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President Harry S. Truman. Source: Truman Library. |
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The Public Papers of Harry S. Truman contain most of President Truman's public messages, statements, speeches, and
news conference remarks. Documents such as Proclamations, Executive Orders, and similar documents that are published in the Federal Register
and the Code of Federal Regulations, as required by law, are usually not included. The documents within the Public Papers
are arranged in chronological order. President Truman delivered the remarks or addresses from Washington, D. C., unless
otherwise indicated. The White House in Washington issued statements, messages, and letters unless noted otherwise.
(Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, Harry S. Truman, 1945-1953. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1966)
The Public Papers contain items such as the Statement by the President Announcing the Use of the A-Bomb at Hiroshima
(August 6, 1945), the Special Message to the Congress on Greece and Turkey: The Truman Doctrine (March 12, 1947),
the White House Statement Announcing Recognition of the Government of Israel (January 31, 1949), the Statement and
Order by the President on Relieving General MacArthur of His Commands (April 11, 1951), and The President's Farewell
Address to the American People (January 15, 1953).
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23.
Special Message to the Congress Requesting Extension of Certain Wartime Controls |
February 9, 1948
To the Congress of the United States:
Last July, the Congress enacted the Second Decontrol Act of 1947 which extended certain limited wartime economic controls over key materials and facilities still in short supply as a result of the war. Specifically, it authorized distribution and use controls over tin and tin products, antimony, and cinchona bark, quinine and quinidine; import controls over fats and oils, rice and rice products, nitrogen fertilizer and pig tin; the power of granting priorities assistance under certain specified conditions where the prompt export of a material is clearly advantageous to the national interest; rail transportation controls; and export controls.
This Act expires on February 29, 1948. The export controls and rail transportation controls have already been extended for one year. I have already recommended, as a part of the broader allocation powers contained in the anti-inflation program submitted to the Congress on November 17, 1947, the enactment of provisions which will include the continuance of the other controls provided by the Second Decontrol Act.
It appears unlikely that a decision will be reached by February 29 on the broader aspects of this program. In the meantime, these limited controls over a few vital commodities, which are essential to the protection of our domestic economy and the carrying out of our international responsibilities, must not be permitted to lapse by default.
In extending these powers last July the Congress recognized that controls were still needed because of the continued world-wide shortage of many critical materials. This need has not diminished. On the contrary, supply shortages for some commodities in the coming year are expected to be as acute as at any time since the end of the war. This is particularly true in the case of some commodities for which we are heavily dependent upon foreign sources of supply not yet recovered from the war.
As required by the Second Decontrol Act, the Secretary of Commerce has already submitted to the Congress two quarterly reports describing operations under the Act, the policy framework under which controls are being administered, and the results which have been obtained by the actions taken. As provided by the Act, these reports contain specific recommendations as to whether or not these controls should be continued in effect, with a full statement of the considerations underlying these recommendations. The second report, dated January 30, 1948, recommends the continuation of all of these powers except the power to allocate quinine, which is no longer needed.
Some of the serious consequences which would result if these powers are not extended beyond February 29, 1948, are as follows:
1. The international arrangements under which the United States secures an equitable share of the world tin supplies would be disrupted, and it would be impossible to assure that an adequate supply of tin would b ...
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