UNRRA STOPPED TOO SOON IS OFFICER’S VIEW

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 September 1947, Page 3

UNRRA STOPPED TOO SOON IS OFFICER’S VIEW

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, Sept. 1. “From the point of view of the recovery of Europe UNRRA should have been carried on another year,” said Mr R. R. Livingstone, of Christchurch, formerly chief finance and administration officer for UNRRA in Byelo-Russia, who returned by the Athenic today. “Stopping supplies at this stage was like pushing a stone half-way up the hill and then leaving it to roll down again.” Mr Livingstone has recently served in London as principal assistant to Major-General R. G. Lewis, chief of finance and administration for UNRRA in Europe, and Deputy Director-General of UNRRA. He was accompanied on the voyage home by Mr W. Cunningham, of Rangiora, who was administration assistant in Jugoslavia for 23 months. Mr Livingstone said 90 per cent, of the supply programme for ByeloRussia, which adjoins Poland and Latvia, had been completed when UNRRA ceased operations on June 30 and the remainder, chiefly heavy machinery, would be delivered when available. The conditions of the agreement with the Russian Govern - ment had been fully observed by both sides. Mr Livingstone said his only direct contact had been with Government officials. Local inhabitants were very cautious in their dealings with foreigners. “The general public was not encouraged to associate with foreigners and you can read what you like into that,” he added. Both Mr Livingstone and Mr Cunningham said the distribution of supplies was carried out fairly, but they agreed that people of both countries accepted the goods as a right and not as a privilege. “The assistance given by the United Kingdom, in spite of her desperate plight, to UNRRA has been magnificent,” said Mr Livingstone. “The cessation of UNRRA was not due to Britain but principally to the withdrawal of United States support. Britain would have carried on if the United States had continued its support.” . . „