Editorial Note
Ceylon was the first government to conclude a standard general agreement for technical cooperation with the United States under the Point IV program, on November 7. The agreement was signed at Colombo by United States Ambassador Joseph C. Satterthwaite and Sir Kanthiah Vaithianathan, Permanent Secretary of the Ceylonese Ministry of External Affairs. For text of the State Department statement, see Department of State Bulletin, December 18, 1950, pages 975-977. During October–December announcement was made of specific project planning with Iran, Libya, and Paraguay, under Point IV auspices (see ibid., October 30, 1950, page 703, and December 18, 1950, page 974). The Iranian arrangement (October 19) was stated to be “the first comprehensive technical cooperation project under the new Point 4 Program—an integrated health, agriculture, and education project for improving living conditions in rural villages in Iran …”. The understanding with Paraguay (December 2) involved the establishment of the first Joint Commission for Economic Development under the Point IV program. The Libyan announcement (November 24), made simultaneously in Washington and at the United States consulate general at Tripoli, was of interest by virtue of the fact that that nation’s independence had not yet been completely effected. In the last days of the year, general assistance agreements of the type printed above were concluded with Nicaragua (December 23), Paraguay (December 29), and Panama (December 30); for texts, see United States Treaties and Other International Agreements (UST), volume I, page 906 (TIAS No. 2168), 2 UST 383 (TIAS No. 2176), and 1 UST 899 (TIAS No. 2167), respectively. An agreement with Brazil along similar lines was effected by an exchange of notes between the United States Ambassador and the Brazilian Foreign Minister, at Rio de Janeiro, on December 19 (2 UST 845 (TIAS No. 2239)).
Matters of organizational importance occurred in the Point IV program at the end of the year, in Washington. By Department of State Announcement 212, October 27, 1950, the Technical Cooperation Administration (TCA) was established in the Department of State, and TCD was abolished; for text, see Department of State Bulletin, November 13, 1950, page 793. On November 14, President Truman announced the appointment of Dr. Henry Garland Bennett as Administrator of TCA (ibid., page 912). Dr. Bennett assumed charge on December 1.