The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1952-01-17
Leo Miller Talks
On Marshall Plan
Prominent Local Attorney Tells
Kiwanis Club Good And Bad
Features OF Its Operation In
Europe.


Features OF Its Operation In
Europe.
Leo H. Miller, a member of the
club, was the speaker at the regular
weekly luncheon meeting of the Ha-
gerstown Kiwanis Club, held at the
Hotel Alexander on Thursday, and
his subject was "The Marshall Plan"
He was introduced by Rev. F. Berry
Plummer.
Prior to Mr. Miller's address, five
new members were indicted into
the club - Robert Chatkin, Allen
Ocker, James Ramsey, Joseph Schin-
del and Walter Smith-the induction
ceremonies being in charge of: PAUL
S. Shields, Rev. Father Charles
Dausch, Rev. F. Berry Plummer, DR..
Wilson P. Ard and President Albert
M. Long.
In his address, Mr.. Miller told his
audience that international loans
and agreements dated back some 500
years ago, when Carthage and Rome
had detailed agreements covering
| commerce and navigation. This was
followed by various other trade
agreements among nations through
/ the years and included the Lend
Lease agreements made by the Unit
ed States and other countries dur
| ing the recent World War.
Coming down to the so-called Mar
shall Plan, the speaker said that on
June 5, 1947, the then Secretary of
/ State, George Marshall, in an adj
dress at Harvard University, ex-
planned plan for European recov-
cry and this plan was launched by
Congress in April, 1913, under the
name Of The Economic Cooperative
Administration, popularity known as
/ ECA.
| The ECA, the speaker stated, was
| based on the premise that European
/ recovery was necessary for the
American economy and also to pre-
vent the spread of Communism, and
Mr.. Miller frankly stated that both
these purposes, to a large degree,
have been fulfilled.
During the nearly four years th3T
ECA was in operation, Mr.. Miller
said, President Truman asked Con-
! gress for seventeen billion dollars
for ECA and four billion dollars for
the World Bank. In return for the
/ spending of this vast amount of mon
! ey in Europe, the countries concern
ed pledged: (D to increase produc-
| ton; (2) to stabilize currency; (3)
| to cooperate in reduction of trade
barriers; and az to stimulate pro-
duction of war materials that would
be made available to the United
States.
The purpose of these detectives,
according to the speaker, were aim
ed at: CD freer trade among Eur
opean nations; ~ the abolition of
import quotas and custom barriers;
and (3) the convertibility of Eur
ope's many currencies. In connec-
ton with these detectives, Mr.. Miller
stated that his own observations
while in Europe last summer show
ed that some of them had been ac-
complished.
In Italy, for instance, he noted that
modern buildings had been erected
with ECA funds particularly rail-
road stations), that currencies were
stabilized, and that the political sit
uation is solid to the extent that
Communism is no longer a menace
in Western Europe.
Unfortunately, however" Mr..
Miller said, 1--WE are now faced with
the chronic ills of Western Europe
that would require full-blown rev.
olution to overcome. But despite
this the planners in our present gov
eminent are now SPONSORING COM
plete Transformation. Western Eur
ope has come long ways" the
speaker continued, $50 let's limit
ourselves to the first aid job we have
accomplished and let the Europeans
take care of the rest"
In connection with this, Mr.. Miller
pointed out that he had found out
by personal observation that many
of our American ways of doing bust
ness just won't work in Europe In
talking to the owners of a Milan,
Italy, factory that makes railroad
cars and employs 10000 people, the
owners told him that without pro-
tective trade barriers they would be
out of business overnight.
Touching on the economic situa-
ton in our own country, Mr.. Miller
made strong appeal to the mem
bership of the club to fight for the
free enterprise system in these Unit