Evening star., 1947-11-16

&S We ktlOW IL.
In that 1889 session members Of
Congress, and the American public
as well, were confused over what to
do but they were nearly unanimous
that they did not want to become
involved In war. The result was
amendment Of the Neutrality Act to
let the British and French buy arms
but only II they paid cash on the
barrelhead" and carted them of to
Europe In non-American ships.
How Much and How Soon
This time there appears to be
much more certainty Of purpose.
Public statements by both Senators
and Representatives and last weeks
hearings by the two foreign rela-
tions committees have made 1t OBJ
vious that Congress is going to
aid Europe. The only questions are
how much, how soon and in what
manner.
Ths special session probably will
confins itself 10 the stop-gap aid
program outlined by Secretary OF
State Marshall last week. Under
this program 1897 ,0oo, 900 would be
appropriated to meet what the State
Department calls the minimum
needs" OF France, italy and Austria
until next April l.
with this help, the department
believes, the Is European nations
which would be aided by the long
term recovery program can all be
kept going until the end of March.
The administrations hope Is that
the long term program will be
through Congress and ready to go
by that time. a.
Plenty of Opposition
1t Is far from clear today, how
ever, that that will be the case. The
warning cry last week from Senator
Taft, head of the Republican Policy
Committee, was tipoff that there
Is plenty Of opposition.
The Russian attacks on the So
called Marshall plan have done
more to assure some sort Of program
than almost any other factor. Many
observers feel the declaration by
Andrei zhdanov, the Soviet Politburo
member who helped to set up the new
Communist international, the Com
inform, helped more. He said Rus
sia would put all effort in seeing
that the Marshall plan is not re-
allied"
Last weeks hearings preparatory
to the opening Of Congress drew at
tention to another powerful factor
the trips to Europe this past sum-
mer and fall Of nearly 100 members
Of Congress who saw conditions
abroad for themselves.
Last week both Senate and House
members, in questioning Secretary
Marshall and his aides, were say
ing, IT was told in Paris . . ." and
IT discovered while in Germany
- =" One House member, in dis
cussing Austrian aid with the Sec
retary, declared fatty, "The facts
you present don't agree with what
I was told in Austria"
Much Depends on Truman
A lot more of this type of remark
is going to be heard on the floors Of
both houses. Both administration
and congressional leaders appear to
feel that this first-hand acquaint-
ance with the problems is a good
thing-they only hope the men,
bers' conclusions are reasonably
similar, lest the debate turn into
personal arguments of what mem
bers did or did not see while abroad.
Much Of the direction of this
session will depend on President
Truman's message to Congress to
be delivered before a joint session
at 1:S0, pm. tomorrow. II he en-
phasizes the issue of domestic high
prices, which he put first in his call
for the special session. there is GER
tain to be a political backfire.
One House Republican leader said
recently that the fur will fly if the
President attempts to blame the
COP. This Republican said the
current exports Of food are largely
10 blame and he intimated that an
issue will be made of it If the Presi-
dent forces the Republicans hand
on the matter Of high prices.
The Administration, Secretary
Marshall has made plain, wants the
stop-ssp bill passed before taking
up the long-term European re-
covery program Gas 1t will be called,
rather than the Marshall plan").
Interim Aid Stressed
The soundness Of this procedure
was indicated by Senator Taft's OBJ
jections to Secretary MarshalPs
estimate Of the total cost of all types
of aid during the rest of this fiscal
year-up to June 80. 1s4s.
The Secretary's total was $2,657,-
oo0, 900 and 1t was that huge because
1t included the first three months
installment on the long-term pro-
gram $500, ,000, 900 item. If the
figure is to be cut, as Senator Taft
suggested, it would be necessary to
delay beginning the program until
after July 1 or else cutting its total
cost.
Secretary Marshan said several
times In his testimony before the
Senate Foreign Relations and the
House Foreign Affairs Committees
that IF the Intern aid bill Is not
enacted, there's not much hope for
the long-range program" But he
also said he didn't want anything
to delay the stopgap bill.
THIS illustrates the problem Of the
special session-how to debate and
pass the s5s7, ,ooo,0 stopgap bill