Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-21
Realism and Publicity
For ERP in France Is
Held Vital 10 Program
All Europeans Must Know
What Plan Is About,
Correspondent Asserts
Correspondent Asserts

PARIS, Aug. Il (CDN.-Euro-
peans and Americans on this side
are showing increasing awareness
Of the many pitfalls to be avoided If
the Marshall Plan is to succeed, it
appears today.
From a variety Of sources, they
have come forward with advice
First comes an article in the French
financial newspaper, Agence Eco
nomioue ct Financiere, by the re-
nowned Belgian statesman and
economist, Paul van Iceland.
Mr.. Van Iceland emphasizes the
necessity, on both the European and
the American side, of maximum
sense Of reality" 1t is essential, he
says, that the Marshall Plan ad-
ministrators here (the Organization
for European Economic Corpora
tom know how to utilize all the
free forces Of private economy.
Controlled Economy Seen.
He adds that there is manifest
danger" that, under the excuse Of
improvisation and the necessity Of
getting over practical dlff1cultles,
the countries of Europe will fall in
to a controlled economy such as
America does not wish for itself.
Secondly, as William Lowe, an
American economic correspondent,
warns in Pershing Hall Topics. an
American Legion publication, the
chances for failure are perhaps
greater than those for success.
IF the Marshall Plan is to sue
coed, 1t must be carried out in the
blaze of publicity. Only If every
man in the unsatisfactory workers,
miners, farm hands, loggers, railway
switchmen, telephone operators,
bank clerks and civil servants
knows exactly what the Marshall
Plan is all about will recovery be-
come fact in four brief years . .
Alternative May be War.
THE alternative of economic
chaos and very possibly war must
be clearly understood $50 A sense
of urgency at least as great as the
one that the war gave to the Ameri-
can worker will have to be instilled
In European workers"
Thirdly, after an informal poll OF
q group of key French and Ameri-
can industrial and business leaders
here, the American Chamber Of
Commerce cites three points as re-
quisites for successful fulflllment of
the European Recovery Program.
French private industry, says the
chambers report, must have voice
in the ALLEGATION Of credits for equip
ment and raw materials.
Franc proceeds from the resale
OF products obtained on a grant
basis from the United States must
be invested in projects that really
tend to increase French productiv-
fly.
Suitable measures must be taken
to encourage French exports to
dollar areas.
French and American business
men polled by the chamber report
they have utilized to the maximum
provisional and emergency solutions
to their problems of production
facilities and raw materials.
indicative of exceptional efforts
are their current production levels,
almost all of which are higher than
those of 1888. However, they feel
that the greatest efforts would COL
lapse If financial help were not
received from the United States to
underwrite essential imports and
requirements Of depleted reserves.
Equally as vital to them is the
Introduction of additional American
production technique and further
mechaniZation,