Percentagewise

Realistic Leo T. Crowley, Foreign Economic Administrator, was good & tired of loose talk about the U.S. Lend-Lease program. Last week he reported to Congress that Lend-Lease aid had reached the fabulous total of $35,382,000,000.* At the same time, he tartly observed that the effect of Lend-Lease on civilian goods shortages at home "has been greatly overstated in numerous false rumors." To scotch the rumors, he stated a few facts:

P: Whilefoodstuffs and other agricultural products make up 16% of all Lend-Lease transfers, they amounted to only 8% of U.S. total food production in 1944; Lend-Lease shipments of beef were only seven-tenths of 1% of U.S. 1944 supply.

P: Munitions make up 58% of all Lend-Lease, but shipments abroad have been only 14% of total U.S. production. Another 2% was sold to the Allies; 84% has been kept for U.S. forces.

P: Shipments of petroleum products (5% of total Lend-Lease transfers) amounted to less than one-tenth of U.S. production.

P: Total Lend-Lease shipments of cigarets in 1944 were equivalent to one cigaret a week for each adult U.S. civilian; for every cigaret exported under Lend-Lease, 26 were sent to U.S. forces overseas, 55 were smoked at home. Why U.S. soldiers did not get theirs in the quantity set forth in the report was a question Mr. Crowley did not attempt to meet: soldiers in France and England would have to ask the Army Service Forces and the black marketeers in France for the answer.

* Estimated direct cost of World War I: $30 to $35 billion.

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