Memorandum from Major General Philip B. Fleming to President Harry S. Truman
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FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY
WASHINGTON 25
OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR
RECEIVED
AUG 2.4 1945
The President
AUB 24 11 I4 AH 25
The White House
Washington 25, D. C.
THE WHITE HOUSE
My dear Mr. President:
In accordance with your request made to me last week, I am
summarizing herein the report I made to you orally on my recent trip
to Europe.
I was away from Washington seven weeks, during which time I
visited nine different countries=Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Belgium,
Holland, Germany, Italy, France and England. This was made possible
by the courtesy of the Air Transport Command which, for most of my
journey abroad, placed at my disposal a small transport plane.
I was courteously received by our State Department officials in
all the countries visited and was impressed by their ability. Mr. Herschel
V. Johnson in Sweden seemed to me to be outstanding. Mr. Lithgow Osborn
in Norway, was, of course, newly on the job but seemed to be taking a
firm hold. I found Mr. Monnett B. Davis thoroughly familiar with
political, social and economic condi tions in Denmark. Mr. Charles Sawyer
in Brussels impressed me as being thoroughly competent. We had no
representatives in Holland at the time of my visit as the offices had
not yet been removed from London, due, presumably, to the absence of
housing facilities in The Hague. Mr. Alexander Kirk in Rome seemed
to be thoroughly acquainted with the responsibilities of his position
and in my judgment is carrying them out wi th great energy and ability.
I have known Mr. Winant, now in London, for many years and each meeting
with him impresses me anew wi th his great integrity, patriotism, and
ability. I was less impressed by Mr. Jefferson Caffery in France,
although I saw very little of him.
Everywhere I heard complaint about UNRRA which, apparently, is
accomplishing very little and using a great many people in the process.
I was repeatedly told that such American undertakings as American
Relief for Italy, for Norway, for Belgium and France, and for Holland,
are accomplishing far more with scant personnel than UNRRA with its
large staffs.
The day before Governor Lehman arrived in Rome 3,500 decorative
yellow posters, costing $1 each, were put up along his line of march.
From the balcony of his hotel room, which I also had occupied, I could
see twenty-seven of them.
ARCHIVES AND SERVICE"
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