Marshall Plan Remembered

The ARCO Forum was covered yesterday with flags of the sundry countries helped by the billions in aid that became known as the Marshall Plan as a part of the commemoration of former secretary of state George C. Marshall's 1947 Commencement Address announcing the economic relief measures for war-torn powers.

The day was marked with a conference on the impact of the plan, sponsored by the Center for European Studies (CES) and the Kennedy School of Government (KSG). The unveiling of a U.S. Postal stamp took center stage at noon.

According to KSG officials, approximately 350 to 400 people attended the conference, including ambassadors, economists, consuls, faculty, CES scholars and members of the class of '47, who heard Marshall present his now-famous plan at their graduation.

At mid-day, University Marshal and historian Richard M. Hunt joined Einar V. Dyhrkopp, a presidentially-appointed member of the U.S. Postal Service's Board of Governors, in conducting the national stamp dedication ceremony.

At the ceremony, Dyhrkopp recalled his days as a World War II soldier and credited Marshall's plan with preventing further strife in Europe.

"Maybe I owe my life and a lot of other people owe theirs to George Marshall's vision of recovery and prosperity," Dyhrkopp said.

Hunt spoke on behalf of Harvard and accepted a special framed set of the new Marshall stamps from Dyhrkopp. Hunt said he will present this gift from the Postal Service to President Neil L. Rudenstine, who did not attend.

"We are proud to be selected for this honor in Cambridge and here at the Kennedy School," Hunt said. "Clearly, [the announcement of the Marshall Plan] was one of the decisive moments in U.S. foreign policy and in the history of Europe."

Before and after the stamp dedication ceremony, conference attendees listened to two panels of distinguished international relations scholars, economists, political analysts and bank officials. The panels discussed the lessons learned from the Marshall Plan and the U.S.'s role then and now in providing international security and promoting democratization.

"The Marshall Plan...is an injunction to think creatively," said Charles S. Maier, CES director and Krupp foundation professor of European studies.

Both Maier and Joseph S. Nye Jr., dean of the KSG, chaired the day's panels and presented the conference's opening remarks.

Panelists overwhelmingly lauded the Marshall Plan.

"The verdict quite rightly has been uniformly positive. Here is a plan that is unmatched not only in its generosity but also in its effectiveness," said Joseph Stiglitz, senior vice president and chief economist of the World Bank.

However, Stiglitz and other panelists said giving foreign aid today can often be a more complicated issue, citing the recent foreign aid failure between the U.S. and Zaire following the ousting of Mobutu.

Today, panelists said that giving aid to countries in need is becoming an increasingly multilateral effort. Panelists also said the decision to give foreign aid often depends on the dissemination of knowledge and technology in the borrowing countries.

After the ceremony, eager conference participants and avid stamp collectors lined up to purchase the collector's-item, first-issue stamps.

Some reflected on the Marshall Plan, explaining why they felt the conference was important.

"We wanted to attend [the conference] because we believe that the Marshall Plan was an incredible moment in history," said Adele M. Koss, who made a special trip to the conference with her husband.

"I think it's been very interesting as a commemorative exercise, and it's not just a celebration. It includes a critical element--a critique of the Marshall Plan," said John P. Drysdale, a visiting scholar at CES.

One alumnus attending the conference, George L. Campbell '44, said he happened to be at commencement in 1947 and remembers Marshall's speech well.

"We heard [Marshall] speak and then read about it in the paper the next day," Campbell said. "Nobody really appreciated how significant it was at the time."

In his remarks, Hunt noted that the stamp honoring Marshall is the third such stamp issued in recent years to commemorate a Harvard-related figure or moment. The first--a stamp featuring the legendary John Harvard--was issued in 1986 to commemorate the University's 300th anniversary.