Evening star., 1949-06-03
PROGRESS on Point Four


fronts, ideas and plans are being organized
to get action started on Point Four Of
President Trumans bold new program"
to promote peace and prosperity by build
ing up the underdeveloped areas of the
world
To that end, various private and public
agencies-both national and international
are busy outlining a wide variety OF
proposals. No grandiose schemes are in
volved. No overnight miracles are expected.
Nevertheless. in a long-range sense, the
project is full of such tremendous promise
and is so vital to the worlds future that
there is real reason to be encouraged by
the progress now being made toward
launching it.
Thus, in keeping with suggestion by
the American delegation to the Economic
and Social Council, the United Nations has
just come forward with preliminary plan
for cooperative action. The plan-which
cannot take effect until approved by the
General Assembly-calls for a two-year
program under which the member-coun-
tries would spend S85,000000 to set in
motion the initial phase of Point Four. In
effect, the program would lay the ground
work for the pooling of chronological re-
sources, industrial and agricultural know
how" and all the other mental and physical
facilities that are needed for the develop
ment of backward regions.
Any action by the u NJ, of course, must
be held in allegiance for coordination with
action by the United States, the prime
mover of Point Four. Legislation to cover
our leading part in the enterprise Is
expected to be up soon for congressional
consideration. AS unoficially reported, the
proposed measure would call for a modest
beginning costing the Nation approximately
$100,000,000 year. 1t would provide,
among other things, for State Department
direction to mesh our own activities with
those of the U. NJ, and it would encourage
the investment of private American capital
in overseas developmental projects by set
ting up limited guarantees against such
risks as appropriation. In addition, besides
providing for bilateral treaty arrangements
like the one now being discussed with
Brazil, it would make possible the extern
sion of scientific help and our technical
"know-how" to countries prepared to CO.
operate.
When Congress gets around to the leg
islation, some of the proposed provisions
may set off lengthy debate but the basic
principle of Point Four is not likely to
run into opposition. Actually, in the
Middle East and other areas, the program
has been in effect for long time on a
small scale number of private industries
and government agencies having been en-
gagged for years in activities helpful to the
development of underdeveloped countries.
What Point Four aims to do is to organize
and systematic such activities on large
scale in a vast international enterprise
calculated to continue for decades in all
parts of the world, the ultimate objective
being to create mutually beneficial eco
nomic conditions ending war-breeding
frictions between the "haves' and the
"have-nots."
Africa the Middle East, Asia, the
Amazonian jungle-these are but few of
the regions whose great resources remain
to be tapped. In large measure, the future
peace and economic well l-being of mankind
depend on them. After the Marshall Plan
ends, for example, Europe's long term
stability will be very doubtful unless back
ward places like Africa can be opened up
for habitation and productive enterprise.
AS for the overall picture, the population
of the world, now standing at about
2,300,000000, is increasing at the rate Of
200,000,000 every decade, which means that
it may total more than 1900, 600, 900 in less
than 100 years-a potentially catastrophe
prospect that cannot be ignored today
without gravely imperiling tomorrow's
generations
Obviously, in face of such prospect,
the family Of nations must press forward
with Point -Four as vigorously as possible
from now on. The program has nothing
to do with starry-eyed idealism. The hard
realities of our time demand 1t. Without
it, or without something very much like
it, our crowded world can only drift toward
nightmare.