FOREIGN AID PLEA

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28447, 29 November 1957, Page 20

FOREIGN AID PLEA

4 Stand-In’ Speech For President

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, November 27. The United States Secretary of Labour, Mr James Mitchell, serving as a “stand-in” speaker lor President Eisenhower, called on Americans last night to drop partisanship and throw their full support behind expanded military and economic aid for the free world. Mr. Mitchell cut part of the text of a speech he had prepared for a convention-banquet and gave in part what the President was to have discussed in a nation-wide speech from Cleveland, Ohio, last night. During the afternoon yesterday, Mr Mitchell talked with White House officials in Washington and agreed to incorporate. part of the President’s “chins-up” speech into his own at a meeting of the Manufacturing Chemists’ Association. Mr Mitchell read the President’s text at 4 p.m., took notes on it, and at 4.30 p.m. left for New York. In his speech at the banquet he said: “I am sure you are all concerned about the recent illness of President Eisenhower. Just before I came in this room I talked with the White House, and can bring you this late word. The President’s condition is perfectly satisfactory.” Mr Mitchell added: “No investment we can make pays greater dividends than reasonable economic aid to friendly nations. He said President Eisenhower would have made three points— The Administration believed the country owed the fullest support to mutual aid and security. It would be recommended to Congress in January that the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act be given broadened authority, and extended for a longer period than the present three years. Support was necessary for the Organisation for Trade Cooperation. which was a businesslike unit to administer trade agreements. The President would ask Congress to authorise American membership in the organisation. Mf Mitchell said mutual aid played a major part in keeping free nations strong and thwarting the Communist hope to circle the world. “Look at Greece, look at Iran, Vietnam and many others. Were it not for our military and economic aid. they might be completely within the Communist orbit,” he said. He said a “fortress America” was not the answer. “The hope for peace is not in walls and oceans. . . . The hope for peace lies in the peoples whose ideals we share.”