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ton by Congress until the Marshall
Plan of providing material aid for
a program of European self-help
can be put into effect.
Thomas Opposes Move.
Senator Thomas, Democrat, of
Oklahoma said he saw mo reason"
for session before the regular
meeting four months hence. Another
Democrat, Senator McGrath of
Rhode Island, declared there is mo
need to call Congress back until
somebody is willing to make some
specific proposals to U.s."
Meanwhile, diplomatic officials
reported that italian Communists
believed to be working under Mos
COW time table have launched their
long awaited battle for Italy" and
that the crisis is outrunning Ameri-
can plans for helping the Italian
people.
These authorities say that the
spreading strike of million agri-
cultural and industrial workers, the
Socialist demand for a vote of no
confidence in the De Gasperi gov
eminent and other recent develop
ments appear to be part of a Com
munist campaign to overthrow the
government and capture italy for
the Soviet half of Europe. Much
fear is reported to exist in Italy and
even in Italian quarters in this
country over the possibility of armed
conflict.
United States Considers Action.
State Department and other
American officials are now exploring
every possible means Of throwing
American assistance to the present
non Communist forces governing
Italy in the hope of saving that
nation for the West.
Italy is considered Of great politi-
cal and strategic Importance both
because of its position in the Central
Mediterranean and the fact that it
TANKS Germany, over which the
Western powers and Russia are
strongly contending.
Conditions in Italy are among the
foremost reasons why Gen. Marshall
is pressing for emergency aid to Eu-
rope this year as an advance against
the projected long-range recovery
program. But the speed with which
the Italian situation Is developing,
according to reports flowing into
Washington, makes it clear that for
the time being the United States
will be hard pressed to find any eff
fective counter moves to the cam
paign which Communist leader
Palmiro Togliatti has launched.
While the italian situation was
coming to the fore as the most ur-
gent confronting the United States
in Western Europe, it was by no
means the only one.
French Ambassador Henri Bon
net called on Gen. Marshall yester-
day and reviewed what he conceived
to be his nations urgent need for
some kind of American aid this
year. To reporters, Mr.. Bonnet said
that France may have to cut further
its imports from the United States,
even in such essential supplies as
wheat, fats and coal. He reported
Gen. Marshall as sympathetic.
Hartman Urges Aid.
Secretary Of Commerce Hartman,
who heads 19-man committee on
foreign aid approved by President
Truman, called on the people in
radio address last night to urge the
Government to do all it can to help
hungry people abroad"
He said that the high level of food
prices here Is due more to. Americans
bidding against each other for food
than to shipments abroad.
ct is true that the food we are
shipping abroad maintains the press
ure on certain food prices here at
home, but it is hardly fair to blame
exports for the general high level of
food prices which exists today" Mr..
Hartman said.
Both Democratic and Republican
Senators frowning on the idea of a
special session this fall say that a
better idea might be to call back only
the Senate and House committees
which must complete preliminary ac-
ton on any European relief legisla-
ton.
Senator Millikin said 1t would be
"unwise" to act until members Of
Congress now touring Europe have
q chance to have their ideas jelled
and conclusions formed"
They are over there now or soon
will be to learn the facts" he add
ed. Until thew have the facts