Evening star., 1947-11-06
President Puts
Aid for Europe
Ahead Of Prices
But Considers Issues
Of Equal importance
At Special Session
By Joseph A. Fox

President Truman said today
he will ask Congress to act on
emergency aid to Europe ahead
of anti-inflation legislation when
the extra session convenes No
vember IT.
The President emphasized at a
news conference, however, that he
considers these issues complement
tary and of equal Importance. There
is no use, he said, in appropriating
funds to buy 100000 bushels of
wheat if the money will buy only
$4,000 bushels because of the price
Mr.. Truman also said he was not
certain whether the overall Mar.
shall plan for aiding Western
Europe would be laid before the
special session of Congress or would
await the regular term opening In
January. He explained that there
was much work yet to do in outlin-
ing the details of this long range
program, which contemplates eX-
penditure of approximately $22,-
400, ,000, 900 in is European nations
over four-year period.
Wants to Limit Issues.
The President also stressed that
he proposed to lay only the interim
aid and price control problems be-
fore the special session of Congress,
saving that was what the legiSla-
tors were called to deal with, and
he wanted to hold the short session
program within those limits.
He modified this stand only to
the extent of saying that National
Labor Relations Board nominations,
which were made while Congress
was in recess, might have to go be-
fore the special session. This sub
ject is now under consideration, he
said.
Mr.. Truman smilingly refused to
say what he would have to tell Con-
gress on the subject of imitation.
Planning Special Message.
In putting foreign relief ahead of
price controls, the President re-
versed the emphasis that he had laid
on these two items in calling the
special session. b..
He said, incidentally, that he did
not know what attitude Congress
would take, but he expressed conf
dence that Congress would do the
right thing.
That the President expects to send
Congress a special message dealing
with the Marshall plan and is not
certain when 1t will 60 forward was
disclosed when reporter told the
President that polls show that the
average citizen doesn't understand
just what is involved in the foreign
aid situation.
Mr.. Truman responded that the
administration is trying to make the
subject as simple as possible. He
recalled that there is tremendous
amount of work involved in the
background First, he said, was the
conference of the 16 nations, where
their needs were outlined. Then,
he said, came the three Government
studies-by Secretary of the Interior
Krug, by the Council of Economic
Advisers and the Foreign Aid Com
mittee headed by Secretary of Com
merce Hartman.
All this matter is being analyzed
so its various ramifications can be
spelled out, the President added.
He said in passing that the Har-
riman report is expected to reach
his desk tomorrow.
/ Meanwhile, congressional commit
tees whipping the foreign aid pro-
gram pushed forward with prelim-
mary planning as one group reported
support for a proposal to rebuild
the German industrial machine
under Army supervision.
A spokesman for another group
urged a formula that would give
the bulk of American aid to Euro
pean countries which do most to
help themselves.
The idea of getting Germany back
on a producing basis as one of the
key approaches to stabilization of
(See FOREIGN AID, Page A-4)