Harry S. Truman photo

The President's News Conference Following a Meeting With Congressional Leaders

September 29, 1947

THE PRESIDENT. The conference this morning requested me to make a statement to you as to what happened. It was a very harmonious and a very good conference. Everybody had everything he wanted to say, and he had a chance to say it--had a chance to get it off his chest. And the whole meeting was very constructive, I think.

Now I am going to read you the statement, which will be available to you in mimeographed form by the time you get out of here.

[Reading, not literally] "I conferred at length with the congressional leaders, with reference to the critical economic situation which exists in Western Europe. I am writing the chairmen of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Senate Committee on Appropriations, and the House Committee on Appropriations, requesting that they call their committees together to consider the urgent need for aid to Western Europe.

"I know that some of the members of these committees are now in Europe investigating conditions at first hand. It is my earnest hope that as soon as the members of the various committees have returned to this country, they will meet.

"The question of calling a special session of Congress was discussed at length with the congressional leaders. Whatever decision may be reached on this subject at a later date, it was the opinion of all that the committees should begin to consider the present emergency at the earliest possible date that members are available.

"Recent events have brought about increasingly critical economic conditions in some of the countries of Western Europe. Unusually bad European harvests, together with rising costs and lessened supplies of American food, have upset recovery plans and endangered the progress already made. In particular, France and Italy are without adequate fuel and food supplies for the fall and winter, and do not have the resources with which to buy them.

"The prospect of a general recovery program for Western Europe, aided by the United States, has raised their hopes for eventual recovery and has strengthened democratic forces. But, if this recovery program is to have a chance of success, means must be found for aiding France and Italy to survive this critical winter as free and independent nations.

"A searching examination has already been conducted of all possible ways in which France and Italy might be aided without additional action by the Congress. Action by the various agencies of the executive branch under existing authority may meet the most urgent needs of the next few weeks, but funds available from executive sources are inadequate to provide assistance beyond December. Assistance this winter, in sums much larger than the executive branch can provide with funds now at its disposal, is essential. That assistance can come only from the Congress.

"The early convening of the congressional committees referred to is the necessary first step in meeting the problems that confront us."

Q. Mr. President, were you able to determine the sentiment of the majority leaders on the question of giving stopgap aid ?

THE PRESIDENT. I didn't attempt to make any survey of that sort. I was merely putting the problem up to them. I think most of them were of the opinion that it should be met.

Q. Mr. President, did you propose a special session eventually, after the committees have completed their work?

THE PRESIDENT. That remains to be seen. I am in the same position, in the same frame of mind, I have always been. If it becomes necessary to call that special session, I will call it.

Q. How much money do you need, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT. It runs about $580 million.

Q. That is from now until December?

THE PRESIDENT. NO. That will run to the 31st of March.

Q. Mr. President, how much of that can you provide by executive action?

THE PRESIDENT. I can't provide any of it.

Q. Is that for France and Italy only, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT. No, that is for the whole situation.

Q. Mr. President, is there an additional fund which could be made available without congressional action before the $580 million is made available ?

THE PRESIDENT. No. The sums that are available now will carry until December. Then the pipeline will become empty unless it is filled up again, and that is the necessity for the additional cost.

Q. Carry through December, or to December?

THE PRESIDENT. It is estimated that would carry to December.

Q. To December 1st.

THE PRESIDENT. I can't set a date like that. It will carry just as far as we can.

Q. In other words, Mr. President, there is enough money now to meet these European relief needs from now until December?

THE PRESIDENT. There isn't enough, but there is enough to meet them on a starvation basis. That is the situation.

Q. Mr. President, is that 580 million in addition to the aid from now to December?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes.

Q. And beyond that starvation basis you need congressional action ?

THE PRESIDENT. That's right.

Q. Mr. President, what funds are--can relief money be drawn at this time up to December 1st?

THE PRESIDENT. The Congress appropriated $342 million to carry on the program left by UNRRA, and then, of course, the $400 million for Greece and Turkey is specifically appropriated for that purpose.

Q. How much of the 342, sir, is now left?

THE PRESIDENT. I can't answer that question.

