WASHINGTON, July 13 — Senator Edward M. Kennedy made public today a survey on East Pakistan prepared by two American officials and declared that it showed that mil lions would starve unless emergency measures were taken be fore Aug. 1.
The Massachusetts Democrat declared that this “additional information” together with the findings of a special mission of the World Bank reported by The New York Times today made “mockery of the Administration's policy toward Pakistan” and should “finally shatter the official optimism of our Government.” His comments were contained in a statement issued from his office.
State Department officials, commenting on Senator Kennedy's charges, said that they could find no evidence in the department's field reports that would bear out the prediction of widespread famine by Aug. 1.
They said the problem was largely one of internal distribution and added that United States funds had been made available for the charter of river steamers to improve food distribution.
Department officials said they had received reports that there were sufficient foodstuffs now in East Pakistan to cover needs for the next several months.
Proceeding With Aid
They said that the Administration was going ahead energetically with assistance to relieve the plight of the population in East Pakistan and the East Pakistani refugees in India. The refugees’ plight stems from the Pakistani Army's efforts to crush the independence movement in the East.
The officials stressed that regular economic assistance to Pakistan had been held in abeyance pending completion of the report of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, or World Bank. They added that no decision has yet been made, since the report had reached them “only 24 hours ago.”
The report said that East Pakistan had been so ravaged by the military action that new international development efforts “will have to remain in state of suspension for at least the next year or so.”
The mission also recommended large‐scale food shipments to prevent starvation resulting from disruption of transportation and agriculture. The survey made public by Senator Kennedy was prepared by Joseph A. Ryan of the Department of Agriculture and Elliot J. Weiss of the Agency for International Development, who were in East Pakistan from June 3 to 21. It was submitted to the Senate's Judiciary Subcommittee on Refugees at hearings June 28. Mr. Kennedy is the subcommittee chairman.
The survey said that imports of more than three million tons of food grains were required during the next year to maintain consumption at present levels.