Mr. Chairman. the question is. What is the amount in which we should contribute to this emergencyrelief fund for the Arab refugees? It has been recommended. and recommended only. by the representative of the United States. that we subscribe $16.000.000 out of the total necessary fund of $32.000.000. I have said earlier that we in this Congress should not overlook the strategic necessity and the strategic importance of this area in the Near East. We. of course. are looking at it from a humanitarian view but we should not also overlook what there is of vital strategic significance in this area. If we pass the European recovery program with billions without cutting a nickel out of it. if we pass the International Refugee Organization appropriation for Europe by millions without cutting it a nickel. and then with the Arab world. start cutting pennies in our dealings. we are not being fair or sensible. It would be strange when. as the gentleman from Massachusetts said. we have little enough credit laid up in the Arab world as it is today. We need these people. They are our allies in war and our friends in peace. After the development of the State of Israel and our assistance to the development of the Israeli Government. the least we can do. is to contribute our legitimate share to the assistance of these refugees until the next harvest comes In. The meeting next Monday in Beirut of all the Arab nations with our own representative. is for the purpose of working out a just solution of the problems of these refugees. and of redistributing* among the Arab nations these unfortunates. Unless we back that representative of the United States and show him that we are trying to solve the problem. it may be necessary in the future to spend millions and billions in protecting this strategic area. Justice and humanitarian principles. as well as our own national interest. require the passage of this bill.
Keywords matched
Refugee refugees