IN THE WORK OF THE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF HEARINGS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS SEVENTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS FIRST AND SECOND SESSIONS ON H. J. Res. 192 A JOINT RESOLUTION TO ENABLE THE UNITED STATES NATIONS RELIEF AND REHABILITATION ADMINISTRATION 43026 December 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 1943 and Jan. 11, 1944 Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs UNITED STATES WASHINGTON: 1944 TO ENABLE THE UNITED STATES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WORK OF THE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND REHABILITATION ADMINISTRATION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1943 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C. The committee met at 10 o'clock a. m., in the committee room, Capitol, Hon. Sol. Bloom, chairman, presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will kindly come to order. The committee has under consideration House Joint Resolution 192, a bill to enable the United States to participate in the work of the United Nations relief and rehabilitation organization. The committee has as its first witness this morning the Honorable Dean Acheson, Assistant Secretary of State. Mr. CHIPERFIELD. Mr. Chairman, I call attention to the fact that there is not even a quorum here with a bill that is going to have in it about $1,300,000,000 to be spent. The CHAIRMAN. The Chair will state that notices were sent out far enough in advance and the clerk telephoned to all the members this morning. Mr. CHIPERFIELD. That is correct, because I received a telephone call. The CHAIRMAN. And they were notified that there was an important meeting on. (Discussion was had off the record.) Mr. CHIPERFIELD. I will not raise the point. Mr. JOHNSON. I think we ought to have a quorum. This first witness is the one that gives the whole background. If they miss that, they miss the foundation of the whole thing. Mr. CHIPERFIELD. Here we are, faced with a bill for the expenditure of $1,300,000,000. I recognize that we do not appropriate it, but it seems to me that it is important that we have a quorum when the principal witness starts his testimony. If it will be any embarrassment, of course, I will not press the point. Mr. JOHNSON. I think the absence of a quorum is due to the fact that so many members are out of town. There is not much doing in the House this week, and a lot of them have absented themselves. Mr. CHIPERFIELD. Perhaps that would be a good reason why it should not have been called without consulting the members of the committee. The CHAIRMAN. The Chair will state that he is privileged to call a meeting, and he does not always know whether the members will be in town or out of town, and if they would let him know, he could be guided thereby. Members are supposed to be in town when the House is in session. Mr. CHIPERFIELD. There is no question about that. The CHAIRMAN. Dr. Eaton is here. He had to send his wife home this morning. She is ill; he is still here. Mr. BURGIN. May I inquire if you intend to go right on through with different witnesses? The CHAIRMAN. We expect to hear all the witnesses that are necessary so that we can have a continuity of the testimony. Mr. JOHNSON. How many does it take for a quorum, 13? The CHAIRMAN. Twelve. A quorum is present. I would like to have the record show that a quorum is present. I would like to ask the members to kindly remain here so that we at least have a quorum while this testimony is being taken. Mr. CHIPERFIELD. May I ask another question, Mr. Chairman? Is it the intention to go through with the testimony here and then bring the resolution up before the Christmas holidays? The CHAIRMAN. Of course, the Chair would like to state that it is necessary for us, for this committee, to have enabling legislation passed so as to start functioning. This resolution, by itself, would not give them the right, because the committee has to come back to the Congress for its appropriation, and it will take a considerable time before we get the appropriation so as to start functioning. If it is possible to bring this out under a rule next week, giving sufficient time to debate the question on the floor and get it over to the Senate, I think Congress would like to do that. Whatever the testimony, I think it would be better for us to proceed and get the testimony and then let the committee decide itself what it wants to do, and we can do that in executive session; but I think what is necessary now is to get all the evidence and testimony that the committee can possibly get at this time, and hear the witnesses and Mr. Lehman, Governor Lehman, and then the committee will decide just what it wants to do. That is up to the committee and is not up to the Chair. If that is satisfactory, we will proceed with that thought in mind. Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. Chairman, I would like to make the suggestion and request that due to the absence of some of the members from the city, I would like for as many members as can to hear all the witnesses on this matter, because it is a matter of great importance and it is a matter that some people do not understand, and I think that it is of such importance that they should hear the witnesses so that we can know the background and the necessity for the legislation. Several of us were privileged to go to Atlantic City, for the closing session of the U. N. R. R. A. conference. I did not feel the necessity or urgency of going very much, but I did go and I am glad I did, and I think if the entire membership of our committee could have gone there it would have been very helpful and enlightening. It was to me, and I know to the other members who went there. We came back convinced that what we had to do was in part to let this committee, the membership of the House, and the country, know the importance of this legislation, because there is some prejudice against it. They have an erroneous conception of what its purpose is, and I think it is most important that the House know and that the country know, and more important right now to let this committee know, what the facts are in the background and the imperative necessity that this resolution be passed by Congress. Mr. Acheson was the chairman of that meeting and made a very wonderful presiding officer, and the burden of this fell largely upon him and upon former Assistant Secretary of State Dr. Sayre. Mr. Chiperfield, Mr. Jonkman, Mr. Burgin, Mr. Vorys, and Mrs. Rogers were there. Were you there, Mrs. Bolton? Mrs. BOLTON. I was there earlier in the session. Mr. JOHNSON. You were not there when I was there. The CHAIRMAN. The Chair wishes to state that the House appropriated funds to enable the members of the committee to go to Atlantic City and attend the different sessions of U. N. R. R. A. at Atlantic City. The House felt that the members should be enabled to go, and any time that any of the members wanted to go they telephoned to the clerk of the committee and the clerk arranged, through Mr. Sayre in Atlantic City, for accommodations there and for their railroad transportation, so the House was very interested to see that the Foreign Affairs Committee received all the information it possibly could receive to enable them to act intelligently upon the legislation that we have under consideration at this time. Mrs. BOLTON. Mr. Chairman, in regard to the study that this committee should make of this resolution in order to present it to the House, it seems to me that it would be a very advisable thing if the committee could sit down by itself and decide what information it should have. Perhaps after the Secretary has given us more paper to study we will be able to know a little more what questions should be clarified. I feel very strongly that inasmuch as this involves a very large amount of money, in addition to involving money it will mean that the people of this country may have to be rationed-Mr. Lehman has said so, I believe, in the press-for clothing and various other things to make it possible for the other countries of the world to have these things, the people of this country should be given a very, very broad and detailed picture of what is involved in U. N. R. R. A., and just what its relationship is to the other international groups, to our own State Department, what our foreign policy is developing to be, and a great many things of that nature. You will recall, Mr. Chairman, that I called you last week to ask whether we were to have an adequate period of hearings. You told me that your idea was that this should be a bird's-eye view of the situation. I think that is very necessary. I think we need what the Secretary is good enough to give us this morning as background, very definitely, and we will need background from others. But more than that, too, we will have to have very definite detailed information on many subjects, and personally I cannot see how it would be possible for us to get that in a way that will satisfy the people of this country in a few days, which, if we present it to the House for action before Christmas, is all that you will have. Mr. JOHNSON. Will the gentlewoman yield for a question? |