Foreign Economic Administration

The Foreign Economic Administration (FEA) 1940-47 The Office of Arms and Munitions Control established in the Department of State to administer provisions of Joint Resolution 67 (49 Stat. 1081), August 31, 1935, which established a National Munitions Control Board to consist of the Secretaries of State, War, the Treasury, the Navy, and Commerce, and imposed registration and licensing requirements on arms and munitions importers and exporters. Redesignated as the Division of Controls, November 22, 1938, pursuant to an act of June 8, 1938 (52 Stat. 631), which provided for registration of foreign agents in the United States. The FES Issued licenses, in accordance with directives from the Office of the Administrator of Export Control, to exporters of such defense materials as had been subjected to export control by Presidential Proclamation 2413, July 2, 1940, pursuant to the Export Control Act (54 Stat. 714), July 2, 1940. Licensing function was transferred to the Economic Defense Board, September 15, 1941. Division of Controls abolished, October 8, 1941, with residual functions, except registration of foreign agents, to Board of Economic Operations, established by departmental order, October 7, 1941, with responsibility for State Department functions relating to foreign economic affairs. Board abolished by departmental order, June 24, 1943, with functions to newly established Office of Foreign Economic Coordination. Office abolished by departmental order, November 6, 1943, pursuant to EO 9380, which consolidated its functions and personnel with those of Office of Lend-Lease Administration (SEE 169.3), Office of Economic Warfare (SEE 169.4), and Office of Foreign Relief and Rehabilitation Operations (SEE 169.5), to create FEA. SEE 169.1.

The FEA was headed by Nelson Rockefeller and supervised economic warfare, propaganda, and intelligence operations in Central and South America. It consisted of a research staff in Washington D.C. and had several representatives working out of various American embassies. One of Lauchlin Currie responsibilities as was assisting in select bombing targets.

Soviet penetration[edit]

The Foreign Economic Administration had been penetrated by Soviet intelligence during World War II from its leadership on down. Below is a list of federal employees and American citizens who have been alleged, often by discredited witnesses, to be engaged in covert activity on behalf of the Soviet Union during World War II.

• Lauchlin Currie, Administrator
• Frank Coe, Assistant Administrator
• Bela Gold, Office of Economic Programs
• Michael Greenberg
• Irving Kaplan, chief advisor to the Military Government of Germany
• George Perazich, Yugoslav section of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
• Allen Rosenberg, Chief of the Economic Institution Staff

External links[edit]

• Records of the Foreign Economic Administration, from archives.gov