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immediate emergency, $5,000,000 was advanced from the United Nations working capital fund. Contributions have already been made. by certain of the participating countries, and supplies have been furnished by the International Children's Emergency Fund.

3. TEXT OF THE AMENDED RESOLUTION

JOINT RESOLUTION For the authorization of a special contribution by the United States [to the United Nations] for the relief of Palestine refugees

[Whereas the General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution of November 19, 1948, has determined that "the problem of the relief of Palestine refugees of all communities is one of immediate urgency" and "that the alleviation of conditions of starvation and distress among the Palestine refugees is one of the minimum conditions for the success of the efforts of the United Nations to bring peace to that land"; and

[Whereas the said resolution "urges all states members of the United Nations to make as soon as possible voluntary contributions in kind or in funds sufficient to insure that the amount of supplies and funds required" for the relief of Palestine refugees is obtained: Therefore be it]

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That [it is the desire of the United States to cooperate fully with the United Nations in the establishment and maintenance of peace and stability in the Palestine area and in the alleviation of human suffering in that area, and, in order to effectuate such cooperation,] there is hereby authorized to be appropriated to the [Secretary of State] President, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, [the sum of] not to exceed $16,000,000 as a special contribution by the United States to the United Nations for the purposes set forth in the resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations of November 19, 1948. Payment of this contribution shall be made to the United Nations at such time and in such amounts as the Secretary of State may deem appropriate.], providing for the relief of Palestine refugees.

SEC. 2. Notwithstanding the provision of any other law, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation is authorized and directed, until such time as an appropriation shall be made pursuant to section 1, to make advances to the [Secretary of State] President, not to exceed in the aggregate $8,000,000, to carry out the provisions of this joint resolution. From appropriations authorized under section 1, there shall be repaid [by the Secretary of State] to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, without interest, the advances made by it under authority contained herein. No interest shall be charged on advances made by the Treasury to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in implementation of this section.

[SEC. 3. (a) Upon request of the United Nations for materials, supplies, or services for the purpose of carrying out the terms of the resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations of November 19, 1948, the Secretary of State may transfer sums, as advancements or reimbursements, for the cost and expense therefor, from advances by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation under section 2, from appropriations made under authority of section 1, and from funds made available to him by the United Nations for such purposes, to any department, agency, or independent establishment of the Government, including any corporation wholly owned by the United States (hereinafter referred to as "Government agency"), and any such Government agency shall furnish or procure and furnish such material, supplies, or services to the United Nations. Sums so transferred shall be available for obligation and expenditure in accordance with the laws governing obligations and expenditures of the Government agency to which funds are transferred and without regard to sections 3709 and 3648 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (41 U. S. C. 5 and 31 U. S. C. 529), or to the Armed Services Procurement Act of 1947 (Public Law 413, Eightieth Congress): Provided, That such additional civilian employees as may be required by any such Government agency for the procurement or furnishing of supplies or services under this subsection shall not be counted as civilian employees within the meaning of section 14 (a) of the Federal Employees Pay Act of 1946.

[(b) When reimbursement is made under subsection (a) of this section, it shall be credited, at the option of the Government agency involved, either to the appropriation, fund, or account utilized in incurring the obligation, or to the appropriate appropriation, fund, or account which is current at the time of such reimbursement.]

4. COMMITTEE ACTION

On January 25, 1949, the committee held hearings on Senate Joint Resolution 36. Mr. Charles Bohlen, counselor, and Mr. Dean Rusk, Director of the Office of United Nations Affairs, Department of State, were witnesses. While committee members generally approved the purpose of the resolution, a subcommittee composed of Senators George (chairman), Pepper, and Lodge was appointed to redraft the legislation. The committee on February 2, 1949, accepted the recommendations of the subcommittee and voted unanimously to report favorably the resolution with amendments, the text of which is reproduced above. In amending the resolution the committee deleted the preamble and section 3, and considerably shortened section 1, thus leaving the substance of the resolution unchanged while greatly simplifying the text.

5. UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTION

It is estimated that $32,000,000 will be needed for the program, with $13,200,000 going for food, $6,000,000 for clothing, $3,600,000 for health and sanitary requirements, $1,000,000 for blankets, $200,000 for tents, and $5,500,000 for transportation costs. The United States contribution of $16,000,000 thus amounts to 50 percent of the total. While our contribution to the administrative budget of the United Nations has been 39.89 percent, the committee agreed that, in view of the special nature of the program involved, a larger contribution seemed justifiable in this particular instance.

Up to the present time 21 States have indicated their intentions to contribute. The committee expresses the hope that the United Nations will exert every effort to encourage all the members who are in a position to do so to shoulder their share of this burden.

