Evening star., 1947-11-24
Partial Text of Vondenberg Plea for Stopgop Aid Bill

tial supplies for shipment in jan
uary
Some Aid Has Missed Mark.
In meeting these necessities, Mr..
President, I have said we must be
realists. We have already been
prodigal in previous postwar aid
which. unfortunately, seems often
to have missed its mark and de-
faulted in its purpose. The aver
age American citizen is tired Of this
sterile process. I am sure he still
has vision, and that he understands
where there is no vision the people
perish"
I do not believe he has forgotten
why we fought two wars. But he
is fed up on expensive failures. He
has a right to ask how these new
plans differ from the old and why
there is greater promise of success.
l want to discuss this with him.
There can never be any guaran-
tees of success In the affairs OF
nations. All life is the sum total
of uncertainties. But in my opinion
there has been more prudent and
exhaustive preparation for these
new programs than ever before. I
think our administrators have
learned their lessons from previous
mistakes. I think we are getting
down to business.
We have not simply invited these
three hard-pressed countries to ask
us what they want and to come and
get whatever they please-as seems
to be the suspicion in some quarters
Their requests have been carefully
studied by every available device.
The final figures are not theirs.
The final figures are ours. They are
cut to the bone. They represent a
minimum basis of rock-bottom sub
sistence and survival in the kind OF
a world we want to save for our own
Sakes.
France asked for 459 millions. She
was cut 131 millions. Italy asked for
| 575 millions. She was cut 348 mil
lions. Austria asked for IS millions.
She was cut 43 millions.
Aid to Be Publicized.
But that is not all. Every relief
commodity will be paid for in the
local currency of the beneficiary
country and these funds will be
trusteed in each country for what
ever relief expenditures we can make
in those local currencies or for other
relief or rehabilitation enterprises in
each country consistent with these
recovery objectives, subject to our
approval. Thus our aid does not
become a windfall to release the
budgets of these countries from the
impact of these expenditures.
Before any commodities or funds
are made available-I am still dis
cussing the specific short-range
program here pending for present
action-each beneficiary country
must enter into bilateral agree
ment with us for the faithful per-
formance of it's reciprocal obliga-
tions, including an obligation "to
give full and continuous publicity
X = as to the purpose, source, char
acter and amounts of the commod-
tiles made available by the United
States"
We are not repeating UNRRAs
mistakes. The President is ordered
to promptly terminate the provisio
of assistance whenever he finds
that any country is not adhering
to the terms of its agreement
This formula is down to hard-pan
Let me point to some of the other
specifications in the bill as re-
ported by the committee.
We recognize the fact that no II
revocably firm commitments are
possible if we have due regard Tor
our own economy and if we are to
avoid pledges which it would be
unwise or impossible to complete
The pending bill says: This act
shall not imply any obligation tc
give assistance to any OF the coun-
tries mentioned nor shall it imply
or guarantee the availability Of
anv specific commodities"
No New Setup Provided.
The original proposal left the Pres.
ident wide-open option to admins
ter this relief to suit himself. Int
amended bill denies any such open
ended presidential prerogatiVe. 1
requires that, 'in accordance WIFI
the direction Of the President, th'
responsibility for administering II
Europe the program OF assistance
shall be vested in the field admin
istrator of the United States forelgr
relief program appointed pursuan
to the act of May 81, 1947. Thu
there is a warrant against a1V neV
or duplicating set-up.
AS for the impact OF this short
term relief program on our domes
tic economy-on prices and lntia
toni want to be equally candid
; Any exports of commodities in shor
supply will have some effect upol
domestic prices. But the export
t here concerned are relatively incon
: sequential in size and cannot becom
r a major influence.
: With continuing frankness, 1 an
, forced to say that 1 regret that tn
| President saw fit to tie this irf""'r
! aid program into his anti-inf1atiol
| message. 1t invited an eIroneou
} public reaction. 1t may have seemed
= to imply that the interim aid pro