Ask the Scholar
Page 255 of 363
I can add historical knowledge about this page.
Page image
OCR
2 -
1.06
Recognizing the lack of discipline, and deficient market, fiscal, and institutional structures in
the Former Soviet Union (FSU) and Eastern Europe (CEE) today, there remain significant parallels in the
technology gap of Europe in 1948, the Pacific Rim countries in 1955, and the FSU and EE at this point in
time. It is incontrovertible that the technology gaps of Europe were closed with that of the U.S. through low-
cost but large-scale technical assistance. The market rigidities in Europe, the monopolies, the all-
encompassing cartels, the cultural bias against innovation which had endured unchanged for decades -- all did
not impede the national decisions to drive successfully to close the productivity gap with that of the U.S.
1.07
Among the various statistical meausres of the degree to which the productivity gap was closed
with that of the U.S. are the data in David Henderson, "Comparative Economic Performance of the OECD
Countries, 1950-87: A Summary of the Evidence." The productivity trends of Henderson would be even
greater if calculated on an industry output per man-hour basis. In what Henderson terms "The Golden Age:
1950-73," Table 1 indicates:
Table 1
Comparative Growth Rates, 1950-73
(average annual rates of increase, percent)
OECD
Historical
United
OECD
Continental
Norm
OECD¹
States
Japan
Europe²
OECD Eu-
U.K.
rope
GDP
2.5
4.7
3.7
9.6
4.7
5.2
3.0
Employment
1.0
1.2
1.5
1.7
0.6
0.7
0.5
Output/Employment
1.5
3.5
2.2
7.8
4.1
4.5
2.5
Source: Maddison 1982 [complete reference to be supplied].
¹Sixteen countries only.
2Twelve countries only.
1.08
In some respects, as in Europe and the Pacific Rim countries, it may not be necessary to wait
for the full removal of policy distortions and strengthened discipline. Reliance can be placed on inherent
national pride in accomplishment, and the pride of professional workmen in doing their daily work as best they
can learn and better if they can be shown. A warm community of interest and understanding took place
between European and U.S. technicians and workmen at all levels when European sector Productivity Teams
visited American plants in the 1950s, despite a virtual 30 year gap in technical exchange and despite the fact
that for mid- and lower-level supervisors and union members, this was their first and perhaps only experience
abroad. A close reading of this paper may suggest that, properly organized, a similar or modified broad band
Page data
- Page
- 255
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 0d0b20580dd3633e
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 6235211
- Core
- doc
- Type
- document
DTO data
{
"id": "6235211",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6235211",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "\"History of the Technical Assistance Programs of the Marshall Plan and Successor Agencies, 1948-1961\"",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6235211",
"collections": [
"James M. Silberman Papers",
"Subject Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-jms/6039382/6235211/6235211-001.tif",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-jms/6039382/6235211/6235211-001.tif",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-jms/6039382/6235211/6235211-001.tif",
"imageCount": 363,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "6235211",
"label": "\"History of the Technical Assistance Programs of the Marshall Plan and Successor Agencies, 1948-1961\"",
"core": "doc",
"dtoType": "document",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6235211"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "6235211",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6235211",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "\"History of the Technical Assistance Programs of the Marshall Plan and Successor Agencies, 1948-1961\"",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6235211",
"collections": [
"James M. Silberman Papers",
"Subject Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-jms/6039382/6235211/6235211-001.tif",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-jms/6039382/6235211/6235211-001.tif",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-jms/6039382/6235211/6235211-001.tif",
"imageCount": 363,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
"url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/6235211",
"naId": 6235211,
"levelOfDescription": "fileUnit",
"recordType": "description",
"ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
"seq": 255,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-jms/6039382/6235211/6235211-255.tif",
"mediaId": "0d0b20580dd3633e",
"ocrText": "2 -\n1.06\nRecognizing the lack of discipline, and deficient market, fiscal, and institutional structures in\nthe Former Soviet Union (FSU) and Eastern Europe (CEE) today, there remain significant parallels in the\ntechnology gap of Europe in 1948, the Pacific Rim countries in 1955, and the FSU and EE at this point in\ntime. It is incontrovertible that the technology gaps of Europe were closed with that of the U.S. through low-\ncost but large-scale technical assistance. The market rigidities in Europe, the monopolies, the all-\nencompassing cartels, the cultural bias against innovation which had endured unchanged for decades -- all did\nnot impede the national decisions to drive successfully to close the productivity gap with that of the U.S.\n1.07\nAmong the various statistical meausres of the degree to which the productivity gap was closed\nwith that of the U.S. are the data in David Henderson, \"Comparative Economic Performance of the OECD\nCountries, 1950-87: A Summary of the Evidence.\" The productivity trends of Henderson would be even\ngreater if calculated on an industry output per man-hour basis. In what Henderson terms \"The Golden Age:\n1950-73,\" Table 1 indicates:\nTable 1\nComparative Growth Rates, 1950-73\n(average annual rates of increase, percent)\nOECD\nHistorical\nUnited\nOECD\nContinental\nNorm\nOECD¹\nStates\nJapan\nEurope²\nOECD Eu-\nU.K.\nrope\nGDP\n2.5\n4.7\n3.7\n9.6\n4.7\n5.2\n3.0\nEmployment\n1.0\n1.2\n1.5\n1.7\n0.6\n0.7\n0.5\nOutput/Employment\n1.5\n3.5\n2.2\n7.8\n4.1\n4.5\n2.5\nSource: Maddison 1982 [complete reference to be supplied].\n¹Sixteen countries only.\n2Twelve countries only.\n1.08\nIn some respects, as in Europe and the Pacific Rim countries, it may not be necessary to wait\nfor the full removal of policy distortions and strengthened discipline. Reliance can be placed on inherent\nnational pride in accomplishment, and the pride of professional workmen in doing their daily work as best they\ncan learn and better if they can be shown. A warm community of interest and understanding took place\nbetween European and U.S. technicians and workmen at all levels when European sector Productivity Teams\nvisited American plants in the 1950s, despite a virtual 30 year gap in technical exchange and despite the fact\nthat for mid- and lower-level supervisors and union members, this was their first and perhaps only experience\nabroad. A close reading of this paper may suggest that, properly organized, a similar or modified broad band"
}