Untitled: Marshall Plan  

• 1948 
• Milians, Max P. 
• Drawing 
• Cartoons 

9327679

Drawings / paintings

Untitled: Marshall Plan

36.5 x 28.5 cm

1948

Original political/editorial cartoon, 1948, by American editorial cartoonist Max P. Milians (1908-2005), probably for the Jewish Standard, with which he was associated for most of his life, although his work was also syndicated across America from the 1930s to the 1970s. Milians signed his cartoons with nine zeros as a punning underline. In June 1947 US Secretary of State George C. Marshall made a famous speech in which he stated that Europe needed substantial additional help to bring about economic recovery, or face economic, social, and political deterioration of a very grave character. He went on to suggest that the European nations themselves set up a program for the reconstruction of Europe, with US assistance. This speech was immediately seized upon by the British foreign secretary Ernest Bevin who contacted his French counterpart Bidault and organized a European conference to coordinate the response to Marshall’s proposals. This resulted in the Economic Recovery Program (ERP) which saw the US provide $13 bn. in aid over the next four years. The cartoon rather unkindly shows Bevin shovelling US dollars to an impoverished continental Europe, clearly happy that it is someone else’s ‘hard-earned gold’. The cartoon reflects the idea that there was scepticism in the US about the plan, although public opinion and the majority of politicians were supportive of it. Produced in ink and crayon over graphite on textured card; image area 30 x 27 cm, card size 36.5 x 28.5 cm. Signed lower right. Verso blank. Clean and bright, very good condition