Harry Truman

I would appreciate your aid in securing the passage of the bill as soon as practicable.

I contemplate designating Major General Kuter as Chairman of the Board.

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the joint resolution approved December 30, 1947 (Public Law 395, 80th Congress), and as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Whereas, part II of, and the general notes in, said schedule XX of the general agreement, which are thus made a part of said exclusive trade agreement, are annexed to this proclamation;

Whereas, I, Harry S. Truman, President of the United States of America, have found as a fact that certain existing duties and other import restrictions of the United States of America and the Republic of Cuba are unduly burdening and…

Whereas, the provisions of numbered paragraph 2 of said exclusive trade agreement providing for the application to products of the Republic of Cuba of portions of schedule XX of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, dated October 30…

Whereas, reasonable public notice of the intention to negotiate such trade agreement was given and the views presented by persons interested in the negotiation thereof were received and considered;

The Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of the Army, and the Secretary of the Navy are authorized to provide appropriate assistance to the members herein designated in the performance of their duties and may assign or…

The members herein designated shall receive such compensation and allowances for expenses as may be determined by the Secretary of the Army and as may be payable from appropriations or funds available to the Department of the Army for such…

I trust that when the Congress returns it will promptly enact an effective, workable program.

The voluntary methods authorized by section 2, in the absence of reserve powers to back them up, can therefore be expected to accomplish little.

I AM SIGNING Senate Joint Resolution 167 with a sense of deep disappointment that the Congress has seen fit to take such feeble steps toward the control of inflation.

It is far too late in the fight against inflation, however, to place our main reliance upon voluntary action.

This bill will not reduce the high cost of living and it will not keep prices from going even higher.

Prices have continued to rise.

Under the normal operation of our governmental system, when an administrative agency has made this kind of determination, it would put the measures into effect at once.

Inflation and the high cost of living confront the American people--all the American people--with a grave danger.

The bill which the Congress has enacted fails to include any of these necessary elements.

Efforts to obtain voluntary action by businessmen have already been extensively tried.

Another part of the bill which gives me great concern is section 6.

The public must not be misled into believing that this bill will do the job.

This bill fails to include the key measures which are essential to an effective anti-inflation program.

All funds appropriated to carry out the provisions of the Act by the Third Supplemental Appropriation Act, 1948 (such funds being in the amount of $522,000,000), are hereby transferred to the Department of State, to be administered in…

The Secretary of State is hereby authorized and directed: (a) To perform the functions and exercise the powers and authority vested in the President by the Foreign Aid Act of 1947 (hereinafter referred to as the Act), exclusive of section…

The field administrator referred to in section 10 of the Act, in exercising his responsibility for administering in the recipient countries the program of assistance provided for in the Act, shall act under the guidance and in accordance…