REHABILITATION RELIEF

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 November 1943, Page 6

REHABILITATION RELIEF

MR ROOSEVELT’S MESSAGE

RUGBY, Nov. 15. Advisers to Mr. Lehman, DirectorGeneral of the U.N.R.R.A., decided to sponsor* the formula whereby the U.N.R.R.A. may be financed through assessments of one per cent, of the national income of participating countries, states an Atlantic city message. There are no indications yet on what year it will be based, but some reports say 1940 would be selected. A Washington message says that Mr. Roosevelt sent a message to Congress asking for authorisation of appropriate funds to permit the United States’ participation in U.N.R.R.A., and said he would specify the amount following the close of the Atlantic City meeting. It is understood that the United States’ share will be between a thousand million and fifteen hundred million dollars. The President said the length of the war might be materially shortened if, as each occupied country was freed, the people were enlisted as allies of the United Nations as had happened in Africa, Sicily and Italy.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15. Mr. Roosevelt’s message to Congress stated that each nation would determine the amount and character of its contribution. It was hoped that a small fraction of the national income of the contributing member states would be sufficient to help the liberated peoples to rebuild homes, factories and farms. It was explained that the U.N.R.R.A. Agreement provides the framework only for giving first aid in liberated areas. The U.N.R.R.A. will help to furnish medicine, food, clothing, and basic necessities to restore the strength of the liberated peoples, deliberately stripped by the enemy. . , The message said that as occupied areas were freed their peoples were being enlisted in the. Allied armies. Support was already given by the new French army created, and increasing numbers in Sicily and Italy were falling in besides the United Nations. Millions more were waiting to strike the enemy. They do not want charity, therefore aid to liberated peoples during the war is a matter of military necessity, as well as humanity. Old ei measures will be necessary, but the U N.R.R.A. can lay the foundation loi a solution of reconstruction problems.