78TH CONGRESS 2d Session } HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DOCUMENT ESTIMATE OF APPROPRIATION TO ENABLE THE UNITED STATES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WORK OF THE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND REHABILITATION ADMINISTRATION COMMUNICATION FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TRANSMITTING AN ESTIMATE OF APPROPRIATION TO ENABLE THE UNITED STATES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WORK OF THE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND REHABILITATION ADMINISTRATION, AS AUTHORIZED BY THE ACT OF MARCH 28, 1944 (PUBLIC LAW 267), IN THE AMOUNT OF $450,000,000, AND A PROPOSED PROVISION AUTHORIZING THE DISPOSITION OR EXPENDITURE BY THE PRESIDENT OF SUPPLIES, SERVICES, OR FUNDS AVAILABLE UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 11, 1941 (22 U. S. C. 411--419), IN THE AMOUNT OF $350,000,000 MAY 4, 1944.-Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and ordered to be printed THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, May 3, 1944. The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith for the consideration of Congress an estimate of appropriation to enable the United States to participate in the work of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, as authorized by the act of March 28, 1944 (Public Law 267), in the amount of $450,000,000, and a proposed provision authorizing the disposition or expenditure by the President of supplies, services, or funds available under the act of March 11, 1941 (22 U. S. C. 411-419), in the amount of $350,000,000. The details of this estimate are set forth in the letter of the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, transmitted herewith, in whose comments and observations thereon I concur. Respectfully, FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. 69140 45 - 25 The PRESIDENT, EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, The White House. BUREAU OF the Budget, Washington, D. C., May 1, 1944. SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith for your consideration an estimate of appropriation to carry out the provisions of the act of March 28, 1944 (Public Law 267), entitled "An act to enable the United States to participate in the work of the United Nations relief and rehabilitation organization," amounting to $450,000,000 in appropriated funds and including additional authority to dispose of or expend supplies, services, or funds available for disposition by the President under the act of March 11, 1941 (22 U. S. C. 411419), as now or hereafter amended and acts supplementary thereto, in an amount not to exceed $350,000,000. These estimates of initial contributions to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration are to be applied against the total of $1,350,000,000 authorized to be appropriated for participation by the United States in the work of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. The details of these estimates are transmitted herewith. The supplies, services, and funds to be furnished under these estimates, amounting to not more than $800,000,000, are to provide for this Government's share in the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration's first field operations. Because of the speculative character of military operations and the difficulty of estimating the indigenous resources that will be available to aid in the civilian supply program, it must be assumed that these estimates will be subject to revision after the liberation of substantial areas of Europe. The estimates of supplies and services required under this program have been reviewed by the Foreign Economic Administration, the War Production Board, the War Food Administration, and other interested agencies; and those agencies have approved the programs as submitted herein in the light of supplies that are now available or will be available after present competing requirements have been met. As provided in the authorizing act, the funds requested in this estimate are to be appropriated to the President but may be expended through any agency or agencies designated by him. The direct appropriation requested in the amount of $450,000,000 represents the estimated portion of this Government's contribution which will be needed by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration for preparation prior to the time it receives from he armies of the United Nations or the responsible local governments the responsibility for relief in liberated areas. The estimate for direct appropriation includes $419,000,000 for (1) the advance acquisition of specialized supplies, the procurement of which involves long periods between the time of ordering and the date of delivery; (2) the procurement of seasonal food surpluses as they become available; and (3) the purchase of such items as distress stocks of shoes and textiles, used clothing, and other supplies for which there is no domestic demand but which can be reconditioned for use in liberated areas. Only those commodities which will not be available in sufficient quantities in government stocks when the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration operations begin will be supplied under this portion of the estimate of appropriation. Until the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration begins operations, stocks of supplies so accumulated will be constantly available, under appropriate arrangement, for other use by agencies of this Government as needed. The balance in the amount of $31,000,000 is required for procurement expenses and inland transportation costs incident to the foregoing supplies; for part of the cost of welfare services, such as the care and repatriation of displaced persons; and for this Government's share of the administrative expenses of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration for its first year of operations-$4,000,000. The requested direct appropriation will provide only part of the necessary goods and services which the United States may be called upon to furnish during the initial period of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration operations. Commodities for which the procurement period is short, goods which may be available for transfer from government stocks, and overseas transportation costs are not covered by this portion of the estimate. The cost of