Evening star., 1948-01-08

the least long-term cost to tn.
American people and with the leas
impact on our economy.
The organization must At into tn.
complex mechanics of our world ex.
port picture. American food, stee
and other products are being ex.
ported to many areas other thar
Europe. In many categories Amer.
ican output represents the major
source of shortage goods in the
world. There is at present work
able machinery in the Government
for determining total export avail
abilities in the light of domestic
needs and for allocating these items
among the many bidders. We pro-
pose that this machinery be con-
tinued.
The organization must be granted
fiexibility in its operations. In my
Judgment this is the most vital
single factor in effective admins
tration. Without flexibility the
organization will be unable to take
advantage of favorable develop
ments, to meet adverse emergencies,
or to cushion the impact of the pro-
gram on the domestic economy.
It has been suggested in some
quarters that the administering
agency should be established in the
form of q government corporation.
It Is claimed that a corporation can
be vested with broader powers and
fiexibility than an independent ex-
ecutive agency. I do not believe
that this is necessarily so. The
legislation establishing an agency
can clothe it with any or all OF the
beneficial attributes of government
corporation. On the other hand an
executive agency under the respon-
sible direction of one man, and fitted
into the existing machinery OF gov
ernment, will be better able to meet
the requirements of the situation
than a corporation directed by a
board. This task of administration
clearly calls for administration by
a single responsible individual.
Finally, the operation of the pro-
gram must be related to the foreign
policy of the Nation. The import
ance of the recovery program IN our
foreign affairs needs no argument.
To carry out this relationship ef-
fectively will require cooperation
and teamwork, but I know OF no
other way by which the complex
tiles of modern world affairs can
be met. It should, I think be con-
stantly kept in mind that this
great project which would be diff
ficult enough in a normal interna-
tional political climate, must be
carried to success against the
avowed determination of the Soviet
Union and the Communist Party
to oppose and sabotage it at every
turn. There has been comment
that the proposed organization, the
Economic Cooperation Administra-
ton, would be completely under the
thumb of the Department of State.
This is not so, should not be so,
and need not be so. I have per-
sonally interested myself to see that
it will not be so. The activities of
the ECA will touch on many aspects
Of our internal American affairs
and on our economy. In the multi
tude Of activities of this nature the
of State should have
no direction.
Cannot Be Two Secretaries.
But the activities of the ECA will
be directly related to the affairs
of the European nations, political
as we'll as economic, and will also
affect the affairs of other nations
throughout the world. In this field
the constitutional responsibility OF
the President is paramount. Whether
or not he chooses to ignore or
eliminate the Secretary of State in
the conduct of foreign relations Is
presidential decision. I think that
in our effort to restore the stability
Of the governments Of Western
Europe 1t would be unfortunate to
create an entirely new agency Of
foreign policy for this Government.