Evening star., 1947-11-18
Senators Order
Food Inventory
BeforeAidV Vote
Appropriations Group
Calls Anderson to
Hearing Thursday

The Senate Appropriations
Committee called today for an
inventory of American food sup
plies before Congress acts on
President Truman's request for
S597, 100000 emergency aid to
France, Italy and Austria.
Chairman Bridges told news con-
ference the committee had decided
unanimously to make an exhaustive
inquiry into domestic food supplies
to learn how much can be spared
for export.
Complaining that the administra-
ton is demanding speedy action on
a stopgap program without laying
down detailed estimates, Senator
Bridges said:
There is an effort here to stam-
pede the country and our commit
tee into action without the proper
background of information. We are
not going to be stampeded into &C
ton without knowing what is avail
able in this country. We don't
want to deliberately short-change
the American people"
Wants to Know Facts
The New Hampshire Senator said
the committees action should not
be considered as indicating opposi-
ton to the emergency aid proposal.
He said the Senate group simply
wants to know all of the facts be-
fore it acts.
He said Secretary of Agriculture
Anderson will be asked at hearings
beginning Thursday to bring in all
information available on crop pros
poets.
Secretary of Commerce Hartman
and Secretary of Interior Krug Will
be asked later to supply informa-
ton on supplies of other commodl-
ties, such as coal, petroleum and
fertilizer, he said.
Before hearings are concluded,
Senator Bridges said, the commit
tee will hear from representatives
of farm organizations and gram
marketers> from Minneapolis,
Omaha, Kansas City, Chicago and
Sioux City, and from major gram
users.
Wheat Exports Cited.
Senator Reed, Republican, OF
Kansas, a committee member, told
reporters that it has become obvious
that the present rate of wheat ex-
ports cannot be maintained after
June 30
Meanwhile, the House Foreign
Affairs Committee ended its hear
ings on foreign aid after hearing
Representative Dirksen, Republican,
of Illinois declare that Europe
needs immediate, adequate and
aggressive aid" and that I'VE are
fighting for keeps in this cold war.
He also proposed a Government
Insurance scheme to encourage IN
vestment abroad of private Amerl-
can capital as an adjunct" OF the
Marshall plan which would lessen
the cost of foreign aid to the tax
payers.
The committee tomorrow will be-
gin to write the House version OF
the s597 100000 stopgap aid bill.
Senate Group Also Meets.
. The Senate Foreign RelaClons
Committee was meeting in executive
session to begin writing its version
of the stopgap aid bill. 1t heard
Secretary of Agriculture Anderson
and Undersecretary of State Lovett.
In addition to appearing before
the House committee, Mr.. Dlrksen
issued a personal report of more
than a month of study in Germany
In it, he said "the Soviet Union is
feverishly preparing for mllltary
war" and called for ban on eX-.
ports which strengthen the eco
nomic and military power OF COM
munism."
THE cold war can be quickly
transformed into hot war;" Mr..
Dirksen declared.
Mr.. Dirksen headed combined
Armed Services Appropriations
Committee group which returned
from Europe last month.
In his report he accused Russia
of ruthlessly trying to communlze
Germany and all Europe and SAID
that for the United States ito
abandon Europe now is to abandon
freedom, not only for them, but for
ourselves"
The every simple question before
the Nation, he said, is this: DO we.
dare gamble the equivalent of two
or three months of the cost of a
four-year war to win the peace?"
Mr.. Dirksen said Germany is the
(See FOREIGN AID, Page A-4)