Evening star., 1947-09-30
Aid for Europe
.|sSeen as Vital
yVandenberg
Committee Meeting
Called for Nov. 10
At Truman Request
sy the AssocIoted Press

Chairman Vandenberg of the
Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee said today that in the
matter of emergency aid for
Europe "the immediate question
is one of elemental human sur
viyal in a free society"
Senator Vandenberg, the recoc-
nized Senate Republican spokesman
on foreign policy matters, made that
statement in announcing he has
called his committee to meet Novem-
ber 10 in accordance with a request
from President Truman.
Noting Mr.. Truman's request that
key Senate and House committees
explore Western Europe's urgent
winter needs for food and fuel" Sem
ator Vandenberg added:
This proposal is submitted sep
arately from plans dealing with long.
range economic recovery on a self.
help basis, although they have fac
tors in common"
Concrete Proposals Awaited.
MIR. Truman asked yesterday that
four congressional committees study
a $580,000,O00 fund for European
winter aid before he determines
whether to summon special session
of Congress.
Explaining why he had not called
his committee to meet until No.
vember 10, Senator Vandenberg said
the State Department will not be
ready with concrete proposals until
November l."
He added that "other essential
reports, including findings of con-
gressional committees visiting Eu-
rope and also the report Of the
Hartman commission, will not be
available until that time"
Secretary of Commerce Hartman
is directing a study into the ques-
tion of how much aid the United
States can give Europe without in
jury to its own economy.
Taber Is in Europe.
With Senator Vandenberg's call
for the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee to meet, three of the
four committees Mr.. Truman asked
to study European aid have now
been summoned to convene in early
November. The others are Senate
Appropriations and House Foreign
| Affairs.
The fourth committee is House
Appropriations. Chairman Taber is
now In Europe and is not expected
back until late next month.
Leaders of both parties agreed
that Mr.. Truman's decision to put
the matter UP to the four commit.
tees as the first step strikes them
as the right approach.
Speaker Martin said he had sue.
gested this course a month ago, and
added in an interview at Topeka,
Kan:
THE Republican Congress and Its
committees will most certainly CO.
operate"
Martin Sees November Call.
He added he believes the Presi.
dent Is leading up to a special call
'late in November"-a little more
than a. month before the regular
convening date.
A high-ranking Democratic official
on Capitol Hill said he expects Con-
gresS will be brought back around
December l unless the four COM
mittees turn thumbs down on the
emergency aid.
But Senator Taft, Republican, of
Ohio discounted the possibility Of
congressional action to aid Europe
before the regular session in Janu-
ary. Senator Taft, travelling east
ward on the last leg of his Western
tour, said he doubts that a majority
of Congress members could be as
sembled here from various parts of
the world where they are on inspec-
ton tours before December.
He said, however, that he plans
to call meeting next month of the
Senate Republican Policy Commit
tee, which he heads, to discuss the
matter.
In announcing his decision at a
hastily summoned news conference
yesterday afternoon, following q
lengthy meeting with congressional
leaders of both parties, the Presi-
dent said If the committees were
favorable, the extra session would
be called. Otherwise, he added, 1t
would be useless.
| While the President has opposed