Evening star., 1947-11-14
Marshall Plan Faces
Trouble Already Over
Skeptieism on Totals
Congress Won't Accept
Estimates Provided by
Foreign Governments
Bv David Laurence

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The Marshall plan Is running into
serious obstacles in Congress even
before the Presidents message is
presented.
The reason is that Secretary Mar
shall and Secretary Hartman have
already testified before Congress
sional committees and told all there
is to tell about the main outlines of
the project, and the reaction on
Capitol Hill is one of pronounced
skepticism.
The feeling is that Messrs. Mar
shall and Hartman are both sin
cerely convinced that their eSti-
mates and appraisals are correct, but
members of Congress believe the
figures are much too high and that
Undue reliance has been placed ON
statistics furnished by countries
which have direct interest in in
creasing the sums requested.
Even Britain Doubtful.
Even in Great Britain, where SYM
pathy for the Marshall plan amounts
to enthusiasm, there Is note Of
doubt concerning the figures and
the purposes of some Of the expendi-
lures.
It may be that the administration
asked for more expecting to get less.
1t may be that the critics of the
plan in Congress are anxious to re-
lieve the administration of some Of
its embarrassment in reducing the
figures submitted by foreign gov
ernments.
The truth Is that the skepticism Is
not confined to the Republican side
but is to be found among the Demo-
Gratis. too When 1t comes to vot-
ing billions for purposes outside the
United States, there is a natural
reluctance unless the figures are
definitely checked and the method
Of disbursing the funds is Of such a
nature as to assure the effective
operation of the plan.
Unfortunately, the barrage of de-
mands, requests, and exhortations
in the dispatches from Europe have
had an effect opposite from that
which was intended by the good
friends of the European countries.
The flow of written material insist
ing that Europe Is on the verge Of
collapse has implied that Congress
should be stampeded into voting the
stop-gap aid and the long-range
plan without pausing to debate how
much is really needed, how much
actually can be shipped abroad out
Of available supplies, and what sys-
TEN Of distribution Is to be used.
The fact that $19,000,000 900 has
been spent abroad by the United
States already in postwar aid since
1945, as revealed recently by Senator
Byrd, Democrat, of Virginia, is be-
ing referred to often in conversa-
tions on Capitol Hill. Likewise,
there Is rising note Of irritation
over the complacent attitude OF
both Secretaries Marshall and Har-
riman toward the fact that the
French people have boarded ap-
proximately $2,400,000,00O of gold
which could be used to support a
loan through the Export-Import
Bank.
Cut in Figures Likely.
Americans had to give up their
gold to their government in 1888,
ana members Of Congress think the
French government should ask its
citizens to do likewise The Truman
administration has seemed to avoid
this topic altogether, and that Is
one Of the reasons why the Marshall
plan is going to have hard time
In Congress.
In the end, there will be an
overwhelming majority for the plan
but the sums appropriated will be
cut down from the administrations
estimates. 1t is already apparent
that, whatever the plan finally de-
cided on, there will be many changes
and many amendments to meet
what is believed to be rising pub
lie opinion.
The Republicans will be in the
forefront of the opposition for a
few weeks because they are free
from the embarrassments which
Democrats feel as they find it neces-
sary to support the administration.
It is fortunate thing that the
Republicans have had the courage
to analyze and dissect the plan and
to insist on safeguards. This atti-
tude on their part will be misin-
terpreted by partisan opponents,
but, II the Europeans do not bestir
themselves more to help put their
houses in order and the sums voted
are futile, the Democrats, too, will
be under fire at the polls for their
neglect Of American interests.
To deprive the American people
of tax reduction is a difficult role
to play politically but twill be
even more difficult for the Demo-
Gratis to defend next year a system
of loose spending on foreign aid
without adequate checks.
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