The Marshall Plan money was transferred to the governments of the European nations. The funds were jointly administered by the local governments and the ECA. Each European capital had an ECA envoy, generally a prominent American businessman, who would advise on the process. The cooperative allocation of funds was encouraged, and panels of government, business, and labor leaders were convened to examine the economy and see where aid was needed.
The Marshall Plan aid was mostly used for the purchase of goods from the United States. The European nations had all but exhausted their foreign exchange reserves during the war, and the Marshall Plan aid represented almost their sole means of importing goods from abroad. At the start of the plan these imports were mainly much-needed staples such as food and fuel, but later the purchases turned towards reconstruction needs as was originally intended.
Also established were counterpart funds, which used Marshall Plan aid to establish funds in the local currency. According to ECA rules 60% of these funds had to be invested in industry.
The Organization for European Economic Cooperation had taken the leading role in allocating funds, and the ECA arranged for the transfer of the goods. The American supplier was paid in dollars, which were credited against the appropriate European Recovery Program funds. The European recipient, however, was not given the goods as a gift, but had to pay for them (though not necessarily at once, on credit etc.) in local currency, which was then deposited by the government in a counterpart fund. This money, in turn, could be used by the ERP countries for further investment projects.
Most of the participating ERP governments were aware from the beginning that they would never have to return the counterpart fund money to the U.S.; it was eventually absorbed into their national budgets and "disappeared." Originally the total American aid to Germany (in contrast to grants given to other countries in Europe) had to be repaid. But under the London debts agreement of 1953, the repayable amount was reduced to about $1 billion. Aid granted after 1 July 1951 amounted to around $270 million, of which Germany had to repay $16.9 million to the Washington Export-Import Bank. In reality, Germany did not know until 1953 exactly how much money it would have to pay back to the U.S., and insisted that money was given out only in the form of interest-bearing loans — a revolving system ensuring the funds would grow rather than shrink. A lending bank was charged with overseeing the program. European Recovery Program loans were mostly used to support small- and medium-sized businesses. Germany paid the U.S. back in installments (the last check was handed over in June 1971). However, the money was not paid from the ERP fund, but from the central government budget.
_________________ A la guerre comme a la guerre èëè âòîðàÿ ðåäàêöèÿ Çàáóãîðíîâà
Îäíî íå ïîíÿòíî: Èçíà÷àëüíî, Ïðàâèòåëüñòâî USA ðàññìàòðèâàëà ýòîò ïëàí êàê áåçâîçìåçäíóþ ïîìîùü èëè êðåäèò, ïîäëåæàùèé âîçâðàòó? _________________ A la guerre comme a la guerre èëè âòîðàÿ ðåäàêöèÿ Çàáóãîðíîâà
ß äóìàþ ÷òî ðàññìàòðèâàëî êàê áåçâîçìåçäíóþ ïîìîøü. È åòà ôðàçà îá åòîì ãîâîðèò - Most of the participating ERP governments were aware from the beginning that they would never have to return the counterpart fund money to the U.S.
Îäíàêî... ÿ ñîâåðøåííî ñîãëàñåí ñ òåì êàê ìàñòåðñêè åòî áûëî ñäåëàíî íà ïðàêòèêå. È ïñèõîëîãè÷åñêèè ìîìåíò òóò èãðàåò íå ïîñëåäíþþ ðîëü. Äàè äåíåã ïðîñòî òàê ñðàçó è áåçâîçìåçäíî - è îíè óèäóò íåèçâåñòíî êóäà, êîìó, è íà ÷òî... ïðîïàäóò áåç èñêîìîãî åôôåêòà... Îãðàíèçóè åòî êàê çàèì êîòîðûè íàäî áóäåò îòäîâàòü - òî òóò òåáå è ó÷åò è êîíòðîëü, è ðàñïðåäåëåíèå êóäà íàäî, à íè òîìó êîìó íå íàäî... è ò.ä. À êîãäà öåëü áûëà äîñòèãíóòà ñ ìèíèìàëüíûì êîëè÷åñòâîì âîðîâñòâà, òóò è ïðîñòèòü ìîæíî...
Ñàìîå ãëàâíîå - ïîìîãëè ïîäíÿòüñÿ ñ êîëåí â òÿæåëîå âðåìÿ è ìàñòåðñêè åòî îðãàíèçàâàëè íà ïðàêòèêå...
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