Evening star., 1947-01-31

now beginning fully to appreciate
It also is beginning to discover that
it has overtalked itself on this SUBJ
ject Of Federal f1nance-especlally
in its loud promises to 'cut dras-
tically Government costs, truly bal
.ance the budget and at The same
time reduce both taxes and debt.
1t is now apparent that II the Re-
publicans do all these things--even
with the help of the conservative
Democrats who want to do them
too-ti1ey will have accomplished al
most O miracle. OF course, it all
car, be done il that Truman budget
Is sufficiently cut-but the cut would
have to be really terrific, II a tax
reduction is to be made at the same
time. To carry out, in addition, that
promise of debt reduction just about
staggers the men who have got to
tackle the job.
The strain is made greater by
other pledges not to cripple" the
national defense, which is the larg-
est item (nearly one-third OF the
totaD of all, and the in.possibility
of cutting the huge veterans ex-
penditures. in face of tremendous
pressure 80 increase them.
Justification Up to Spenders.
Nevertheless, there is no doubt
whatever that the Truman budget
can be substantially reduced. In
the secand full year of peace it
calls for expenditures Of $37 500 .000,-
900, which is more than was spent
altogether in the four years before
the war-when spending was url-
precedentedly lavish and free. 1t is
ridiculous to say that this cannot
be trimmed, and it is no answer to
those who want to cut to ask
whether they want to stop paying
interest on the national debt or
eliminate national defense. The
burden of proof is not on those who
wish to economic. On the contrary
it must be on those who ask for
money. It is up to them aff1rn1a-
lively to justify every dollar for
which they ask and it is UP to Con-
sress to scrutinize every dollar OF
the proposed expenditures.
The contention of Senator Byrd
and others lis that there is enough
padding In every department re-
quest to permit $1,000, ,000, 900 to be
squeezed out without impairing ma
tional defense or any other essential
Government function. To achieve
ANYTHING like this, the congressional
appropriations committees must do
far less perfunctory job than they
have ever done before. They must
have expert investigators who really
know how to investigate. and ex-
aminers who really know how to
cross-examine.
Economizers Need Help.
Although a plausible and SEEM
inely sound defense for every pro-
posed expenditure can ALWAYS be
made, the Republicans owe il to the
country to accept nothing at its face
value. They owe 1t to themselves
as well as to the country to squeeze
every unnecessary dollar out Of this
budget. To do this, they will need
not only all the fortitude and in
genuity they have themselves but
all the help they can get from any
source. The most obvious source
would seem to be Senator Byrd. He
is not given to reckless statements
Economy in governmental expendi-
lures has long been his speciality.
When he says $4,000, ,000, 900 can be
squeezed out of this budget, it is
reasonable to assume he knows
what he is talking about. 1t would
seem intelligent for the hard-presseo
Republicans not to permit him te
resign his craftsmanship of the Spe.
cial Economy Committee but to in
sist on his sticking to the job, say.
ing to him: "All right, Senator
Byrd, you say we can squeeze Out
$1,000 ,000, 900. Come on now-shov
us where and how"
Would Lose No Glory.
That would put it up to Senator
Byrd in q way that would compel
him to respond. Nor need the Re-
publicans feel that in doing that
they would lose in credit. On the
contrary, they would deserve more
credit for being big enough to dc
the intelligent thing, regardless OF
politics, in order to gain their ex-
tremely vital objective.
Cutting the budget Is the first