Evening star., 1949-11-06

n 100000 new dwellings-most OF
put under construction since the
number for a similar
!, and such points Of contact as the
international housing documenta-
ton conference recently held In
Geneva, and the sessions Of
the International Federation foi
HOUSING and Town Planning. ad.
ditlonal cooperation is made pos.
sible.
/ Perhaps the American officia,
most expert in the field of inter
national housing developments Is
Jacob L. Crane, an assistant te
1.-The administrator of the Housing
and Home Finance Agency. This
agency serves as the overall
United States housing agency
under Raymond M. Foley. who
j formerly was commissioner of the
Federal Housing Administration
and who succeeded Wilson w
Wyatt in the Nations top hous.
ing job.
Mr.. Crane has had varied expe-
rience here and abroad, in both
private practice and as a Govern
ment official. in the field of mu-
nicipal development, housing and
planning. He is an engineer by
training and is past president
OF the American City Planning In
stitute. In his present post, one
of his principal duties is to deaI
with international phases of hous.
ing. Since the war. he has beer
host to hundreds Of foreign off,
cials who have come to this coun.
try on missions connected with
housing. Conversely. he is q
source of guidance to Americans
going abroad on similar missions
Mr.. Crane is an even-mannerec
person who has a wide acquain.
! tanceship with persons interested
IN housing policy and housing the.
lory, both here and abroad. From
the nature Of his job and back.
ground he is apt to think of hous.
ing matters on perhaps a broader
geographical scale than any othe,
man in Government.
Studies Foreign Codes
He has served as fousins
consultant to European ane
Latin American countries, ane
has a broad acquaintanceshir
with the diversified housing prob.
lens affecting different. nations
Likewise. he is the best authorit,
on our own international Interest
in housing.
/ All over the world, he says, thu
housing situation is Ia i state o1
crisis. ~.
:, As q result" he says, "the
United States Government and
In turn. the Housing and Home
Finance Agency are drawn inte
various international activities
and relationships with regard tt
housing.
First, the agency is Interested
IN the experience Of other coun.
tries insofar as that experience
helps to indicate things whicl
may be useful or which should bs
avoided in the u. S. A.
For example. HIIFA Is canvass.
ing the manner in which buildine
codes in other countries are ad.
justed to permit the logical eyo.
luton Of new types of material.
and construction.
The aided self help type o1
housing project is developing II
many countries, and this expe.
rience is being assembled, alone
with experience in other types Of
co-operative housing, for its pos.
sible value in farm and rural
areas or other sections where self
help in BODYBUILDING is common
and generally practical.
4 while our traditions and poll
cies are different from those OF
Great Britain" he continued. .'the
new British housing act of 194s
is OF interest. particularly for such
provisions as those aimed to facili-
tate conversions and conservation
fof dwellings.
The Housing and Home FL
nance Agency has taken part in
the formulation Of a program
which would make available In
this country abstracts of the fous-
ing literature Of all the European
countries. A meeting was held In
Geneva early in October at which
the agency was represented by .
former member Of its staff who
serves as housing adviser in Eu.
/ rope.
.lAids Other Nations
4 "a second function Of HIIFA ir
the international field is to make
various services and advice avail.
lable to other departments ant
lagencies in this Government witt
respect to international affairs.
i This work includes relation.
/ ships with the State Department
on many matters: with the Com.
imerce Department on such mat
tiers as exports and imports, anc
with the Economic Cooperation
Administration, which has twe
former HHFA employees working
ION housing in Europe and which
lhas allocated relatively large
amounts in counterpart funds fol
housing In Greece. Italy. France
Austria, Holland and Denmark.
Third. In the role Of the United
States Government as q leader 70,
international cooperation, HEIFA
assists with advice and represen.
tation In the work Of many inter.
national organizations. such !,
the United Nations, the Par