The Foreign Service Journal, June 2017

14 JUNE 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Happy 70th Birthday, Marshall Plan! O n June 5, 1947, while accepting an honorary degree from Harvard University, Secretary of State George C. Marshall announced the Truman admin- istration’s intention to submit legisla- tion to Congress to help the devastated nations of Europe and their citizens recover from the ravages of World War II. Formally known as the European Recov- ery Program, it was quickly dubbed the Marshall Plan. The remarkably brief speech was the product of three career members of the U.S. Foreign Service. It was drafted by FSO Chip Bohlen, a Russia specialist and interpreter who used memoranda from George F. Kennan, then the director of the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff, and Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs William Clayton. In keeping with his legendary mod- esty, Marshall instructed his staff to tell Harvard not to publicize his appearance or let on that he was about to announce a historic initiative—for which he would receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1949. After accepting his degree, Marshall briefly sketched the dire state of Europe before declaring: It is logical that the United States should do whatever it is able to do to assist in the return of normal economic health in the world, without which there can be no political stability and no assured peace. Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine, but against hun- ger, poverty, desperation and chaos. Its purpose should be the revival of a working economy in the world, so as to permit the emergence of political and social condi- tions in which free institutions can exist. An essential part of any successful action on the part of the United States is an understanding on the part of the TALKING POINTS Senator, the [U.S. Special Operations Command] relationship to the State Department is indescribably critical… We are in 80 different coun- tries, and we look to have the most enhanced relationships possible with every one of those countries through our country team. If that is not the baseline for our United States Government approach, then we are flawed from the start. —U.S. Special Operations Commander General Raymond A. Thomas III, in an exchange with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), during his Senate Armed Services Committee appearance on May 4. Contemporary Quote people of America of the character of the problem and the remedies to be applied. Political passion and prejudice should have no part. With foresight, and a will- ingness on the part of our people to face up to the vast responsibility which history has clearly placed upon our country, the difficulties I have outlined can and will be overcome. The German Marshall Fund of the United States is celebrating the 70th anniversary of that historic speech in a variety of ways. On its website you’ll find a slew of informative backgrounders on the speech, the legislation it spawned, the relief it delivered to 18 European states and the example for the future the pro- gram set—both for U.S. foreign assistance and diplomacy. You can also watch an inspirational video, “The Spirit of the Marshall Plan.” The GMF underlines the continu- ing relevance of this exemplary diplo- matic achievement: “Breaking Western Europe’s cycle of conflict and rebuilding economies devastated by World War II was an immense task, and the Marshall Plan is a concrete example of the scale of change made possible by bold thinking and international cooperation. [That spirit] is as needed now as it was 70 years ago. The values that the Marshall Plan represents and that the GMF is dedicated to promoting—democracy, free enter- prise, universal respect for all—are as essential in addressing today’s challenges as they were in 1947.” —Steven Alan Honley, Contributing Editor Muppets Against Terrorism I n Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon, some two million Syrian children live in refugee camps to escape the horrors of the civil war. Aid organizations are strug- gling to ensure that they get the basic necessities—food, shelter and safety. But Sherrie Rollins Westin, executive vice president of Sesame Workshop (the non-profit arm of the team behind the children’s program “Sesame Street”) told ForeignPolicy.com that more can be done , and she wants to use the Muppets to do it. Working with the International Res- cue Committee, a global humanitarian aid organization, Sesame Workshop has been testing programming for Syrian children in refugee camps. Bringing Muppets to refugee camps may sound like the fuzziest kind of soft power. But it could offer a glimmer of hope to chil-