Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, General: Political and Economic Matters, Volume II

840.50 UNRRA/11–745

Memorandum by the Chief of the War Areas Economic Division (Gilpatric) to the Assistant Secretary of State (Clayton)

[Washington,] November 7, 1945.

I have been informally advised that Governor Lehman met with President Osmena of the Philippines this morning to discuss the pending Commonwealth request for UNRRA assistance. Governor Lehman suggested a continuation of the program of emergency assistance to the Philippines and offered to set aside $2,000,000 for this purpose in addition to the $1,000,000 already spent as an emergency measure. Osmena seemed quite satisfied with this arrangement, and the Director General feels that he has full authority to proceed without reference to the Council or the Central Committee. I have asked that we be officially notified of this development in the event that you wish to advise the Secretary, and possibly Messrs. Ickes,²² McNutt,²³ and the President at your scheduled meeting next Tuesday.

I believe that the above action grows out of a conversation which Colonel Wood²⁴ and I had with the Director General in which we tentatively suggested that an emergency program be continued for the Philippines, and that their over-all request be left pending, without action by either UNRRA or the Resolution 23 Committees until some clarification of the U.S.-Philippine relief program, now before Congress, was forthcoming. Such a procedure would avoid any embarrassment for the U.S. in having a Philippine request for UNRRA assistance come before a financial committee at a time when we did not know what unilateral action was contemplated by this Government and the Congress. If the development reported above is a fact, we are also spared any embarrassment should the question of UNRRA aid to the Philippines be raised in the course of the Congressional hearings on the new UNRRA contribution.²⁵

[The final paragraph dealt with tentative details on Philippine relief, not directly related to UNRRA.²⁶]

22. Harold L. Ickes, Secretary of the Interior.
23. Paul V. McNutt, U.S. High Commissioner to the Philippines.
24. Col. C. Tyler Wood, U.S. Army.
25. In November 1945 UNRRA authorized a $2,000,000 emergency grant to the Philippines. During 1945 UNRRA, “at the request of the Philippine Government, refrained from calling the [Resolution 23] Subcommittee together lest its expected judgment prejudice the negotiations for substantial aid to the Islands from the United States, then in progress.” See Woodbridge, UNRRA, vol. ii, p. 458. Subsequently, the Philippine Rehabilitation Act of 1946, P.L. 370, April 30, 1946, granted substantial U.S. aid to the Philippines; 60 Stat. 128. Not until July 19, 1946, was the Republic of the Philippines declared able to pay by the Resolution 23 Subcommittee of UNRRA. For details, see Woodbridge, UNRRA, vol. ii, pp. 454–461.
26. For documentation on Philippine relief, see vol. vi , section under Philippine Commonwealth entitled “Participation by the United States in measures for the relief and rehabilitation of the Philippines”.