Evening star., 1949-11-06

~~~S
try. :,
Yet Americans are far from
satisfied with this record and we
are getting ready to embark on q
program of Government-subsi-
died, publicly owned housing o1
enormous scope, any many be-
lieve other far-reaching steps
must be taken If our total needs
are to be met.
Universal Problem
One doesn't need to wonder
then that the housing, issue
abroad is a lively one. Every
where there is an acute shortage
of shelter. Everywhere peoples
are dissatisfied with housing
which used to be considered ade-
quate. Everywhere there is a
fierce desire for the peace of the
hearth: for the stability of home
of ones own.
This desire has paced the his
toric advance n dignity of the in
dividual to the point at which II
has now become a passion with
which many persons believe those
who govern must deal af1irnla-
lively and without delay.
It is not surprising, therefore
that all over the world this social
problem should be the subject OF
study and experiment, nor that
there should be many signs OF
housing progress. More and more
nations everywhere are beginning
to recognize that here. out of peo-
pies changing concepts. has
emerged an issue that govern
ments must cope with on some
what the same assumptions as
with such problems as disease
crime, traffic in narcotics. exploi-
tation of labor and the incidence
Of divorce. A measure of size ot
this new interest is afforded by
the fact that. whereas fewer than
a dozen foreign nations had Of
f1cial agencies to deal with hous-
ing before the war. fully so coun-
tries today have such national
agencies IN operation.
If you think that buying OF
building a house for your own
family is a big problem-involved
as it Is with design, materials
site. family requirements, financ-
ing, income. labor, scheduling and
all the rest-consider how man.
moth. on a world scale. is man
kinds battle for adequate shelter.
Here you have all the micro
cosrnic problems Of building a
single house vastly magnified. plus
such considerations, into the bar
gain, as each nations political
mood. economic condition, mate
rials supply, availability Of man.
power. supply Of production equip
ment. and hundreds OF other
housing factors ranging from cli-
mate to family customs.
Prime Social Issue
AS Americans, we are naturally
interested most in the adequacy
of our own housing supply. But
we are likewise interested in the
outcome of our. current. effort to
strengthen democracy everywhere
and this interest alone would
force us to be concerned about
social issues prevailing in areas
where democracy's fortunes are
at stake. Since housing Is a prime
social issue virtually everywhere
on the globe. it-constitutes a prob
lem deeply involved in our own
future.
Besides all that, one can say
without in any way going over
board, that the United States is
not the sole source of housing
wisdom or Of housing progress
It is true that the Soviet govern
ment has recently shifted around
to the good old American prac-
tice Of encouraging private owner
ship Of homes, and this. undoubt-
edly. should be considered a vic
tory FOR our side.
But it is. likewise, true thai
In Sweden. Switzerland. England
the Netherlands and other ma
tions new techniques in the fiel6
Of financing. construction and So
eial use have been developed
which seem to fit very well with
the democratic way of living, ane
which seem. to be meeting neee
In those countries.
It was to find out about some
of these techniques that a Senate
Banking subcommittee which
has just returned to this country
spent month in Europe. It Is
to obtain first-hand information
on these techniques, also. that q
House Banking subcommittee vii
leave within a few days to visit
eight countries abroad.
In view of our own housing
progress since the war, the in
terest OF foreign countries In what
we have done, and are doing, fal
surpasses the interest we ourselves
have as yet taken in what ha,
been going on abroad in the hous-
ing field.
An average of three delegations
1 week come from foreign coun.
tries to look into what has beer
going on here. Yet, excep,
for the recent interest displayed
by Congress, comparatively few
Americans have had an opportu.
nifty to study home construction
progress abroad.
There are indications, however
that there IS going to be irlcreas-
ing international co-operation Ii
the housing field. and that the
United States probably will take q
leading part.
ECA Interested
Already. the Economic Co
operat:sn Administration has dis
played considerable interest ii
housing needs abroad, as showr