U.S. Technical Co-ordinator in Israel Pledges Full Co-operation

Bruce McDaniel, head of the American technical aid mission, today assured the Israeli people that his mission had come to Israel to co-operate in the development of the country and aid it in its current problems. At a press conference, he stressed that American aid would be given not only by supplying food, clothing and housing for immigrants but also by stimulating agricultural and industrial production and by supplying technical training to help the Jewish State become self-supporting and economically independent.

Reviewing the situation, Mr. McDaniel said that the first $10,000,000 of the $65,000,000 appropriated by Congress until June 30, 1952 had been turned over to the Israel Government for the purchase of foodstuffs, seed and raw materials. Pointing out that $50,000,000 of the allocation had been set aside for refugee assistance, he said that his mission would approve plans outlined by the Israel Government for the industrialization and development of the country to care for an estimated 800,000 refugees.

Turning to the technical aspects of the job to be done, he said that his mission would include experts in the industrial and agricultural fields and, for temporary periods, experts for specific projects. The payments for materials or labor needed for these programs, he said, would be made from a joint account set up by the mission and the Israel Government, with the latter paying its share into the common fund in the form of Israeli pounds on an exchange rate yet to be agreed upon.

He emphasized that once an agreement had been reached on the joint account, all checks issued from it would be signed by him and Echud Avriel, Israeli coordinator of U.S. aid.