this Government's full share of welfare services in liberated areas is also expected to exceed the amount to be provided in the direct appropriation. These additional items which will be needed. as soon as the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration assumes responsibility for substantial relief operations are provided for in the request for authorization to utilize supplies, services, and funds available under the several lend-lease appropriation acts. This authority to transfer, within a limitation of $350,000,000, will provide for the immediate contingent responsibilities of the United States Government in the event that the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration is called upon to begin relief operations within the next few months. Although the exact nature of the goods and services to be contributed by this Government within that responsibility is necessarily indeterminate at this time, it is clear that means must be available to supplement those items to be obtained with funds from the direct appropriation. The most efficient way to prepare for this unavoidable uncertainty is to make available the supplies, services, or funds, the disposition or expenditure of which by the President is provided for by defense aid and supplementary appropriations, by permitting their reassignment to meet the contingent requirements of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration as they develop. Events which will increase the need for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration operations may also decrease the demand for lend-lease aid, and thereby permit the release of war-purpose materials for such reassignment. At such a stage in the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration's operations, every effort should be made to utilize fully available stocks of goods held by any department or agency of the Government. The provisions enumerated in section 1 of the language of the estimate are intended, respectively, (1) to provide the same flexibility in the procurement of supplies under Public Law 267 as exists in the established procedures of the several Government agencies which will procure supplies for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration use, and to facilitate procurement of supplies from United States sources by Government agencies for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration with funds contributed by countries other than the United States; (2) to permit utilization of supplies of United States Government agencies on hand either here or overseas (supplies already overseas so obtained would reduce the drain on the shipping resources of the United Nations); and (3) to enable the use of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration supplies by United States agencies if required for emergencies. Further provision is included to safeguard the civl service rights of employees and the military status of officers detailed to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration as part of this Government's contribution of specialized services. The foregoing estimates of appropriation are required for this Government's participation in the extension of relief, welfare, and health services to the peoples of Europe soon to be liberated from their Axis oppressors. I recommend approval. PAUL H. APPLEBY, Acting Director of the Bureau of the Budget. PRESIDENT UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND REHABILITATION Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That to enable the President to carry out the provisions of the Act of March 28, 1944 (Public Law 267), and for each and every purpose incident thereto or necessary therefor, there is hereby appropriated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated $450,000,000, to remain available until June 30, 1946: Provided, (1) That any sums allocated by the President to any executive department, independent establishment, or agency for any of the purposes hereof, from funds appropriated by or authorized to be expenied under this Act or from funds made evailable by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, may be expended without regard to those provisions of law waived by law with respect to the expenditure of Government funds by such department, independent establishment, or agency; (2 That the appropriations, funds or accounts of any executive department, independent establishment, or agency shall be reimbursed or credited from sums allocated hereunder, except as hereinafter provided, for any supplies or services procured from such oppropriations or funds or by use of such accounts and furnished for any of the purposes hereof; and (3) That any supplies or services procured from funds appropriated by or authorized to be expended under this Act may be retained by or transferred to any executive department, independent establishment, or agency, and said funds shall be reimbursed from payments made in return therefor by such department, independent establishment, or agency: Provided further, That any officer or employee of any executive department, independent establishment, or agency who is detailed to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and compensated hereunder, either directly or by reimbursement of applicable appropriations or funds, shall, while so detailed, retain and be entitled to the rights, benefits, privileges, and status of an officer or employee of the United States and of the department, independent establishment, or agency from which detailed. SEC. 2. In addition to the sum of $450,000,000 appropriated by section 1 of this Act, any supplies, services, or funds available for disposition or expenditure by the President under the Act of March 11, 1941, as amended (22 U. S. C. 411-419), and Acts supplementary thereto, may be disposed of or expended by the President to carry out the provisions of the Act of March 28, 1944, without reimbursement of the appropriations from which such supplies or services were procured or such funds were provided: Provided, That the supplies, serv ices, and funds disposed of or expended under the authority of this section shall not excced a total value, as determined under regulations to be approved by the President, of $350,000,000 and shall be charged to the amount authorized to be appropriated by said Act of March 28, 1944. Estimate 1944, $450,000,000 |