Editorial Note
In late September 1952, the Department of State, with the approval of President Truman, assumed leadership within the Executive branch of an interagency staff review of economic foreign policy. The purpose of the review was in part to reexamine the validity of assumptions underlying international economic policies developed during the post-World War II period, and in part to enable the succeeding administration to evaluate the adequacy and direction of current programs. John M. Leddy, Director of the Office of Economic Defense and Trade Policy, was designated to organize the preparation of studies and, together with Harlan Cleveland, Assistant Director for Europe, Mutual Security Agency, and George H.Willis, [Page 46] Director of the Office of International Finance, Department of the Treasury, to determine specific agency drafting assignments. Working groups and individual drafting officers participating in the review, which was concluded in early March 1953, produced a large number of staff papers, identified as EFP D–1 to EFP D–31a. A complete set of these studies was later transmitted to Alfred C. Neal, Director of Research, Commission on Foreign Economic Policy, by Leddy, under cover of a letter dated October 16, 1953, not printed. (100.4 FEP/10–1653) For information concerning the Commission, see the editorial note, page 49. Documentation relating to the staff review is contained in Eisenhower Library, U.S. Commission on Foreign Economic Policy (Randall Commission) records, 1953–1954; and Federal Records Center Accession No. 71 A 6682, GATT files, lot 59 D 563, box 446, “Review of U.S. Foreign Economic Policy”.