Evening star., 1947-11-12
Marshall Plan Opponent.

MQISnQI luu SPPOHChN'
Read against the background OF his
emergence as a leading opponent of the
Marshall plan, the speech which Senator
Taft has delivered to the Ohio Society OF
New York is cause for profound misgivlng.
The Ohio Senator has made it plain that
he intends to fight the Marshall program
in its present form. And since he Is not
only chairman of the influential Republi-
can Policy Committee of the Senate, but
also a leading candidate for the COP
presidential nomination, it Is possible that
he has it in his power to block the program.
It would be dismaying thing, however,
if he should succeed in this on the basis
of the thinking revealed in the New York
speech For that was confused speech
a speech which strongly suggests that Sen
ator Taft has not thought this thing
through, and has not even been able to
keep his sights on the main target.
In evaluating the Marshall program, the
Taft program, or any other program Tor
the recovery of Western Europe, 1t is essen
tial to keep fixed in mind the real objective
toward which we are working and the i'm
portance to us of attaining that objective.
Briefly stated, our primary objective Is to
prevent Communist domination OF Western
Europe and Britain. It Is vital, for us,
that we succeed in doing this. For If COM
munism sweeps to the Atlantic, Britain, If
not actually engulfed by the tide, will be
reduced to impotence. And we, In turn,
will be isolated in a hostile world and
forced to surrender all of our cherished
freedoms and luxuries in preparation for
the almost inevitable clash of arms.
Senator Taft sees the first part OF this
clearly enough. Or at least, he says that
there can be no doubt of the determination
of the Communists to spread their ere
ligion" throughout the world, that there
are powerful reasons" for continuing aid
to Western Europe, and that I'VE must do
what we can to prevent the spread OF
communism" But he never seems quite
to face up to the grim prospect which
would confront us If, in spite OF the
limited efforts he would make, communism
nevertheless should come to dominate the
rest of the world. And it is because OF
this, because he will not think the thing
through to the prospect OF United States
isolated in hostile world, that his speech
is filled with confusions and contradictions
His objections to the Marshall plan are
fourfold. Cd It would continue IAN In
tolerable and dangerous" tax burden. (2)
It would Initiate prices further" in the
United States 81 It would encourage
unsound policies in Europe" ~ It would
"force futile and dangerous regimentation
on American productivity"
If these are valid objections, their logic
would seem to compel opposition to the
plan in it's entirety But Senator Taft Is
not prepared to 60 that far. He favors
modification, the essential difference ap-
parently being that the cost in 194S should
be $3OO0,0 10000 instead Of $4,000 1000, 900.
Even at the Taft figure, however, we would
have most If not all Of the evil results
which he imputes to the Marshall plan.
At best the difference would be one OF
degree.
The real trouble with the Taft plan,
however, is that 1t probably would fail OF
attaining our main objective. Unless all OF
the men who have been studying this
question are wrong, $4,000 00O, ,00O-if that
is the Taft f1gure-will not keep COM
munism from dominating Western Europe.
And if in our best judgment 1t will not do
that, we had better not spend the money
at all.
There Is, of course, no assurance that
the Marshall figure, or any figure, will do
the job But we must choose among the
alternatives of doing nothing, making a
half-hearted effort along the line advo-
Gated by Senator Taft, or making the
effort on a scale believed best calculated
to succeed. II we had reached the point
of war with Russia, the objections which
Senator Taft is raising would be brushed
aside as being utterly silly. We would not
be thinking about prices, or taxes, or regi-
mentation, or the policies of European
governments We would be thinking only
of staying alive as Nation, and we would
count no cost as too great. And If we
have a chance to prevent such a war,
or prevent realignment of world power
that would be apt to produce such a
war, it would be almost crin1inally foolish
to muff the opportunity by quibbling over
whether the price is too high.
It is true, as Senator Taft says, that
General Marshall and those who support
his program have made mistakes in judg-
ment on matters of foreign policy. But
their record compares very favorably in
this respect with the record of Senator
Taft, and it is extremely difficult to believe
that his judgment at this critical time is
to be preferred to theirs.
Interestinq-if True