Q. Are there additional funds needed for the occupied German--

THE PRESIDENT. Yes, there will be additional funds needed for the occupied countries.

Q. How much would that bring the total to?

THE PRESIDENT. That is something aside from the 580 million.

Q. But this 580 covers everything?

THE PRESIDENT. That covers the starvation situation.

Q. Those countries are France

THE PRESIDENT. Yes--keep people from freezing and starving to death this winter, just as it was last winter--almost the same situation.

Q. France and Italy, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT. France and Italy, Austria and Germany.

Q. Mr. President, isn't the appropriation for Germany carried on for the fiscal year?

THE PRESIDENT. That goes in the War Department appropriation. That is a separate program entirely. That is in the occupied countries program.

Q. Mr. President, the 580 million would be applied to the four countries you just named, France, Italy, Germany, and Austria?

THE PRESIDENT. France, Italy, Germany, and Austria--France and Italy--no--France, Italy, and Austria.

Q. Three countries, then, under that 580 million?

THE PRESIDENT. Yes.

Q. How about England?

THE PRESIDENT. England is not in any serious situation at the present time.

Q. Mr. President, without the special session, there would still be a month's period of time during which there would be no aid available, there would be no way to fill up the pipeline?

THE PRESIDENT. That is the situation.

Q. Mr. President, was there any discussion of the Marshall plan as such, in addition to the food program?

THE PRESIDENT. It was mentioned incidentally, but it was not discussed. We only discussed the emergency plan--emergency situation this morning, which is entirely separate--entirely separate. The situation that we are faced with. It has come upon us rather suddenly.

Q. Mr. President, do you have any idea when you could make a decision on the special session?

THE PRESIDENT. No I haven't.

Q. Do you have any idea when these committees will be able to meet?

THE PRESIDENT. NO I haven't.

Q. Mr. President, the Senate Appropriations Committee is due back about the middle of November. I wonder if you were asking them to come earlier?

THE PRESIDENT. I am writing letters to the chairmen of all these committees, asking them to meet as soon as convenient.

Q. Mr. President, can you say what additional facts you might need before making a decision on a special session?

THE PRESIDENT. Well, it depends on the attitude of the committees of the Congress, as to whether the special session will be necessary or not. If they are wholeheartedly in favor of the program, of course then there would be no difficulty about calling a special session. If they were not in favor of doing anything, there would be no necessity for the special session.

Q. Mr. President, what about the funds in the Export-Import Bank, do you regard them--

THE PRESIDENT. They are not available.

Q. Not?

THE PRESIDENT. Not available. Prohibited from use for that purpose.

Q. The same applies to Commodity Credit Corporation ?

THE PRESIDENT. Same applies to the Commodity Credit Corporation.

Q. Mr. President, we understand indirectly that part of the Turkish-Greek money could be used-

THE PRESIDENT. NO, it cannot be used--only for what it is specifically appropriated for, and that is Greece and Turkey.

Q. Mr. President, I did not understand your use of the term starvation basis. We understood you to say that what money did exist will be sufficient to continue them on a starvation basis?

THE PRESIDENT. That is correct.

Q. Up to--

THE President. Up to December, we hope. France has already had to cut their bread ration from 250 to 200 grams. You are getting near starvation. You should see the weekly ration that is handed out to those people over there. It wouldn't make a good meal for us over here, but they have to live on it a week.

Q. Mr. President, you mentioned France, Italy, and Austria. What about Belgium and the Low Countries, are they continuing to--

THE PRESIDENT. Well, we have been--we have been furnishing grain to Belgium and the Low Countries, but they have been paying for their shipments, and I think they are still in the position to do that.

Q. Mr. President, could you notice the feeling of great urgency this morning among your conferees?

THE PRESIDENT. Oh yes. Everybody understands the urgency of the situation.

Q. Did you make a specific proposal for a special session, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT. I did not.

Reporter: Thank you, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT. You're welcome.

Note: President Truman's one hundred and twentieth news conference was held in his office at the White House at 3:25 p.m. on Monday, September 29, 1947.

Harry S Truman, The President's News Conference Following a Meeting With Congressional Leaders Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/232330

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