Evening star., 1947-09-06
Marshall May Alter
Truman's S Opposition
To Special Session
Yet President Will Try
Every Stopeop TO Meet
European Crisis
Rr Doris ELeesOn

President Truman will try every
possible stopgap to meet the Euro
pean criSis-such as Export Import.
World Bank and RFC loans-before
calling Congress into special session.
This is the firm prediction OF
Democrats who discussed the situ-
alton with him before he left for
, Rio. The President, they say, re-
ioiced to see the dear backs OF the
Republicans when they departed at
the end of July and he does not de-
sire their return any sooner than
the law provides.
One man is credited with the
power to alter the Presidents de-
termination Secretary Of State
Marshall When Mr.. Truman ap-
pointed Secretary Marshall he called
him the greatest living American.
All his comments on Gen. Marshall
indicate he is still of the same
opinion.
Gen. Marshall was in Rio when
the State Department fired its sud-
den barrage of propaganda about
Europes zero hour. 1t came first
from unofficial channels. Then,
after Mr.. Truman, too, had de-
parted, Acting Secretary of State
Lovett said that speedy action and a
special session were imperative. Will
Clayton, Undersecretary of State for
Economic Affairs, who has been
shutting between Washington. Lon
don, Geneva and Paris, Is under
stood to have convinced Mr.. Lovett.
Now it is up to Gen. Marshall.
"Art of the Possible"
Mr.. Truman can depend on Gen.
Marshall to take into consideration
the political difficulties of a special
session. One of the elements Of Gen.
Marshalls great strength in the
Capital is his intuitive understand
ing of politics as the art of the pos
sible. 1t made friends for him in
Congress; it was invaluable to the
Secretary of War.
Mr.. Clayton, trained by the sage
jesse Jones, has some of this skill;
elsewhere in the State Department
it Is entirely lacking. Long before
adjournment Democrats in Congress
and in the national committee were
complaining about the way the State
Department ran its affairs.
Should Gen. Marshall become con-
vinced that congressional action is
needed and sell the conviction to
Mr.. Truman, an immediate call Is
unlikely. The congressional trek to
Europe is just getting under way
A special House committee began its
work this week in London; Senate
appropriations members leave next
week; so do armed services commit
tees. They are not due home until
mid-October. Their reactions will
have much to do with the Presi-
dents frame of mind.
Taft's Ideas Are Factor.
BY mid-October also Mr.. Truman
will have a better idea of what
Senator Taft thinks on foreign
affairs as Mr.. Taft will then have
concluded a long speaking tour Mr.
Taft may not be the 1948 Republican
nominee for President: he will still
be the most powerful Republican in
the Senate. Last session Senator Taft
did enough sparring with Senator
Vandenberg, titular Republican
spokesman on foreign policy, to show
that they differed substantially. A
showdown was avoided but Senator
Taft has the nerve and power to get
one if he so chooses.
Another report Mr.. Truman will
wait for is that of the Hartman
committee he appointed to examine
Europe's woes in the light of Amer
ica's power to help. This committee
of 10 began briskly in July and
hoped for quick conclusion. 1t
meets again next week with new
mountains of data and its report
will be delayed accordingly.
One bit of housekeeping demanded
by Congress will be done by the
State Department before any session
resumes. Assistant Secretary OF
State Benton. who inherited the
fabulous liabilities Of Owl and Of
his old advertising partner. Chester
Bowles of OPA, has packed up his
files. To date, nobody has been found
willing to assume the burden of per-
suading Congress that propaganda
can be nonpolitical, but the search
Is on.
(Released by the Bell Syndicate, 1nc.)