6. HOW PROGRAM WILL BE CARRIED ON

The United States delegation in Paris examined very carefully the possible alternatives for the administration of the program, including the role of the International Refugee Organization. Mr. Griffis, as director of the program, will report to the Secretary General and will direct a small staff attached to the United Nations Secretariat. In order to avoid complex administrative machinery, agreements have been reached with the League of Red Cross Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Friends Service Committee, whereby these experienced relief organizations will assume responsibility for the actual distribution of supplies and the field operations generally. The committee believes that this arrangement is probably the most satisfactory and economical which could be worked out under the circumstances.

7. THE MATTER OF PRECEDENT

The committee does not look upon the United Nations resolution, or the subsequent favorable action taken by this committee concerning the relief of Palestine refugees, as constituting a precedent in establishing the United Nations responsibility for refugee problems in general or for repeated appeals for aid on a voluntary basis. Giving due

regard to the urgency and special circumstances of the present emergency, as well as the expressed intention of 21 other governments to contribute funds to this purpose, it would no doubt be unwise to suggest any alternative method of handling the program at this time. Nevertheless, the committee would not wish its favorable action to be construed as an endorsement of the general proposition of the international administration of relief financed largely through contributions made by the United States.

Inasmuch as the United States delegation was confronted with an emergency in Paris at a time when the Congress was not in session, the committee believes that the delegation, in giving its support to the Palestine refugee program, in accordance with its instructions, followed a course of action which seems reasonable under the circumstances. The committee believes, however, that as a matter of general policy, our delegations to the General Assembly should exercise extreme care not to take any action which commits the Congress to expenditures for such voluntary programs to which all members do not contribute under the regular United Nations budget.

8. REASONS FOR COMMITTEE ACTION

In view of our traditional friendliness with the peoples of the Near East, the committee strongly believes that the United States could not disregard the desperate plight of the Palestine refugees, or the strain upon the resources of the Arab countries in meeting this emergency situation in a period of unrest and uncertainty. Our leadership in a humanitarian enterprise such as this is not likely to be forgotten by the peoples of the Near East, and the committee believes that prompt action by the United States may stimulate other governments to press forward with their contributions.

The American people desire to bring about conditions under which these unfortunate refugees can again devote their energies to those peaceful pursuits essential to their well-being and their future. The committee earnestly hopes that a satisfactory solution of the refugee problem will contribute greatly toward an over-all political settlement in Palestine and the Near East.

APPENDIX I.-ASSISTANCE TO PALESTINE REFUGEES RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AT ITS ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-THIRD PLENARY MEETING ON NOVEMBER 19, 1948

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Whereas the problem of the relief of Palestine refugees of all communities is one of immediate urgency and the United Nations Mediator on Palestine in hi progress report of September 18, 1948, part 3, states that "action must be taken to determine the necessary measures (of relief) and to provide for their implementation" and that "the choice is between saving the lives of many thousands of people now or permitting them to die,"

Whereas the Acting Mediator, in his supplemental report of October 18, 1948, declares that "the situation of the refugees is now critical" and that "aid must not only be continued but very greatly increased if disaster is to be averted,"

Whereas the alleviation of conditions of starvation and distress among the Palestine refugees is one of the minimum conditions for the success of the efforts of the United Nations to bring peace to that land,

The General Assembly

1. Expresses its thanks to the governments and organizations which, and the individual persons who, have given assistance directly or in response to the Mediator's appeal;

2. Considers, on the basis of the Acting Mediator's recommendation, that a sum of approximately $29,500,000 will be required to provide relief for 500,000 refugees for a period of 9 months from December 1, 1948, to August 31, 1949, and that an additional amount of approximately $2,500,000 will be required for administrative and local operational expenses;

3. Authorizes the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, to advance immediately a sum of up to $5,000,000 from the working capital fund of the United Nations, the said sum to be repaid before the end of the period specified in paragraph 2, from the voluntary governmental contributions requested under paragraph 4;

4. Urges all states members of the United Nations to make as soon as possible voluntary contributions in kind or in funds sufficient to insure that the amount of supplies and funds required is obtained, and states that, to this end, voluntary contributions of nonmember states would also be accepted; contributions in funds may be made in currencies other than the United States dollar, insofar as the operations of the relief organization can be carried out in such currencies;

5. Authorizes the Secretary-General to establish a special fund into which contributions shall be paid, which will be administered as a separate account; 6. Authorizes the Secretary-General to expend the funds received under paragraphs 3 and 4 of this resolution;

7. Instructs the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, to establish regulations for the administration and supervision of the fund;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to take all necessary steps to extend aid to Palestine refugees and to establish such administrative organization as may be required for this purpose, inviting the assistance of the appropriate agencies of the several governments, the specialized agencies of the United Nations, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the League of Red Cross Societies and other voluntary agencies, it being recognized that the participation of voluntary organizations in the relief plan would in no way derogate from the principle of impartiality on the basis of which the assistance of these organizations is being solicited;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to appoint a Director of United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees, to whom he may delegate such responsibility as he may consider appropriate for the over-all planning and implementation of the relief program:

