Evening star., 1947-05-10
Greek Aid Bill
Signing Likely
Early Next Week
Measure Passes in
House, 287-107, With
Minor Changes
House Roll Gail ON Page A-3.)
By J. A. OLeory


ish aid bill is expected to go to
President Truman for signature
early next week, following pas
sage by the House last night,
287 to LOT.
Only minor changes were made in
the version which won Senate ap-
proval several weeks ago, ST to %,
and no delay is foreseen in ironing
out the differences.
The substantial House majority
put Congress squarely behind the
Truman administrations new for
eign policy, designed to check the
spread of Communism. 1t also
preserved the bipartisan atmosphere
which has marked the handling of
foreign affairs between Congress
and the Executive since the end of
the war.
Squeezed Through Committee.
When the House voted last week
to slash the administrators $780,
100000 budget for general relief in
liberated countries to $500, 900 900,
some Capitol observers were skepti-
cal of the reception and awaited
the bill to spend $400,000 900 to
strengthen Greece and Turkey as
bulwark against the spread of Com
munism to the Mediterranean. This
fear was magnified when the Greek
Turkish aid bill squeezed through
the Rules Committee by a one-vote
margin to reach the House floor.
In nine-hour session yesterday,
however, there was resurgence of
bipartisan support for a firm Amer
ican policy in dealing with COM
munism. 1t beat off all efforts to
weaken the bill. and even rejected
one limitation those in charge of
the measure were willing to accept.
That was the amendment of Rep
resentative Judd, Republican. of
Minnesota, which sought to prohibit
the sending of combat troops to
Greece or Turkey. The State De-
partment had said there is no in
tention of sending more than a
small military mission to supervise
the aid program, and the leading
members Of the Foreign Affairs
Committee had expressed a willing
ness to accept the amendment. It
failed, however, on two votes.
When the final roll was called on
passage, it showed a coalition of
100 Democrats and 127 Republicans
in favor of the bill. Voting against
1t we're SO Republicans, 13 Democrats
and the lone American-Labor men,
Der, Representative Marcantonio of
New York.
Differences In Bills.
The only differences remaining to
be settled between the two houses
are:
The Senate draft contained
preamble, stating that the purposes
Of the program are in accord with
the objectives of the United Nations.
The House bill requires an FBI
loyalty check of civilians sent to
Greece or Turkey to administer the
aid.
The Senate bill requires Senate
confirmation of the administrator
chosen by the President to direct
the program.
When the bill is returned to the
Senate Monday it may either accept
House changes, which would COM
'plete congressional action, or refer
the points of difference to a joint
conference for adjustment. The lat
ter course is likely to be followed,
but would not take more than a day
or two longer.
Opponents of the bill insisted
direct American aid to Greece and
Turkey would weaken the United
Nations. Proponents were equally
confident that strengthening the
governments of Greece, and Turkey
would promote the basic goal of the
United Nations charter, namely, to
preserve world peace. They denied
that the United Nations organiza-
ton is being by-passed, and pointed
to a provision which would direct
the President to terminate American
aid to these countries on receipt of
notice that action taken by the
United Nations makes its continu-
ance unnecessary.
300 Million Slated for Greece.
The final effort of the House
opponents late yesterday to amend
the bill centered on the proposal of
Representative Smith, Republican,
OF Wisconsin to give the U. N. go
days to consider the problem before
the American aid would begin to
flow to the Mediterranean area. It
was beaten on standing vote, 1877
to 65.
Earlier, the House had refused to
cut the amount of relief to $500, ,0O0,-
600, to eliminate aid to Turkey, or
to confine the assistance to eco
nomic relief in both countries.
OF the total in the bill, $500 00o,-
600 is expected to go to Greece and
the remainder to Turkey. The prob
lens confronting the two countries
are different. Greece needs both
economic relief for its civilian popu-
lation, and aid in overcoming guer-
rilla bands along its northern
borders. Turkey needs assistance in
modernizing its armed forces and
improving its transportation facil-
tiles.
Hif-ond-Run Driver