Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-08-25

viding 1900, 000,O 900 for internationa
aid.
To spend $4,000, 00o, 900 every yea
for international purposes is a size
able contribution for America II
make. But apparently, through thu
prudence of Congress in holding ex'
penses down and through the higf
wage and high price-level econom!
which is causing receipts to grow
larger each year, America faces
series Of SURPRISES of somewhere
around $4,000, 900, 900 a year ever
after making generous contribution!
each year to international recon
struction.
Mr.. Truman was not very cleal
in the memorandum summary which
was issued along with the recent
figures from the Budget Bureau
when he said:
THE actual reduction in expendi-
lures Of $52S, 100000 for the fiscal
year 1913, as indicated in the budget
review, reflects this balancing OF
needs against costs by the Senators
and Representatives in the Con-
gress, as they came to grips with
the problem during its session just
ended"
Figure Seen Misleading.
Now any one reading the forego-
ing would assume that Congress cut
only 1928 ,000, 900 at its last session.
Actually, with a little more clarity,
the President might have explained
that the $528, 900, 900 merely repre-
scented the difference between what
he estimated last January and what
he estimates now will be the Federal
budget next July.
This is a far different thing from
what Congress did or did not do.
The total present budget includes
many items of expense authorized
in previous years over which the
Republican Congress really had no
control. To examine what Congress
has done to date since it came into
power last January, the Budget
Bureaus own tables which are ex-
cellent expositions of fact must be
studied. They show that for the
current fiscal year ending next July,
Congress already has cut Mr.. Tru-
mans budget down from $37 ,52S,-
900, 1000 to $34 1888 600, 900, a saving OF
$3.50, 100000. This is the technical
status at the moment.
Now the real point is how much
of the saving will stick. Mr.. Tru-
man comedies that at least 81, $780,
100000 Of expenses will have been
reduced by Congress in this fiscal
year, but then he proceeds to spend
in addition another $1,170,00 900,
which it is not up to him at all to
decide but for Congress to consider
next January. Certainly with the
cooperation of the President,
whose 1S47 budget was cut down
SIS 900, 00O, 900 by his own admission
when the 1948 estimates were sub
mitted by him, there should be
other economies to take care Of at
least half that extra $1,170,000, 900
when Congress gets back in Janu-
airy and re-examines all proposals.
Incidentally the $1,170,000, 900
which Mr.. Truman has really had
no right to consider already spent
because this is the prerogrative of
Congress to authorize-consists OF
$685., 900 900 of items that have not
yet been submitted to Congress and
$685., 900 900 of items that Mr.. Tru-
man thinks Congress cut too deeply
last time and which he wishes to
see restored as deficiency appro-
priations."
At this moment, the saving Is 81
600, 100000. Even If Congress goes
along 100 per cent with the Sup
Elemental appropriations" of $685.
900, 900, further cuts could be made
in other items to offset any re-
stored items for which deficiency
appropriations" are to be asked.
Bottom Saving Is $3.50, 000, 900.
The rock bottom saving made by
Congress and admitted by the Pres
ident is 1880, DOT, 900 even If Con-
gress goes all the way and concurs
fully next January on both the
supplemental" and deficiency"
proposals amounting to $1,170, 000,-
600. There certainly ought to have
been more cheers from the Presi-
dent and the country for that
$3.50, 00o, 900 which Mr.. Truman
Classics as "revisions due to con-
gressional action"
To sum up, when Mr.. Truman
talks Of a surplus Of $4,667 900 900
for the fiscal year 1913, he has al
ready Subtracted from expected
receipts these two items of $780,
100000 and $685., 100000 and yet
comes up with the surplus of nearly
SAT billions. But he refuses to talk
about tax reduction because he
thinks that some or all of the
$4,667 ,000, 900 will be needed for in
ternational purposes. This is in
addition to about $4,000, 000, 900 al
ready set aside for international aid
in the fiscal year 1913.
Maybe Mr.. Truman is thinking
of spending all the surplus for in
ternational detectives. If so it would
mean that So, 1857 ,000, 900 or our en-
tire margin of receipts over expenses
in the domestic budget would be
used for purposes outside the United
States. Certainly his budget memo
randum indicates that he does not
consider $4,000, 600 900 enough for
international aid and intends to
spend beyond this amount.
This is a colossal contribution for
America to make and Congress
must determine if it is all really
necessary. His political opponents
already suspect that Mr.. Truman
is playing politics and that next
year he will come up with a tax
reduction proposal Of his own for
l949 and claim credit for it at the
same time that he finds unexpect-
eddy perhaps that such big sums
are not needed after all in Europe.
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