10. Agrees to the convoking, at the discretion of the Secretary-General, of an ad hoc advisory committee of seven members to be selected by the President of the General Assembly to which the Secretary-General may submit any matter of principle or policy upon which he would like the benefit of the committee's advice;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to continue and to extend the implementation of the present relief program, until the machinery provided for by the present resolution is set up;

12. Urges the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Refugee Organization, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, and other appropriate organizations and agencies, acting within the framework of the relief program herein established, promptly to contribute supplies, specialized personnel and other services permitted by their constitutions and their financial resources, to relieve the desperate plight of Palestine refugees of all communities;

13. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly, at the next regular session, on the action taken as a result of this resolution.

APPENDIX II

STATEMENT OF DEAN RUSK, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF UNITED NATIONS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF STATE, BEFORE THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS CONCERNING ASSISTANCE TO PALESTINE REFUGEES

I appreciate the opportunity which your committee has given me to speak in support of a special contribution of $16,000,000 by the United States for the relief of Palestine refugees. The purpose of this contribution is to give effect to a resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations of November 19, 1948, appealing to the states members of the United Nations for contributions in the amount of $32,000,000. The General Assembly resolution recognized that "the

alleviation of conditions of starvation and distress among the Palestine refugees is one of the minimum conditions for the success of the efforts of the United Nations to bring peace to that land."

ORIGIN OF REFUGEE PROBLEM

As a result of the hostilities in Palestine preceding and following termination of the British mandate on May 15, 1948, almost the whole of the Arab population fled from the area under Jewish occupation, and some 7,000 Jewish residents entered Israeli territory from the area under Arab control. The Arabs took refuge in Arab-held areas of the country, and in the neighboring Arab states.

The condition of these unfortunate people, who were dependent upon their own slender resources and upon those of the neighboring states, rapidly became acute. Their serious plight was first emphasized by the United Nations Mediator for Palestine, the late Count Folke Bernadotte, when he appealed last August to all members of the United Nations and to various international relief agencies for assistance to avert a great human disaster

In his appeal to this Government, the Mediator requested certain urgently needed relief supplies, amounting in value to $500,000, as our share in an emergency relief program. In the absence of authorized funds for this purpose, the only recourse of the Department of State was to appeal, through its Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid, to interested private groups and agencies. The limited aid which was forthcoming from this country and from other contributions throughout the world served only to supplement temporarily the basic relief which the governments of the Arab states continued to provide.

Since such assistance was wholly inadequate to meet a problem of this magnitude, the General Assembly, when it convened in Paris in September, was faced with a renewed appeal in the form of the Mediator's last report to the United Nations. This report outlined the growing seriousness of the refugee situation and the need for immediate relief measures. At that time the Mediator estimated the number of refugees requiring assistance at 360,000 and stated that the number was constantly increasing. In emphasizing the urgency of the problem, he stated that the choice was now that of saving the lives of many thousands of people immediately, or permitting them to die.

Throughout the autumn, reports from official and unofficial sources in the Near East, both American and foreign, were unanimous in confirming the Mediator's estimate of the situation and in characterizing the problem as a major obstacle to the restoration of peace in Palestine.

By October 18, when the Acting Mediator presented his supplementary report to the United Nations, he reported that the number of refugees was now 479,000 and estimated that it would reach 500,000 within a short time. His report contained recommendations for a United Nations relief program for a maximum of 500,000 refugees, to cover a period of 9 months beginning December 1.

The magnitude of the Palestine refugee situation and the inadequacy of previous relief measures furnished impelling motives for General Assembly action. The direct relationship between the refugee situation and the major task of restoring peace in Palestine, however, made General Assembly action imperative.

ACTION OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY

As a result, the United States delegation, together with the delegations of Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, introduced a resolution calling for a United Nations program for the relief of Palestinian refugees of all communities. This resolution as approved declared that a sum of $32,000,000 including $2,500,000 for administrative and operational expenses, would be required for a 9-month relief program, and urged that all states members of the United Nations "make as soon as possible voluntary contributions in kind or in funds sufficient to insure that the amount of supplies and funds required is obtained." The cost of relief supplies as envisaged under the resolution was based upon the Acting Mediator's estimates for essential relief requirements as follows: Food, $13,200,000; clothing, $6,000,000; blankets, $1,000,000; tents, $200,000; health and sanitary requirements, $3,600,000; overseas and local transport costs, $5,500,000.

To insure that funds would be available immediately for relief purposes, the General Assembly authorized the Secretary-General to make an immediate advance of $5,000,000 from the United Nations working capital fund, which is to be repaid from the voluntary governmental contributions called for under the resolu

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