the needy in italy, the daily
ration in Rome came to about 500
calories per person per day (2,2oo
are generally considered minimum
Ito sustain life and resistance to dis
ease, $3.50 a safe ration).
Death Rate Lowered.
Today the death rate in Italy Is
10 per cent lower than it was last
year, the infant mortality rate is
down from over 200 to "a. Italy's
industry is in motion, most of her
rail lines connect, and there is fuel
for at least basic traffic.
Italy, which once imported IS per
cent of her coal from European
sources, now gets at least half that
much through UNRRA from the
United States. almost no factory
works which is not using UNRRA
coal, almost no truck runs which
is not using UNRRA petrol" says
an official UNRRA summation of
the situation in Italy.
The first problem was to feed the
population. UNRRA has brought in
,045 900 tons of grain. The second
problem was to get transportation
and industry moving. UNRRA has
brought in over 100000 tons of
coal, and will bring in another mil
lion and half tons.
From raw cotton imports, mil
lion sheets already have been made
and distributed to hospitals. Three
hundred thousand Italian babies
will be swaddled in UNRRA layeJtes.
One-fourth of Italy's textile mill Ca
pacity is engaged in processing
UNRRA raw textiles.
Rationing Reduced.
UNRRA has brought. $500 tons OF
medical supplies to Italy. There is
insulin and penicillin for all who
must have it, and a complete peni-
cillin factory is en- route from the
United States.
Only sugar, bread, spaghetti, mac
aroni and olive oil are rationed IN
Italy. There is a rearing black
market in all these things.
Italys two major problems, food
and fuel, still remain acute. Her
estimated import-export deficit for
1947 will be in the region of $780,
100000. With UNRRA gone, she will
have to get this credit on her own
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