URGENCY REITERATED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26618, 14 November 1947, Page 5

URGENCY REITERATED

WARNING OF HUNGER AND UNREST WASHINGTON, Rec. 9.30 p.m. Nov. 12.

The 300,000,000 dollars in aid proposed for China over a 15-month period would be aimed at easing the terrific inflation in that country, said the Secretary of Stale, Mr George Marshall, at a news conference shortly after lie. told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the United States Government expects “ about 70 per cent, efficiency ” in the use of any funds voted for China. He also told reporters that he was still hopeful that Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist Government will take in representatives of other parties, thus broadening its political base and making it more democratic. Mr Marshall urged this action upon his return from China last year. Mr Marshall said the decision on the proposed 3.000,000.000 dollar fund to stablise Western European currencies is still under consideration by the National Advisory Commission. Such fund was recommended by the Paris conference of 16 Western European nations. It was rejected by the Secretary of Commerce. Mr A. W. Harriman’s committee surveying American possibilities of aid to Europe, but still is pending. Earlier to-day Mr Marshall appeared before the House Foreign Affairs Committee to explain the Administration’s

plan for staving off hunger, Communism and the accompanying political unrest in Europe this winter. He sought repeatedly to impress on members the need for speed in supplying funds to tide Italy, France and Austria over until the spring. He said that Italy would be ‘‘ at the end of her tether ” by December 1. He asked anproval of what he called his “ rockbottom” 597,000,000 dollars emergency European aid plan by December 1, and warned that costs may rise if there was further delay Meanwhile, the White House announced that President Truman personally will carry his fight for both emergency and long-term aid pro, grammes to Congress in his address to the joint meeting of the Senate and House when the special session convenes on Monday. He is still working on the text of his message. Mr Marshall told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that he intended to renew the United States proposal for a 40-year four-Power German nonaggression pact at the Council of Foreign Ministers in London. Russia had previously rejected the proposal. Mr Marshall said that he considered it very important that Europe’s people should not feel that they were left in the lurch by any sudden withdrawal of American forces. /