Evening star., 1948-03-07

tail are recorded the past, present
and prospective circumstances of
each participating region.
According to relative stages Of
well-tcing, the countries may be
divided into five categories. In
descending orGer, they are as fol-
lows:
l. Excellent Switzerland, Por-
tugal, Turkey.
2. Fair" Belgium, Denmark,
Norway. Luxembourg, Sweden.
g.. Difficult" - The Netherlands,
Ireland, Iceland.
4. Poor" United Kingdom
France, Italy.
S. Desperate" Greece, Austria
Western Germany.
Taking the eight countries of the
two upper groups, it may be OBJ
served that they have three factors
in common:
Their economies suffered little or
no war damage.
Their political governments are
notably stable.
They have no Communists or
only futile Red minorities.
Made Money on War
Switzerland and Portugal re.
manned neutral throughout the war
Turkey did not join hostilities
against Germany and Japan unit
February 81, 1945, two and a hall
months before We day. A,
escaped war damage and turned
the conflict to profit. They are the
only Marshall Plan countries which
are expected to pay cash in full
for benefits received and to rein.
force the United States in extend.
ing credit.
With brief interruptions, tn,
Swiss Confederation has enduret
four and half centuries. Portu
gals Prime Minister, Antonio Sala
zar, has been in power for "A year.
Turkeys President, Ismet Inonu,
serving his fourth four-year tern
Portugal is a single-party corpora
tive state" and Turkey a democ
racy with absolutist overtones
Switzerland Is bourgeois repub
lie, devoted to free enterprise. It
government is dominated by con
servative business and agrarian in
terests.
The Communist Party has beer
outlawed in Turkey and is illega
in Portugal. There are seven Com
munist deputies in the lower house
of the Swiss Legislature. In thu
upper chamber there is none. Tht
three most prosperous nations ir
the Marshall Plan group are no
merely non-Communist, but anti
Socialist.
Turks Deny Solvency
Portugal has served notice tina
it will require no financial hell
under the European Recovery Pro
gram, and will extend credits u
member nations purchasing its ex
ports. Switzerland has asked nj
monetary aid and is expected to re
quest none. 1t has granted credit
of S145, 900, 900 to the United King
dom. France, Belgium, Luxembourg
the Netherlands and Norway. It
standard of living is the highes
on the continent. The only cur
rency in the world against which
the dollar sells at discount OF
the open market is the Swiss franc
4 Turkey is accused of solvency b,
the United States, but has repellee
the charge with indignation. It
circumstances would be fourishing
acknowledgment is made, If the
government were not compelled Il
devote half its budget to militar.
defense. During the war 600,00'
troops were maintained under arms
BY geographical position, Turkey h
custodian of the Dardanelles ant
next-door neighbor to the Sovie
Union. On top of that, its principa
treasury holdings are pounds ster
ling, which are no longer convertible
into dollars. The State Department
hopes nevertheless that Turkey will
be able to offer moderate credits II
some of the participating countries
No cash outlays are earmarked TO-
Switzerland, Portugal and Turke!
under tentative proposals for th'
distribution of Marshall Plan fund!
during the first IS months. Com
pared with the overall estimate o.
Sc SOC, ,OOO, 900, allotments for the fiv'
countries rated as enjoying fair
recovery are bagatelles-Sweden
$50, 900, 900; Norway, $4,000. 900
Denmark, $164, ,OO0, 900, and Belgium
Luxembourg, 1928, 900, 900.
Belgium Most Prosperous
A neutral and profit-taker durint
the war, Sweden has a stable gov.
ernment, unendangered by domestic
Communists. Its chief difficulty
which a few millions will counter.
act, is imputed here to unwise fisca.
measures which depleted its hare
currency assets in a giddily brie1
period. Under Nazi occupation, the
four other countries Of this group
were treated with studied benevo-
lence. Their industrial and agricul-
tural facilities emerged almost in
tact. Norway, the worst sufferer
lost half its merchant fleet, key
factor in its economy, but the ships
are being replaced
All Of these countries, except Lux
|embourg, have already driven pro-
ductiou beyond prewar leyels. With