It was on this day in history, November 10th, that former Army Chief George Marshall went before Congress to talk about winning the peace after World War II. Marshall, then Secretary of State, was calling for aid to war-torn Europe.
The destruction caused by World War II left much of Europe in ruins. It was a daunting task to rebuild. But Europe was also hit by other disasters after the war, including harsh winters and severe drought. As the winter of 1947-1948 approached, countries in Europe were facing shortages of food and other supplies.
Marshall talked about a two-pronged approach for helping Europe. One was the long-term reconstruction program, to become known as the Marshall Plan. The other was an interim aid program to keep countries afloat until reconstruction could occur.
Marshall said, "it will do little good to discuss the merits of a recovery program for Europe if in the meantime political and economic conditions have deteriorated to a point where such a program could not possibly succeed."
Marshall called for aid for Austria, Italy and France "to permit the people of these three countries to continue to eat, to work, and to survive the winter." Interim aid passed the Congress and set the stage for the subsequent Marshall Plan. Both were huge successes in American foreign policy.
Today, we face similar situations with regard to countries in desperate need as winter approaches. There is flood-ravaged Pakistan where a U.S. donation has come through to maintain food supplies for the next couple of months at least.
Afghanistan is another country that could face food shortages because of low funding for the UN World Food Programme. There is a whole system of child feeding and rehabilitation in Afghanistan that has not gotten the resources it needs to succeed. Even Iraq is facing shortages for its food programs for women and children.
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