Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1961-05-19
Cooperation For
Progress In
Latin America

Gators VINO comprise the ReSearcn
and Policy Committee of the Com
mittee for Economic Development
! (CED).
Outlining nine immediate n d
important steps" that need to be
taken in cooperation with the 20
Latin American Republics, the re-
port stressed that economic and
social progress is essential for
the maintenance of stable demo-
cracies."
The statement, growing out of
nearly two years of work by a
subcommittee headed by Mr.. Thorn
as ID. Cabot, chairman of the Cabot
Corporation, Boston, was released
at a press conference here by Mr..
Cabot and Mr.. T. V. Houser, direc-
tor of Sears, Roebuck and Com
pany, and chairman of the Resear-
ch and Policy Group.
at is urgent that we make pro-
gress in developing policy here at
home and in implementing pro-
grams in cooperation with our
Latin American friends" Mr.. Hou-
ser stated.
Pointing out that the Committee
had completed it's work prior to
President Kennedy's recent prop
osals to Congress, Mr.. Houser well
coined the Presidents emphasis on
the Act of Bogota which, he said,
is "a sound foundation from which
to begin building the greater siren
9Th and vitality in the western
hemisphere that is so essential to
the future of the entire free world
"One of the fundamental chall-
enges of our times" the committee
declared, lis to establish construc-
tive. cooperative relations between
the industrialiZed, economically adj
vanced North and the undervel0p-
ed South-Africa and Asia as we'll
as Latin America" But, the state
ment continued, our relation with
Latin America is a special one,"
and can be model for the relation
ships between the economically adj
vanced and underdeveloped worlds.
The Committees 64-page state
ment. Cooperation for Progress in
Latin America" asserted that "ec-
onomic and social progress in
many countries of Latin America
will require radical, even revolu-
tionary, changes of some of the
institutions that now exist there"
But a revolution of the Castro
type" il added, while it may be
able to achieve some needed re-
forms, is not a route to develop
ment. Development requires incen-
tive. opportunity and talent in an
environment that will attract or
produce capital. The Castro revolu-
ton perpetuates civil war. drives
out talent and frightens away capt.
tai. Moreover, il destroys the fund
amental human liberties that were
Castro's own rallying cry when he
first challenged the Batista dictat-
orship."
Stressing that "the greatest ec-
onomic resource of any country is
it's people," the Committee. in its
first recommendation declared that
we should follow up promptly and
fully" our promise to provide an
| initial contribution of $500 million
for a special Inter-American Fund
for Social Progress. While this
recommendation corresponds with
President Kennedy's proposal to.
Congress, the Committee added that
''if the Fund demonstrates the val
ue now expected of it, the United
States should be prepared to add
to it.
Social progress is not only the
/ -
ment; it is also an important
means for promoting economic de-
velopment," the group asserted, adj
ding that satisfactory economic
growth requires that the people be
educated, mobile, and motivated to
seek improvement of their lives
within the system rather than by
its overthrow"
Improvement of conditions of
rural living and land use is the
/ subject of the reports second rec-
OmmendatiOn.
Economic development, &C a
welfare and political stability all
require much broader participation
in the ownership of the land and
| its fruits than now prevails in
most of Latin America" the report
states. Assisting and encouraging
| the vigorous promotion of agricul-
tural education would be one of
the best uses of the Social Fund, ;"
it continued, and outlined possibili-
ties for improving extension SER
vices as we'll as more formal farm
training, agricultural colleges and
research stations.
Pointing to the extreme short
age and high cost" of credit for
agriculture in Latin America, the
report proposed that the United
States provide technical assistance
in creating a network of rural
credit institutions, both private and
public, to channel credit into rural
areas and to pool the risks of ag-
gricultural credit.
On land reform, the group said
that, in general, settlement and
cultivation of idle land has much
more promise for the people of Lat
in America than the division of
land already under cultivation.
Large areas of idle land are in
public or private hands and could
i be released for settlement; in some
cases adequate taxation of land
now held idle would force 1t into
use, or into sale, it was stated.
Stressed alsow was the necessity
for improved farm credit and ed
ucation to achieve an increase in
farm productivity and incomes.
Warning that "agrarian reform
will be a difficult, expensive and
slow process" the group added