Evening star., 1947-04-20
Red Lend-Lease
Stand Reversed
BY vandenberg
Now Fuvors Bon
On Shipments Until
Soviet Pays Up

Senator fdllucliUSES, Nepupll-
can. of Michigan split with the
State Department yesterday on
Its proposal to go through with
Ilend-lease contracts to ship Rus
sia $1,000, 900 worth of indus
trial equipment. He suggested
waiting until the Soviets settle
Itheirs $11, ,000, 100000 wartime
Ilend-lease contract "satisfac-
torily."
This issue has been injected into
| the closing days OF debate on the
s400 900 900 Greek Turkish aid pro-
gram, on which the Senate has
greed to vote late Tuesday. Other
Senators have argued 1t would be in
consistent to continue lease-lend
shipments to Russia, while appro-
priating funds to check the spread
of communism in the Mediterranean
area.
Senator Vandenberg, chairman Of
the Foreign Relations Committee, is
a chief exponent of bipartisan for
eipn policy, and is leading the fight
| tor aid to Greece and Turkey.
Backers of Bill Confident.
Both Democratic and Republican
leaders are confident the Senate will
pass the Greek Turkish aid bill by
| a substantial majority. One re-
liable source estimated last night the
opposition might muster no more
than Is votes.
/ Meanwhile, Senator > Johnson,
| Democrat, of Colorado. aleading op-
ponent of the bill in its present
form, said last night that Henry A.
Wallace has pulled the rug from
under the congressional opposition"
by his Shocking crusade abroad"
| Senator Vandenberg, in discussing
the untitled lease-lend contract with
Russia, told a reporter:
II would make no further Ship
ments under this supplemental
Lend-Lease agreement unless and
until the Soviet Union satisfactorily
cures its long default in negotiating
general Lend-Lease settlement.
Indeed, I would have stopped all
supplemental shipments when the
Soviet Union ignored the first OF
our requests for a general settle
ment. But in the event of such a
settlement, I would be ready to
scrupulously keep our word" Z
Position Altered.
Senator Vandenberg thus altered
the position he took in the Senate
Friday. He then defended the State
Department position against Repub-
lican complaints that it is 'incon-
sistent" with the policy OF attempt-
ing to bolster Greece and Turkey
against communism.
At that time Senator Vandenberg
told his colleagues that much as he
dislikes arrangements to continue
Lend Lease shipments of oil maj
chinery to Russia, Il shall more
deeply regret it If we do not scru1
pulously keep our word with the
Soviet Union with regard to these
last lingering contracts, lest We
should not be in a totally clear,
clean and positive position to cl1al-
lenge the Soviet Union for it's failure
to keep its promises and its con-
i tracts
His change of stand yesterday put
him in opposition to the viewpoint
of Acting Secretary of State Ache
son, who is urging immediate COM
pliance with the terms of the con-
tract.
Mr.. Acheson told a news confer
ence Friday the United States ought
to go through with the agreement to
ship the goods to Russia because this
country has taken vigorous posi-
ton" on the carrying out of interna-
tional contracts.
/ Under the agreement, the Soviets
would be given 80 years to pay for
oil refinery and other equipment
4 they ordered while lease-lend was
in operation. 1t has been under fire
In Congress for several weeks.
Bridges Is Adamant.
I Senator Bridges, Republican, of
New Hampshire told a reporter yes
terday that as far as he is concerned
the Appropriations Committee he
heads will never grant authority for
administrative expenditures neces-
sary to carry out the contract.
The controller general previously
had ruled that he would approve no
4 Sec TNpEJGN Pare A-71