Evening star., 1946-11-15
Relief and America

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Relief and America
Although the United Nations RE-
lief and Rehabilitation Administra-
tion win stop operating In Europe
next month. and in Asia In March,
several countries will remain IN seri-
Gus need throughout 1877. The
q. NJ, however, u disagreed on how
to deal with the problem without
UNRRA. The United States holds
that no elaborate new arrangements
will be necessary. On the other
hand, Russia speaking through Mr..
Gromyko- has called for concerted
international action and has sug-
gested that We seem bent upon MAX
ing a political weapon OF food.
Mr.. Gromyko's view, which appears
to be shared by some other delegates,
Is based in part on the fact that our
State Department has turned cold
shoulder to the proposal made by
Director General La Guardia OF
uNRRA to help Europe's neediest
countries. The proposal would create
special United Nations emergency
fund Of $400, 900 900, to which We
would contribute about halt OF the
total, as against the u per cent we
have contributed to UNRRA. The
State Department has turned this
down, however, on the ground that
adequate aid wherever needed -
can be extended by one nation to
another on an individual basis.
In intimating that this smacks of
an American desire to win political
advantages with offerings Of food,
Mr.. Gromyko and others presumably
have in mind that some Of the
neediest areas notably Poland and
Yugoslavia-lie within the Soviet
orbit. In Mr.. Gromyko's case, It is
not improbable that he feels we may
fix certain conditions should Bel
grade or Warsaw ask us directly for
help, which they might be obliged to
do in the absence OF an emergency
fund administered internationally.
In that case, 1t is quite possible that
our Government would request the
recipient governments not to mis-
represent the source Of the aid and
not to engage In false propaganda
against us.
Considering that the hungry ought
not to be penalized for what their
theological minded politicians may
do, this viewpoint may seem callous.
But there are certain hard realities,
and one Of these is that our Congress
swillbe wholly indisposed toa,appro-
pfiate any mone7 for goyernnaShts .
unwilling TO give US guarantees
against abuses. Under UNRRA, We
have financed more than 70 per cent
of the aid that has gone to such
countries as Poland and Yugoslavia,
q chief beneficiary. Yet the Yugo-
slavs, for example, rarely II ever have
heard their own ofhcials ackncwl-
] edge where most Of the heips hrs
come from; instead, they have been
fed violent anti-American propa-
ganda and have never had free
access to the whole truth about how
Tito's airmen murderously attacked
our unarmed transport planes.
Our State Departments position on
the post -UNRRA situation may be
open to compromise in some respects,
but In view of what has happened in
the past, 1t cannot properly be de-
scribed as representing q desire to
use food as political weapon. What
1t really represents is this: A desire
to make sure that from now on
whether our aid is extended on a
national or international baMs-the
recipient governments will not ac-
cept 1t with one hand and beat us
over the head with the other.
In short, all we seek Is common
decency in international relations.
No matter what Mr.. Gromyko or
others may say, there is no question
here Of playing politics with the
hungry. Insinuations to that effect
do violence to a record eloquent OF
the fact that America, In keeping
with its abundance, has never failed
to respond promptly and generously
to cries Of distress everywhere in the
world.