REPORT FROM AMERICA
SIR,—Since, thanks to the courtesy of one of my English friends; I am now a regular subscriber to The Spectator, I should like to offer a word of congratulation to you on the very fine and accurate reports you carry of the news from this country—particularly of the progress of the Marshall Plan in Congress. It now seems quite definitely assured that the plan will go through. No less a person than Senator Taft is authority for that Statement. And since he would no doubt be the leader of any opposition to its actual passage, the fact that he predicts its adoption is significant. It is also quite certain that it will be somewhat reduced in size, and subjected to rather strict controls. We in Minnesota are very much interested in the withdrawal of General Eisenhower from the Republican contest, since in our opinion it enhances the chances of our own Harold Stassen for the nomination. Mr. Stassen is in reality a veteran politician, although quite young—his Republican opponents are already beginning to find that out. He is the sort of person who shoots very straight and seldom fires a blank. I believe his chances will improve from month to month, until he will be a very solid contender for the nomination by the time convention time rolls around.
For the first time in some months the grain markets are beginning to show some weakness. Reports from the winter wheat belt continue to improve, and all grains have shared in the decline in the past week. Any decline whatever will be of great assistance to the passage of the Marshall Plan—since such decline would indicate that grains are not quite as scarce as they were thought to have been. Here in Minneapolis, one of the largest grain markets in the world, we naturally notice such an occurrence. Right now the principal topic of conversation is the weather—which has been really cold. The thermometer has been near the zero mark or below for the past several-days. The entire country seems to be suffering, since only today I received a letter from a friend in New Mexico, normally one of our best winter resorts, telling of snow
and very cold weather.—Yours sincerely, HARVARD S. ROCKWELL. 4819 Girard Ave. So., Minneapolis 9, Minn.
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