The Wilmington morning star., 1947-05-07
Vote On Relief
Bv ARTHUR o

Bv ARTHUR KROCK
WASHINGTON. - To discover the probable
reasons why the House of Representatives
yesterday by an overwhelming majority cut
the relief appropriations for War-devastateo
countries from $3.50 millions to 5000 millions,
and prescribed certain conditions of dlsbursal,
does not require the services of Sherlock
Ho mes Or a brace of bloodhounds. Neither
lido the antecedent circumstances support the
conclusion THAT the House was "revert1ng to
isolationism:' when it so voted. whether or
not the sum is increased and the conoltlohs
modified by Senate action, this analysis mas
little support in the record.
For a long time these impressions have
been growing into a conviction among mem
bers Of Congress-: Our economic foreign poll
lev, as administered by the State Department,
is inconsistent. This arises from a lack OF
coordination between practical n d forceful
me'hods against the growth OF communism
-exemplified by the G~reek-Turkish aid bill
and the laissez-faire philosophy Of relief ana
lend-lease assistance as hitherto tolerated by
the administration. When the President pro-
claimed the Truman Doctrine, and at the
same time the administration insisted on car
rying out remaining lend-lease commitments
to Soviet Russia despite its many breaches
of contracts with the United States, the con-
viction grew stronger.
1t is asking a good deal of the average
member of Congress to accept vague and I'M
candid official explanations of the necessity
for these two policies, and that is the only
kind of explanation that has been given. Even
a member far above the average-Senator
V%andenberg, who can no longer be suspected
of any trace of 'isolatlonlsm'-klcked over
the traces on fulfilling the remaining lend
lease commitments after Moscow had ignored
five official requests from Washington to dis
a,,, ~ ~ ar+iro nrnororo
Congress is made up of the same kind of
persons that make up its constituencies.
These persons have been asking such ques-
tons as the following, and since these seem
logical to their representatives, they have
asked them, too:
Agreed that it is innuman tc use our
food as a weapon to enforce our national
policy, should it be turned over to Soviet
Russia TO use to enforce its national poll >.
cy? If the UNRRA in Yugoslavia and GER
tain other countries permitted this to hap
pen, although the United States provided
most of is financing, and the public press
instead of UNRRA or the State Depart
men. disclosed the facts and brought
ABOUT correction, why should not Congress
impose conditions of future relief grants
by this government that will prevent rep
clifton of this abuse?
Fer its own part Congress Is trying to cut
GOWN government COSTS, ana IL has dllp1e
reason to believe that all administrations ask
more than they need or expect to get. The
reduction in the relief appropriation by tie
House reflects that effort and belief, just as
the imposed conditions reflect the questions
above. The State Department has offered as
surance that it will spend the money accord
ing to these conditions, but it has opposed
their inclusion in legislation so that it may
have a free hand to deal with unforeseen
apoerOppcieS Put n majority of C0norpSc in
the House at least, lacks confidence in such
pledges by the department.
The dissatisfaction which exploded in the
House action yesterday has been entering the
record for some time. 1t may be recalled
that. at the suggestion of Mr.. Vandenoerg,
were encouraged to submit a list
of questions to the State Department about
aspects of the G~reek-Turkish bill, and this
matter Of relief was among the topics. Ques-
ton Number 80 at that time was:
How does our government reconcile its
position of desiring to assist Turkey and
Greece as well as other countries to fight
communism through loans and gifts, when
it is furnishing food and supplies to coun-
tries which are alleged and known to be
dominated by Russia?
The official reply was that the nature of
the two programs differed, which is true.
One, said the department., was to prevent
starvation, regardless Of the political aspects
of the governments in control" because peo-
pie cannot be allowed to suffer from hunger
for that reason and rigid conditions would
be imposed to assure Reputable distribution
The otner, it was explained, was designed
specifically to strengthen the governments in
volved ana rehabilitate their economic sys-
TENS in order to provide the economic basis
for their defense and independence" Tne
design was skipped.)
But many members of Congress held to the
belief that the legislature itself had best pre-
scribe these rigid conditions Il they were to
be imposed. And the soft-pedaling of the inn
portant military phase in what was offered
as a fill and candid reply strengthened that
conviction.
AS for the sum of $3.50 millions, Representa-
tive Bennett of Missouri announced to the
House yesterday that "It is admitted, this
estimate was picked out of the air. So the
House merely was r~eacting normally when
it amended the relief bill, against a chain
Of circumstances that was forged iii the eX-
ecutive branch. 1t certainly was not revert
ing to isolationisn" in any proper sense that
term was employed between World War ]
and World War II.-NeW York Times.