Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-08
ENDING the PiecemeuI Approach

"A
Harvard the other day, the United States
has decided to try new approach to the
enormously complex problem OF European
recovery.
Heretofore, to the tune of many billions
Of dollars, we have extended aid in fits
and starts to individual countries without
reference to the overall needs Of the con-
tinent. Now we propose to integrate the
program as much as possible. To this end,
Secretary Marshall has suggested that the
initiative should come from the European
governments themselves. In his Judgment
a number of them, If not all, should get
together and agree on a common plan
calculated to promote their mutual re-
covery. The United States would parti-
cipate in the planning, and then-once
agreement were reached-our aid would
be forthcoming to the greatest practical
extent.
There can be no question that our aid
is needed, and will be needed, in large
measure for some time to come. In Secre-
tary Marshalps words, "Europe's require
ments for the next three or four years
of foreign food and other essential prod
ucts-principally from America-are so
much greater than her present ability
to pay that she must have substantial
additional help, or face economic, social
and political deterioration of very grave
character" But events have shown that
the problem cannot be solved on a piece
meal basis, with the United States lending
assistance to one country and another at
every cry of distress. An approach of that
kind can at best palliate; it cannot cure.
What is needed is comprehensive, plan
worked out primarily by Europeans-to
restore productive vigor over the widest
possible continental area.
OF course, as Secretary Marshall has
observed, the Russian-imposed delay in
working out peace settlements for Austria
and Germany makes the problem much
more difficult than it would otherwise be.
Even So if the Soviet government and its
satellites remain obstructionist, the other
countries-Britain, France, the LoWlands,
Italy, etc.-can do much to improve the
outlook for Western Europe. The idea
would seem to require special conference
by these nations to devise program aimed
at gearing their economies together in a
way that would make the most efficient
and most fruitful use of our aid. At such
a conference, for example, the French
might agree to merge their zone with the
Anglo-American zones in Germany, and
other measures might be taken to tie
in the German productive capacity with
the needs of all the comforting powers
Secretary Marshall has not explained
his proposal in detail. He has left no room
for doubt, however, that the United States
does not intend to help, but will oppose
instead any government maneuvering to
block the recovery Of other countries. At
the same time, he has assured all nations
willing to cooperate that they will have as
much economic support as we can give
them on condition that they agree on a
joint, integrated program to put Europe
back on its feet.
This constitutes an important departure
from past American policy. Whether it
will lead to concrete results depends largely
on how nations like Britain and France
react to it. In any event, Secretary
Marshall is obviously on sound ground.
The problem cannot be solved on a willy
nilly basis by the United States alone. 1t
calls for overall planning and new show
of European initiative.