马歇尔计划范文.docVIP

马歇尔计划范文 George C.Marshall:The MarshallPlan Mr.President,Dr.Conant,m embers of the Boardof Overseers,Ladies andGentlem en:I amprofoundly grateful,touched by the greatdistinction andhonor andgreat plim entaorded me bythe authoritiesof Harvardthis morning.I amoverwhelm ed,as a m atterof fact,and I am ratherfearful ofm yinability to m aintainsuch ahigh ratingas youve beengenerous enoughto aordto me.I nthese historicand lovelysurroundings,this perfectday,and thisvery wonderfulassem bly,it isa tremendously impressive thingto anindividual inm yposition.But tospeak m ore seriously,I neednot tellyou that the worldsituation isvery serious.That m ust beapparent to all intelligentpeople.I thinkone difficultyis that the problemis oneof suchenorm ous plexitythatthevery mass offacts presentedto thepublic bypress andradio make itexceedingly difficultfor the m anin thestreet toreach aclear appraisement of the situation.Furtherm ore,the people of thiscountry aredistant from the troubledareas of the earth,and it is hardfor themto prehend theplight andconsequent reactionsof thelong-suffering peoplesof Europe and theeffect of those reactionson theirgovernm entsin connectionwith ourefforts toprom otepeace in the world.I nconsidering the requirem ents for the rehabilitation of Europe,the physicalloss of life,the visible destruction ofcities,factories,m ines,and railroadswas correctlyestim ated,but ithas be e obviousduring recentm onthsthat thisvisibledestructionwas probablyless seriousthan thedislocation of the entirefabric of European econom y.For thepast tenyears conditionshave beenhighly abnorm al.The feverishpreparation forwar and the m ore feverishm aintenanceof thewar effortengulfed allaspects ofnational economies.Machinery hasfallen intodisrepair oris entirelyobsolete.Under thearbitrary anddestructive Nazirule,virtually everypossible enterprisewas gearedinto theGerm anwar machine.Long-standing m ercialties,private institutions,banks,insurance panies,and shippingpaniesdisappeared throughloss ofcapital,absorption throughnationalization,or bysim pledestruction.I nm anycountries,confidence in the localcurrency hasbeen severelyshaken.The breakdownof the business structure ofEuropeduring thewar was plete.Recovery hasbeen seriouslyretarded bythe factthat twoyears afterthe closeof hostilitiesa peacesettlem entwith Germ any andAustria hasnot beenagreed upon.But evengiven amoreprom ptsolution of these difficultproblem s,therehabilitationof the econom icstructureofEurope quiteevidently willrequire am uchlonger timeandgreater effortthan hadbeen foreseen.There isa phaseof thism atterwhich isboth interestingand serious.The farmer hasalways producedthe foodstuffs to exchangewith thecity dwellerfor theother necessities oflife.This division of laboris thebasis ofm oderncivilization.At thepresent time itis threatenedwith breakdown.The townand cityindustries arenot producingadequate goodsto exchangewith thefood-producing farmer.Raw materials and fuel arein shortsupply.Machinery,as I have said,is lackingor wornout.The farmer orthe peasantcannot findthe goodsfor salewhich hedesires topurchase.So thesale ofhis farmproduce form oneywhich hecannot useseem sto himan unprofitabletransaction.He,therefore,has withdrawnmanyfields fromcrop cultivation and hes usingthem forgrazing.He feedsmoregrain tostock andfinds forhim selfand hisfam ilyan ample supplyof food,however shorthem ay beon clothingand theother ordinarygadgets ofcivilization.Meanwhile,people in the citiesare shortof food andfuel,and insom eplaces approachingthe starvationlevels.So,the governm ents areforced touse theirforeign money andcredits toprocure thesenecessities abroad.This processexhausts fundswhich areurgently neededfor reconstruction.Thus,a veryserious situationis rapidlydeveloping whichbodes nogood forthe world.The modern systemof thedivisionoflabor uponwhich theexchange ofproducts isbased isin dangerof breakingdown.The truthof the m atteris thatEuropes requirementsforthe nextthree orfour yearsof foreignfoodandother essentialproducts-principally fromAm erica-are som uchgreater thanher presentability topay thatshe m ust havesubstantial additionalhelp orface econom ic,social,and politicaldeterioration ofa verygrave character.The remedy seemstolie inbreaking thevicious circleand restoringthe confidenceof the people ofEurope in theeconomic futureof theirown countriesand ofEurope asa whole.The manufacturer and the farmer throughoutwide areasm ust be ableand willingto exchangetheir productfor currencies,the continuingvalue ofwhich isnot opento question.Aside fromthe demoralizing effecton the world atlarge andthe possibilitiesof disturbancesarising asa resultof thedesperation of thepeopleconcerned,the consequencesto theeconom yofthe United Statesshould beapparent toall.I tis logicalthatthe United Statesshould dowhatever itis ableto doto assistinthereturn ofnormaleconomichealth intheworld,without whichthere canbe nopolitical stabilityand noassured peace.Our policyis directednot againstany countryor doctrinebut againsthunger,poverty,desperation,and chaos.I tspurpose should be therevival ofa workingeconomyintheworld soas toperm itthe emergence ofpolitical andsocial conditionsin whichfree institutionscan exist.Such assistance,I amconvinced,mustnot beonapiecem ealbasis,as variouscrises develop.Any assistancethat this Governm entmayrender inthe futureshould providea curerather thanamere palliative.Any government thatis willingto assistinthetask ofrecovery willfind fullcooperation,I amsure,on the part oftheUnited States Governm ent.Any government whichm aneuversto blockthe recoveryof othercountries cannotexpect helpfrom us.Furtherm ore,governments,political parties,or groupswhich seekto perpetuatehum anm iseryin order to profitthere frompolitically orotherwise willencounter theopposition oftheUnited States.I tis alreadyevident thatbefore theUnitedStatesGovernm entcan proceedm uchfurther inits effortsto alleviatethe situationand helpstart theEuropean worldon itsway torecovery,there must besom eagreem entam ongthe countriesofEuropeas to therequirements ofthe situationandthe part thosecountries themselves willtake inordertogive a proper effectto whateveractions might beundertaken bythisGovernment.I twould beneither fittingnor efficaciousfor ourGovernmentto undertaketo drawup unilaterally a programdesigned toplace Europeon itsfeet economically.This isthebusinessoftheEuropeans.The initiative,I think,mustefrom Europe.The roleof thiscountry shouldconsist offriendly aidinthedrafting ofa Europeanprogram andof latersupport ofsuch aprogram sofar asit may bepractical forus todo so.The programshouldbea jointone,agreed toby anum ber,if notall,European nations.An essentialpart ofany suessfulaction on the partoftheUnitedStatesis anunderstanding onthepartofthepeopleofAm ericaofthecharacter ofthe problemandtherem ediesto beapplied.Political passionand prejudiceshould haveno part.With foresight,and awillingness onthepartof ourpeople toface uptothevast responsibilitywhich historyhas clearlyplaced uponour country,the difficultiesI haveoutlined canand willbe overe.Iamsorry thaton eachoasion Ihave saidsom ethingpublicly inregard toour internationalsituation,Ihavebeen forcedbythenecessitiesofthe caseto enterinto rath