Evening star., 1947-10-19

States.
During this time American les
publican and Democratic-will me
groups. On the decisions of one O.
expected largely to base the admin
cisions of the other groups will do
much to determine the fate of both
the short-term relief and the long
term rehabilitation programs before
the Congress.
The basic issue to be resolved in
the "cold war" between American
democracy and Russian totalitari-
anism will be greatly, and probably
momentously, affected by the con-
gressional action.
Vital Timetable
In Secretary OF State Marshall's S
words to the CIO convention last
week, the issue ''is simply whether
or not men are to be left free to
organize their social, political and
economic existence in accordance
with their desires; or whether they
are to have their lives arranged
and dictated for them by small
groups of men who have arrogated
to themselves this arbitrary power.
Here is the vital time table for
the coming month of decision:
l. october "a and Is: The Pres
ident's Committee on Foreign Aid
meets to adopt final report to
Mr.. Truman. This group of 19
Government business, labor
and academic leaders has Secretary
of Commerce Hartman as its chair
man and goth member and is usu-
ally called the Hartman Commit
tee. Its job is to appraise the To-
nation Committee of European
Economic Corporations request
for nearly 20 billions of American
aid in the period 194S-1951.
2. November S: The 10-man
Select Committee on Foreign Aid
generally known as the Herter Com
mittee because it's chairman is Rep
resentative Herter, Republican, OF
Massa chusetts. will meet to draft
a report on it's findings during an
extensive tour of Europe just COM
pleted. This report is expected to
have great weight with other men,
bers Of Congress.
Timing Very Delicate
3. November 10: The Senate
Foreign Relations and the House
Foreign Affairs Committees will
meet in joint session to receive the
administration foreign aid pro-
grams, both short and long term.
Secretary Marshall is expected per-
sonally to present them. The long
term plan probably will be based on
both the Hartman Committee report
and on a report now being prepared
by an informal interdepartmental
steering committee set up by Secre-
tarytary Marshall. The second group
includes. representatives Of the
White House and these depart
ments: State, Treasury, Army, Navy,
Commerce, Interior and Agriculture,
4. November 18: The Senate Ap-
propriations Committee will meet to
consider how to finance both pro-
grams. The House Appropriations
Committee, however, has not yet
been called to meet and It's chair
man, Representative Taber. Repub-
lican, of New York. is not due back
In the United States from his
European tour until November %
President Truman last month asked
the two foreign affairs and the two
appropriations committees to meet
as quickly as possible.
The timing involved in these
meetings is very delicate and there
is strong possibility that it may
be upset.
The Hartman group has hoped
to have its report on President Tru-
mans desk by November l, but in
dications now are that it may take
several days longer. Former Sena-
tor Robert M. La Toilette, jr., of
Wisconsin, who Is to do the main
drafting job, was not at all certain
last week he could meet the early
deadline because of delay in sub
committee work.
Many Conferences
Undersecretary of State Lovett,
however. has promised that at least
an outline of the long term program
will be ready for Congress when the
foreign affairs committees meet on
November TO- 1t will require plenty
of night work to whip it into shape
by that time. Mr.. Lovett has said
$3.50, ,OOO,00O is needed by short-term
relief.
For nearly two weeks both the
Hartman and the interdepart-
mental groups have been meeting
in a dozen conference rooms on the
10th floor of the State Departments
building at 1778 Pennsylvania ave-
nue. NV. with European representa-
tives of the 16-nation Paris Con-
ference on Economic Cooperation.
First the American technicians
quizzed European technicians on a
dozen subjects-food, mining, ma
chinery, inland transportation, pc
troleurn, maritime transportation.
agricultural machinery, coal, elec-
trio power, timber, manpower. fer
tilizer, and the toughest problem
of all, balance OF payments or how
Europe can raise dollars to meet at
least part of the need for American
goods.
All these discussions are known,
in State Department language, as
Washington Conversations on Eu-
ropean Economic Cooperation"