WHITE FLEET WOULD PROVIDE MESSAGE OF HOPE IN TROUBLED AND TENSE WORLD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP61-00357R000100220023-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 20, 2013
• Sequence Number: 23
• Publication Date: July 28, 1959
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/08/20: CIA-RDP61-00357R000100220023-2
13150 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD ? SENATE
velopment Bank. The Senate approired
the Bank proposal by a vote, as I recall,
of 87 to 3 some 2 week ago. Yesterday
the House of Representatives passed the
proposal for an Inter-American Devel-
opment Bank by an overwhelming vote.
There have been some who from time
to time have said that this Congress
might be a do-nothing Congress. Nat-
urally, I do not agree with that absurd
and unfounded charge. I think an ex-
amination of the accomplishments of
this Congress will demonstrate that we
have this year, as we have in the past
few years, acted responsibly and con-
structively and passed all meaningful
legislation which was presented to tis for
consideration.
Particularly I wish to make reference
to the fact that I know the people of
the Western Hemisphere are extremely
pleased because the Inter-American De-
velopment Bank is now on its way to
becoming a reality, as the result of
action of the executive branch and of the
Congress. The people of the Western
Hemisphere do not look upon this act
as in any way justifying a charge of
"do nothingism." As a matter of fact,
the people of Latin America for over
three generations have looked forward to
the realization of this proposal. They
believe, as do most individuals who have
made some effort to study the problems
of Latin America, that what is needed
more than anything else for the devel-
opment of the resources and for the im-
provement of the economic, social, and
educational positions in Latin America,
is private capital.
The Inter-American Development
Bank will provide an additional window
through which it will be possible to fun-
nel some $1 billion into the economies of
the various Latin American countries in
cooperation with us. I know this is a
very meaningful step forward in the im-
provement of our relationships with our
Latin-American neighbors. I know the
Members of Congress, when they voted
for this particular proposal, felt the
same way.
I wish to add a word of congratula-
tions to the U.S. Congress for finally put-
ting into effect this long-sought action
for an Inter-American Development
Bank, which the people of the Western ,
Hemisphere have so long desired.
Mr. President, I congratulate the dis-
tinguished majority leader, the senior
Senator from Texas [Mr. JOHNSON], for
his foresight and leadership particularly
in connection with the Latin American
field. I know every time this year and
in years past that where there has been
before the Senate far reaching proposed
legislation with respect to Latin America,
there has been no delay on his part in
. bringing it to the floor, giving the Sen-
ate an opportunity to take action on it,
and to bring it to a successful conclu-
sion.
I know that his experience in Mexico
last year, when he was there visiting the
President of Mexico, Mr. Lopez-Mateos,
both were most helpful in cementing bet-
ter relations between the great countries
of Mexico and the United States. It is
my understanding that, as a reciprocal
move, President Lopez-Mateos intends t
visit our able majority leader some tim
this summer or fall, in Texas.
I know that the distinguished majority
leader has long been interested in that
area of the world, and I congratulate
him on recognizing its importance to the
United States. I congratulate him on
his leadership in getting through the
Inter-American Bank proposal.
Mr. JOHNSON of Texas. I thank the
Senator for his generosity.
Mr. FULBRIGHT. Mr. President, yes-
terday the House of Representatives
passed S. 1928, a bill providing for the
participation of the United States in the
Inter-American Development Bank.
Practically no press attention was de-
voted to the action of the Senate last
week in passing the bill. And today the
press story covering this activity is
buried far in the back pages.
In view of the casual references to this
Congress as a do-nothing Congress, I
believe attention should be focused on
the fact that the bill, requested by the
President, has been passed and delivered
to him for signature. I hope it will not
be vetoed. It authorizes a U.S. contribu-
tion to this Bank of $450 million. We
have done our best to make the bill veto-
proof by authorizing the appropriation
of the funds rather than authorizing
them to come through the back door of
the Treasury.
