Evening star., 1947-10-09
Calm Realism Needed
To Meet Comintern
Threat, Lovett Says
By Gornett D. Horner

challenge to the Marshall plan
which must be met with calm
realism"
The parties and governments join
ing in the Communist program
Undersecretary Of State Lovett as.
serted at news conference late yes
terday. have made clear their in.
tention to prevent, If they can, the
economic recovery of Europe"
He said this calls for GOODNESS and
clarity of Judgment by Americans
adding:
I'VE must not allow ourselves tc
be DETECTED from the course we have
chosen, and We must continue to
study with sympathy but with calm
realism the problem of how Europe
can be assisted to regain its proper
place in stable and peaceful world.
First Official Reaction.
His statement was the first Off
cial reaction here to the Soviet an.
nouncement Sunday that the Com.
munists of nine European countries
had formed an international infor-
nation agency to fight the Mar
shall plan for European recovery
and what they called American ano
British imperialism"
The Communist move was seer
as bringing into the open one Of
the big risks in the Marshall plan
the risk that Communists might be
able by strikes and sabotage tt
prevent success of any co-ordinateo
drive for European reconstruction
But the alternative TO taking sucf,
a risk is the certainty of Euro
pean economic collapse that would
fall in with Communist aims. off
clals believe.
Representative Cox, Democrat, ol
Georgia. nome from flve-week toul
of Europe, reflected the thinking ol
top administration officials when he
declared:
Either we gamble on saving
Europe, or we do nothing and lei
Russia take it all"
Plan Seen "Only Hope"
Mr.. Cox told reporters the Mar
shall plan for speeding Europe's
economic recovery is this country's
only hope" because Russia is doing
everything except conduct a shoot
ing war against US
Government agencies are pushing
efforts to squeeze out every last dol.
lar available. without further ap-
preparations from special session
of Congress, to provide stop-gap aio
to France and Italy this winter be-
fore the Marshall plan can come
into effect, Mr. Lovett said.
He told questioners some progres!
was being made, but admitted thai
SO far its is not substantial.
Officials vert stumped for mean:
to prevent threatened collapse o.
Frances dollar purchasing power
within the next week.
October Is Held Deadline.
Henry Alphand, chief Of economic
affairs for the French Foreign Min
istry, said his country will have II
stop buying essential wheat, coal ane
fats around October Is unless out
side help is forthcoming at once
I'VE are really facing tragic mo
ment," Mr.. Alphand told a new
conference late yesterday. Franco
Is in very critical economic ane
financial situation"
He said Italy also needs help ur'
gently and that unless both coun'
tries get immediate assistance 1t vii
be infinitely difficult for the long
range Marshall Plan to succeed.
Mr.. Alphand explained that con
tinued movement of goods already
paid for would delay the impac1
on the French people of stopping
dollar purchases.
Shortage Would Be Critical.
But it would mean, he said, tina
the French generally would be with
out bread more than two days ou
of each four from some time il
February through the August har
vest. The people in large cite
would be without bread at all" J" III
added.
Mr.. AIphand listed three ways IL
which immediate help could be givei
to France: Return of s37,000,000 o
gold looted by the japanese from
French Indo-China; return of $50,
O0O,O00>to s9O,0O0O00 in gold loote'
by the Nazis, and payment by tn
United. States of $50,000 900 t.
$50 100000 he said was due for sup
port of American troops by hi
country.
There are good prospects tina
some of the Nazi-looted goods ma
be made available soon. Unde
American prodding, an internationa
commission has undertaken to tr
to meet an October IS deadline TO
beginning distribution of availabl
Nazi gold on a pro rata basis to vic
timized countries.
On another front, the problem o
British dollar supplies was tackle
in a British h-American conference t
considers Britain's request that tn
United States take over its share
the dollar cost Of running the tw
countries combined occupation
zones in Germany. The conferenc
opened yesterday and split toda
into four committees to attempt t
determine Britain's exact dolla
position in relation to German occu
patton costs.
Meeting Held in Poland.
Mr.. Lovett confined his commen
yesterday on the new Communis
organization to a carefully worde'
prepared statement. He refused t
be drawn into discussion of whethe
the move amounted to revival of tn
old "Comintern" or whether it con
stituted a declaration of politica
and economic war against the Unite
States,
The organization was formed a
a conference in Warsaw by leader
from the Soviet Union, its satellit
countries in Eastern Europe an
Communist party representative
from France and Italy.
Mr.. Lovett noted that "responsibl
cabinet ministers of certain coun
tires, including the Soviet Union
took part in the conference.
He said the State Department ais
has "taken careful note" of tn