Evening star., 1947-11-04
Foreign Aid Fate Rests
With Taft, Vondenberg
Foreign Policy Question Now Seen az
One of Dollars and Gents
The Political Mil
By Gould Lincoln

Upon the shoulders of two Republican Sem
ators will rest, in large part responsibility for
the fate of foreign aid, including the Marshall
plan, and of legislative measures to meet high
prices and imitation, to tackle which President
Truman has called a special session of Con-
gress. The two are Senator Vandenberg Of
Michigan, chairman of the Foreign Relations
Committee and president pro tempore of the
Senate, and Senator Taft, chairman of the
Republican Policy Committee of the upper
house. Mr.. Taft is now an announced candi-
date for the Republican presidential nomina-
ton. Mr. Vandenberg has declared himself not
a candidate, but many of his friends look to
him as probable nominee in the event the
Taft, Dewey and Stassen forces deadlock the
coming Republican national convention.
Since the President-and some think unwisely
has wrapped both foreign aid and imitation
in his call for special congressional session, it
is apparent that the closest kind of cooperation
between these two Republican leaders will be
essential If anything material is to be accom-
plished. Chairman Vandenberg has called for
an "unpartisan American foreign policy
which gives promise Of aid for the administra-
tions plans to help rebuild Western Europe.
Chairman Taft Of the Policy Committee has
stated he sees no chance Of his agreeing with
the administrations policies on imitation and
prices.
Dollars and Cents Question.
The prospects are that Senator Taft will go
along with Mr. Vandenberg on questions OF
foreign policy although the two have not
always seen eye to eye on this subject. In
foreign policy speech delivered on his recent
Western tour the Ohio Senator appeared to be
taking the same position as Mr.. Vandenberg-
and several times praised the Michigan Senator.
hot he ~
American foreign policy has now become COM
pletely entangled with domestic issues-espe-
cially those of high taxes, high prices and
imitation Indeed, the question has become one
of dollars and cents. For it rests on the
willingness and ability of the United States to
pour billions of dollars and goods into the
western nations of Europe-and into China
not only to prevent starvation the coming
winter, but to help these nations build back
to sef-sufhciency. This is the immediate
essential element of the so-called Marshall
plan. Back of it lies the need to re-establish
the nations or let them become additional
satellites of Communist Russia.
The administration contends that in order
to carry out the program of foreign aid and
reduce our own national debt there must be
no reduction in the present high taxes; that
some of the wartime controls over the move
ment of goods and perhaps prices, must be
restored. Senator Taft and other Republican
leaders in Congress are totally opposed to such
domestic program.
The American people have tough choice.
AS Senator Vandenberg has said, they must
take one of two calculated risks" The first
risk lies in proceeding with a program that
will require another outlay of about $20,0OO-
900 for foreign aid-this to be imposed on
the many billions which have already been
contributed by the United States since the end
of the fighting. The second risk is found in
the possibility that western civilization as the
American people have known it may disappear,
with communism dominating all of Europe and
with its impact on America.
Real Danger of Conflict.
Mr. Vandenberg has been able to line up the
majority of the Republicans for bipartisan
action in support of the country's foreign
policy up to date He admits now, however,
that foreign policy is legitimate subject of
debate by the people, and legitimate subject
of partisan division "if there is deep division"
He still believes however, that an "unpartisan
American foreign policy" is fervently to be
desired.
With bitter conflict in the making between
the administration and the Republican majority
In Congress financial pollcleS, lncludlng taxes
and governmental expenditures, the danger of
conflict over this dollars and cents foreign
policy is real. The coming session therefore
promises to be one of the most momentous.
However 1t goes, the effect on the American
people will march far into the future.
1t is vitally necessary that there be taken
into consideration the ability of American
economy to stand up under continuation of
wartime taxes, Alnder continuous outpouring
of billions in goods and money. The most
disastrous result would be a collapse of our
own economy-both for the United States and
for the whole of western civilization.