We have taken steps to dispose of the goods which on VJ-day were in the lend-lease pipe line to the various lend-lease countries and to allow them long-term credit for the purpose where necessary.  We are also making arrangements under which those countries may use the lend-lease inventories in their possession and acquire surplus property abroad to assist in their economic rehabilitation and reconstruction.  These goods will be accounted for at fair values.

The proposed loan to the United Kingdom, which I shall recommend to the Congress in a separate message, will contribute to easing the transition problem of one of our major partners in the war.  It will enable the whole sterling area and other countries affiliated with it to resume trade on a multilateral basis.  Extension of this credit will enable the United Kingdom to avoid discriminatory trade arrangements of the type which destroyed freedom of trade during the 1930’s.  I consider the progress toward multilateral trade which will be achieved by this agreement to be in itself sufficient warrant for the credit.

The view of this Government is that, in the longer run, our economic prosperity and the prosperity of the whole world are best served by the elimination of artificial barriers to international trade, whether in the form of unreasonable tariffs or tariff preferences or commercial quotas or embargoes or the restrictive practices of cartels.

The United States Government has issued proposals for the expansion of world trade and employment to which the Government of the United Kingdom has given its support on every important issue.  These proposals are intended to form the basis for a trade and employment conference to be held in the middle of this year.  If that conference is a success, I feel confident that the way will have been adequately prepared for an expanded and prosperous world trade.

We shall also continue negotiations looking to the full and equitable development of facilities for transportation and communications among nations.

The vast majority of the nations of the world have chosen to work together to achieve, on a cooperative basis, world security and world prosperity.  The effort cannot succeed without full cooperation of the United States.  To play our part, we must not only resolutely carry out the foreign policies we have adopted but also follow a domestic policy which will maintain full production and employment in the United States.  A serious depression here can disrupt the whole fabric of the world economy.

3.  Occupied countries

The major tasks of our Military Establishment in Europe following Ve-day, and in the Pacific since the surrender of Japan, have been those of occupation and military government.  In addition we have given much needed aid to the peoples of the liberated countries.

The end of the war in Europe found Germany in a chaotic condition.  Organized government had ceased to exist, transportation systems had been wrecked, cities and industrial facilities had been bombed into ruins.  In addition to the tasks of occupation we had to assume all of the functions of government.  Great progress has been made in the repatriation of displaced persons and of prisoners of war.  Of the total of 3,500,000 displaced persons found in the United States zone only 460,000 now remain.