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October 3, 1945
Hon. Harry S. Truman
President of the United States
Washington, D. C.
My dear Mr. Truman:
/
Everyone is interested in the discussion now taking place in
Congress about UNRRA. Of course all I know about the discussion
is what we can hear over the radio, BBC and occasionally an American
broadcast. Recently the 34th Division newspaper in Italy carried an
article concerning it. It seems that some of the members of Con-
gress are not exactly satisfied with the supervision setup of
UNRRA, and there are other phases of it that probably are under
discussion.
Since the United States has been asked for another one per
cent of its national income, certainly every thinking person should
be interested in where the money is going. Is it doing the job
that we think it is doing? Is it being properly supervised, etc. ?
Yugo-Slavia is one of the ,nations receiving aid under UNRRA and I,
have had an opportunity to discuss the matter first hand with the
UNRRA officials in charge of the aid going to Yugo-Slavia. I
talked to the supervisors, visited with the "hired help", most of
them Italians, some of Yugo-Slovene extr action, visited the
"battle line" where the Yugo-Slav troops are on one side and the
allied troops are on the other, and saw a part of the equipment
being turned over to them, but most of what follows, in fact all
of it, is the views of the persons talked to. Certainly it is not
the view of the writer; He has no views, since he did not have
time or opportunity to make a thorough investigation of the
situation. The items which follow are merely notes taken down
from various persons interviewed, without giving their names.
Since Trieste, Italy, is the main receiving center for all the
UNRRA materials for Yugo-Slavia I violate no confidence in stating
that the information was gathered between the 23rd of September
and the 29th of Septem ber while there.
There is a mild revolution going on in Yugo-Slavia. Tito has
charge and the government is a one party Communistic form. Yugo-
Slav persons are hired locally to help the UNRRA officials. People
are forbidden in Yugo-Slavia to talk to UNRRA representatives.
In Split (Splitano), Yugo-Slavia, the office manager of UNRRA
disappeared a month ago and has not been heard of since. This
is not an isolated case. It happens often--a knock at the door
at night and whole families disappear never to be heard of again.
The Yugo-Slavs have left Trieste officially, but there is a
battle line about 41/2 miles from the city up in the mountains. The
Yugo-Slavs, armed, are on one side and the Allied troops, also
armed, are on the other side. In the city of Trieste there are
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"ocrText": "October 3, 1945\nHon. Harry S. Truman\nPresident of the United States\nWashington, D. C.\nMy dear Mr. Truman:\n/\nEveryone is interested in the discussion now taking place in\nCongress about UNRRA. Of course all I know about the discussion\nis what we can hear over the radio, BBC and occasionally an American\nbroadcast. Recently the 34th Division newspaper in Italy carried an\narticle concerning it. It seems that some of the members of Con-\ngress are not exactly satisfied with the supervision setup of\nUNRRA, and there are other phases of it that probably are under\ndiscussion.\nSince the United States has been asked for another one per\ncent of its national income, certainly every thinking person should\nbe interested in where the money is going. Is it doing the job\nthat we think it is doing? Is it being properly supervised, etc. ?\nYugo-Slavia is one of the ,nations receiving aid under UNRRA and I,\nhave had an opportunity to discuss the matter first hand with the\nUNRRA officials in charge of the aid going to Yugo-Slavia. I\ntalked to the supervisors, visited with the \"hired help\", most of\nthem Italians, some of Yugo-Slovene extr action, visited the\n\"battle line\" where the Yugo-Slav troops are on one side and the\nallied troops are on the other, and saw a part of the equipment\nbeing turned over to them, but most of what follows, in fact all\nof it, is the views of the persons talked to. Certainly it is not\nthe view of the writer; He has no views, since he did not have\ntime or opportunity to make a thorough investigation of the\nsituation. The items which follow are merely notes taken down\nfrom various persons interviewed, without giving their names.\nSince Trieste, Italy, is the main receiving center for all the\nUNRRA materials for Yugo-Slavia I violate no confidence in stating\nthat the information was gathered between the 23rd of September\nand the 29th of Septem ber while there.\nThere is a mild revolution going on in Yugo-Slavia. Tito has\ncharge and the government is a one party Communistic form. Yugo-\nSlav persons are hired locally to help the UNRRA officials. People\nare forbidden in Yugo-Slavia to talk to UNRRA representatives.\nIn Split (Splitano), Yugo-Slavia, the office manager of UNRRA\ndisappeared a month ago and has not been heard of since. This\nis not an isolated case. It happens often--a knock at the door\nat night and whole families disappear never to be heard of again.\nThe Yugo-Slavs have left Trieste officially, but there is a\nbattle line about 41/2 miles from the city up in the mountains. The\nYugo-Slavs, armed, are on one side and the Allied troops, also\narmed, are on the other side. In the city of Trieste there are"
}