Evening star., 1947-09-28
Horrimon Committee
Would Ask Change
In Argentine Policy
SURVEY SHOWS Most of Europe
Faces Hunger. Page AS.
(Tert on Page A-4)
By ChoImers M. Roberts

President Truman was told
last night that he must make a
critical" decision at once on
American policy in buying wheat
to feed~ Europe-whether Ito
make sure of getting the wheat
at the risk of pushing prices
higher" or to buy cautiously "at
the risk of obtaining consider
ably less" than will be needed.
The advice came in a frank and
hard-hitting special report to the
President by the 19-man Hartman
Committee of business, labor and
other non-Government leaders, set
UP to consider problems raised by
the Marshall Plan. The European
food emergency was considered SO
great, however, that a special in
term report was issued.
The committee said that even the
export of 5O0,000,000 bushels of
wheat would impose no grave
physical hardship on the American
people as a whole" but that a good
part of Europes food deficit could
be supplied by Argentina-"if given
sufficiently powerful inducements"
Pressure for New Policy Urged. !
The Administration was urged to
'use every means at the disposal
of our Government to bring about
changes in the Argentine policy so
as to secure the export of maximum
quantities of grain and it's distri-
button to the right countries on
reasonable terms" Argentina re-
Gently has been selling grain at
around $6 bushel to all comers.
Other important points il the
report of the committee, headed by
Secretary of Commerce Hartman,
include:
l. The most effective weapon
that can be brought into play i'm
mediately to reduce pressure on
the grain markets is a drive to cut
the demand for meat, butter, poul-
try and eggs by voluntary self
rationing on the part of consum-
ers." The new Citizens Food Com
mittee will begin work along this
line on Wednesday.
2. Immediate consideration should
be given to the various types of con-
trolls which might be enacted by the
Congress. However, action in the
present situation cannot wait for
consideration of possible legislation
and the creation of new administra-
tive machinery"
Higher Margins Urged.
3. "The executive departments
should keep pressure on the COM
modify exchanges to set the high
est margin requirements for non
hedging futures trading in grain
that are obtainable without destroy
ing the effectiveness of the ex-
changes for necessary hedging op-
Grafton" There is evidence of a
growing speculative interest in COM
modities," the report said, that
should be discouraged in every way
possible" Exchange leaders, how
ever, have so far failed to raise mar
gin requirements as requested by the
Government.
4. Exports to countries other than
Western Europe and occupied areas
in the Far East should be restricted
to amounts demonstrably required
to meet essential needs" Cuts in
shipments to Latin America, Asia
and Africa thus appear likely, if the
reports recommendations are fol-
lowed
5. Although mot relevant to the
urgent problems of this winter" the
committee urged immediate atten-
ton" to "the deirability of increas-
ing exports of nitrate fertilizers
from the United States to Western
Europe" making possible "a large
net addition to world food supplies"
If shipped in time for use next
spring.
6. Crop conditions in Europe are
such that Ito maintain the same
level of diet lin terms of calories
per person per day. as in the season
Just ended, imports of grain
would have to be 100000 tons
larger" The main problem is to
feed the large urban centers, it was
pointed out.
7. This years supply of grain in
the United States is adequate to
permit exports equal or nearly equal
(See FOOD page All