I might say that I believe, had it not
been for the activities of many Members
of this body over the past several years
urging that the United States pay more
attention to its Latin American rela-
tions, the administration would, never
have proposed such an institution as the
Inter-American Development Bank.
Mr: KUCHEL. Mr. President, like
other Senators who have spoken earlier,
I, too, was delighted to observe that the
House of Representatives, on a biparti-
san basis, yesterday sent to the Presi-
dent a bill creating the Inter-American
Development Bank. Said the President
of the United States on May 11, of this
year:
The establishment of the Inter-American
Development Bank and our. participation in
it will be a most significant step in the his-
tory of our economic relations with our Latin
American neighbors. It will fulfill a long-
standing desire on the part of the Latin
American Republics to have an inter-Ameri-
can institution specifically designed to pro-
mote the financing of accelerated economic
development in Latin America.
With that sentiment, I enthusiastically
agree.
Mr. President, I congratulate the able
Senator from Arkansas [Mr. FULBRIGHT],
who several days ago led the debate in
the Senate which resulted in a tremen-
dous bipartisan approval of that which
the administration had previously rec-
ommended. Now that we have the same
bipartisan approach to the development
of stronger ties of amity and good will
among the nations of the American con-
tinents, we can look forward, I am cer-
tain, to better, stronger, and happier
relations between the people and the
Government of the United States and
our good neighbors.
July
WHITE FLEET WOULD PROVIDE
MESSAGE OF HOPE IN TROUBLED
AND TENSE WORLD
Mr. NEUBERGER. Mr. President, I
am pleased to cosponsor Senate Con-
current Resolution 66, introduced by
the distinguished senior Senator from
Minnesota [Mr. HUMPHREY], favoring
creation of a White Fleet, which would
carry surplus foods and medical per-
sonnel and supplies to disaster-stricken
and underprivileged areas of the world.
Several years ago, I suggested in a
number of speeches to groups in my
home State of Oregon that the United
States should take some of its hospital
ships out of mothballs and send them
on errands of cure and recovery
throughout the world. The local re-
sponse was immediately and overwhelm-
ingly favorable.
Happily, Mr. President, I was not
alone in offering this idea. In a news-
letter to my constituents earlier this
yeark I was delighted to call attention
to press notices that the People-to-Peo-
ple Foundation, Inc., is preparing the
U.S. Navy ship Consolation to sail to
underdeveloped nations in southeast
Asia. Project Hope, as this is known,
is implementation of an idea that can
provide a meaningful symbol of Amer-
ican good will.
The White Fleet, suggested by Comdr.
Frank Manson, of the U.S. Navy, is an
extension and expansion of this idea.
Our trained doctors and nurses, armed
with wonder drugs and other miracles
of modern medicine, could truly work
needed wonders in underdeveloped coun-
tries of the world. Our vast surpluses
of agricultural commodities would offer
to the peoples of underprivileged lands
in time of famine or flood an oppor-
tunity to share in America's abundance.
The program could be a dramatic step
in the advancement of an International
Health Year, for which the groundwork
has been so ably laid by the senior .Sen-
ator from Minnesota and the senior Sen-
ator from Alabama [Mr. HILL].
I have had a close personal expe-
rience with one of the dread diseases
which make of all mankind?high and
low, rich and poor, titled and common?
truly brothers. The White Fleet could
take to persons suffering in other lands
the medicines and the methods that
saved my life.
I hope that the Congress will give
swift and favorable consideration to
Senate Concurrent Resolution 66. There
could be no finer message of hope in a
world troubled with tensions of war,
sickness, and death than to have a fleet
of vessels delivering medicines and foods
where a similar fleet might have de-
livered bombs and bullets.
Life magazine and its editors are to
be commended for launching a great na-
tionwide crusade to promote the idea
of a White Fleet of mercy, which would
take modern healing methods to the
peasant in his hut throughout the teem-
ing nations of Asia and Africa. With
its vast circulation, Life should accom-
plish much to alert and inform Amer-
ican opinion to this excellent idea for
promoting peace throughout the world.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/08/20: CIA-RDP61-00357R000100220023-2