Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-06-17
D~Day, Five
Years Later
by Bradford v. Carter, IPA Columnist

ON June 8, 1s44--iust about five years ago
o-American and British troops clawed their
way thru German defenses and established
themselves on the Normandy coast. Para
troopers, landing behind the Nazi lines, re-
ceived prompt aid from the silent men" OF
the French resistance movement. The liberia
ton OF western Europe had begun.
Just III months later the job was done.
European fascism was defeated by the COM
bined efforts of the western democracies, and
of the Russians. The people of Europe be-
heved that not only had fascist aggression
been repulsed but that a new democratic era
was dawning. Workers In every nation hoped
that their governments would be able to rid
them once and for all of the curse of poverty
and unemployment.
The intervening years have been years of
establishment. American aid was cut off
shortly after fighting ended. Political leaders
in some countries who had sworn that the
older order was a thing of the past rallied to
its defense. Communist parties, strong in a
number OF countries, threw off the cloak of
progressive patriotism and revealed them
selves as still the mouthpieces of Russian for
eign policy. Europe was on the down grade
Then, three years after D-Day u S. Secre-
tary of State George Marshall put forth the
first outline Of what was to become a vast
recovery plan bearing his name Already some
European nations had begun to receive piece
meal American aid.
At least as important as Marshalls own
declaration was the increased attention to the
problems of European workers shown by the
AFL and CIO Even before Marshall spoke,
both great American labor declarations had
advocated planned assistance to democracies
prepared to realistically tackle their economic
problems
Some of the promise OF the Marshall plan
was lost early in the game when the Kremlin
refused to play ball, and ordered its satellites
IN eastern Europe to boycott the recovery eff
fort. But despite the impossibility of restor-
ing east-west trade so important to real
prosperity in Europe-the Marshall plan got
underway. Prodded by America the European
nations began to do a better job of planning
their economic futures than they had done in
the immediate postwar years.
The Economic Cooperation Administration
the agency which administers the Marshall
plan-has done a good job With its help, in
only about a year of Marshall plan operation,
western Europe has almost gotten production
up to pre-war levels. Exports have increased,
and supply has caught up with demand at least
to the point of breaking the inflationary spiral.
Despite these accomplishments, two years
after Marshall unveiled his plan five years
after the liberation of Europe began, European
recovery is not complete. Trade barriers have
not been removed, and continued low wages
OF the workers in number of countries pre-
vent their home markets from absorbing the
amount of commodities that the people need.
Unemployment threatens again, in the u. S.
as well as in Europe
The Marshall planners have licked the
problems of production. Now they must tackle
those of distribution. The labor movements
of Europe and the U. S are well qualified to
play an important part in this job. Labor
government cooperation to raise living stand
ards is the key to Marshall plan success With
out 1t the hopes of June 6, 1914 will never be
realized.