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Organization for
European
Economic
Cooperation
by Major Gordon L. C. Scott
US Secretary
Bipartite Secretariat
IN THE CONFUSED MONTHS fol-
lowing the last Great War, the
economic life of western Europe was
sick and chaotic. The gears of pro-
duction were worn and broken; the
flow  of international  trade: was
reduced to a trickle. What could be
done for this ailing: patient? Where
was the path to health, strength and
freedom?
Then in the Spring of 1947 came
Secretary of State- Marshall's great
answer and challenge. The hand of
the United States would be extended
in aid-but this aid would be fruitless
unless the free nations of Europe, in
mutual cooperation, found a way to
help themselves.
Europe's reply was soon forthcom-
ing. In September of 1947, the chal-
lenge was accepted;   16 western
European nations, with one voice,
declared their intention to work
together in mutual selfhelp and pro-
ductive effort. In order to do so, they
blueprinted an international organi-
zation which would chart western
Europe's course to recovery and sub-
mit to the United'States requests for
the aid needed beyond the limit to
which they could help themselves.
The job could be done, they hoped,
by 1952.
THUS JUST over a year ago, in
April of 1948, was born in Paris
the Organization for European Econo-
mic Cooperation (OEEC)-a group of
representatives from the 16 Western
European Nations plus the Bizonal
Area and the French Zone of Ger-
many. They formed a Council, of one
member from each participating area,
which would be the supreme de-
liberative body. An executive com-
mittee of seven national represen-
tatives was created to handle day-to-
day business, while policy and tech-
nical committees were established to
perform the staff functions for the
Organization.
JUNE 14, 1949
* The manner in which OEEC meets
its commitment is characteristic of
the sincere thoroughness that has
marked its efforts. The Council,
in its "long term program", first
set economic milestones and   ob-
jectives along the four-year path to
viability. The various participating
nations then evolved their own pro-
grams, starting with the first year,
and showing what they could produce
for themselves, what surpluses they
would have available to help their
partner nations, and  what   they
would require in aid from other
European nations or the United
States.
THESE separate programs were then
ldiscussed in OEEC and the maxi-
mum degree of harmonization achiev-
ed. Following this, the requirements of
the participating nations from the
United States were given to the
Economic Cooperation Administration
(ECA), which then met these require-
ments to the fullest possible amount.
Bizonal Germany has been represent-
ed in this effort from the day in April
of 1948 on which General Robertson,
acting also for General Clay, signed
on behalf of the Bizone the Con-
vention for European Economic Co-
operation. In the deliberations of the
OEEC Council, the economic advisers
to the US and UK Military Governors
-Mr. Laurence Wilkinson on behalf
of General Clay, and Sir Cecil Wetr
for General Robertson-have present-
ed the Bizone's case, and will continue
in  this  task  until the  German
authorities  can  assume this re-
sponsibility.
A Bizonal delegation, composed of
US, British and German personnel,
was sent to Paris. The first chief
Delegate, Mr. Robert Trier of Chicago,
has now been succeeded by Mr.
Malcolm R. White of Colebrook,
Conn. The staff of the Delegation is
small, numbering about two dozen
persons in all, but is supplemented
from time to time by technical ex-
perts from Frankfurt and Berlin in the
fields covered by the scheduled OEEC
committees meeting.
U NTIL RECENTLY, the burden of
U negotiations within the OEEC on
the Bizonal Delegation's part has been
borne by the US and British, with the
German 'representatives attending as
observers. However, with the recent
Washington declaration of the foreign
ministers providing for full German
participation in the OEEC coincident
with the formation of a Western Cer-
man government, emphasis is being
placed on increased direct German
participation. They are to prepare
and defend their own programs, as-
suming increasing responsibility for
their economic recovery and the
economic rehabilitation of a dem-
ocratic western Europe. In the word;
of the United States and United
Kingdom Military Governors:
"As the representatives, for the
time being, of the Combined Zones
at the OEEC, it has been the re-
sponsibility of the Military Governors
to supervise the preparation of the
German programs submitted to the
OEEC, to press for the adoption of
policies which would permit the most
effective use of German resources for
German and European recovery, and
to sign the final agreements reached,
on behalf of the Combined Zones.
"Now, following upon the historical
agreements on German policy just
reached between the Governments of
the US, UK, and France, the -people
of Western Germany are preparing to
set up a government of' their own,
and this government will then directly
assume the responsibilities heretofore
exercised by the Military Governors
in carrying out Western German
undertakings toward the ECA and the
OEEC. That- they will do so with
energy and enthusiasm seem certain."
+ END
INFORMATION BULLETIN
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