Evening star., 1950-11-29
S3S Million Sought
By Truman 10 Provide
Food for YugosIavia
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result, Yugoslavia is threatened
with famine this winter.
This would provide fertile
ground for the subversive activi-
ties Of the Kremlin and would Sc
riously undermine the capacity of
the Yugoslav people to resist So
Wet aggression.
"On october 20. 1850. the Yugo-
slav government formally request
ed United States assistance in
averting the worst effects of the
disastrous crop failure. This re-
quest came only after the Yugo-
slav government had exhausted
all means of meeting the situation
BY its own efforts.
Immediate action was neces-
sary to meet the situation. Ship
ments had to be arranged at the
earliest possible date. Otherwise,
1t would have been impossible to
get food to the more remote areas
Of YugoSlavia before they were
isolated by the heavy winter
SHOWS.
Flour Shipped by ECA.
Accordingly. this Government
has taken action to begin ship
ments under existing authority
and with funds already available.
The Economic Cooperation Ad-
ministration has made arrange
ments for the shipment of flour
from Italy and Germany directly
to Yugoslavia. At the same time,
with the concurrence of the North
Atlantic treaty countries, mutual
defense assistance funds are
already being made available for
procurement of food supplies
equivalent to the immediate needs
Of the Yugoslav armed forces. In
addition. the Export Import Bank
is permitting a portion of a trevi-
ously negotiated Yugoslav loan to
be used for the purchase and
transport of food stuffs, partly
from American surplus stocks.
Under present plans, the cost of
this interim aid already ,rder
way will amount to about $50
million. This is sufficient only to
meet a portion of the total need.
Nov that the Congress is re-
convened, believe it appropriate
to request special authorization
to meet the balance of the essen
tial food needs of the Yugoslav
people until the next harvest.
Action should be taken promptly.
Shipments of the remaining sup
plies needed must be started be-
fore the end of December if the
bulk of the food is to be available
for distribution in the critical
winter period. The additional aid
needed is estimated at $38 million.
This amount. plus the amount
provided under existing authority,
will only be sufficient to bring the
Yugoslav diet up to a bare sub
sistence level.
Publicity Assured.
1--WE have received satisfactory
assurances from the Yugoslav
government, first. that all assist
ance furnished by the United
States will be given full and con-
tinuous publicity through the
press and radio in Yugoslavia; |
second, that the aid will be dis
tributed equitably and fairly
among the Yugoslav people. ard
third, that this distribution will
be under the observation of per-
sons designated by the United |
States.
1T is my earnest hope that the
Congress will. at this session, pro-
vide the $3S million necessary for
shipments of food to Yugoslavia.
In this way we can help preserve
the independence of a nation
which is defying the savage
threats of the Soviet imperialists
and keeping Soviet power out of
one Of Europe's most strategic
areas. This is clearly in our
national interest"
This morning Assistant Secre-
tary of State George w. Perkins
told the House Foreign Affairs
Committee that the ability of
Yugoslavia to defend itself against
Russian aggression in the months
ahead is vital to the security of
the North Atlantic area"
Mr.. Perkins said there was no
effort to disguise the fact that
the Tito government in Yugoslavia
is both dictatorship and a form
OF communism, but he declared
the issues are different because of
Tito's resistance to Russia.