Evening star., 1947-12-22
Senators Seek
Marshall Plan
Views Of Nation
Committee to Call
Prominent Citizens,
Chart Own Course
By the Associotsd Press

The Senate Foreign Relations
Committee is planning to ask
prominent Americans from all
walks of life for their opinions
of the four-year, $1,000. .000, 900
Marshall plan for European re-
covery.
/ Minority Leader Barkley, a COM
mittee member told reporters this
/ today. He said Secretary of State
Marshall probably will be the first
witness when the committee begins
hearings January 7, But before
hearings are concluded. he said,
scores of others will be heard
Chairman Vandenberg said no
list of prospective witnesses has
been compiled, but that he wants
to obtain "a cross-section" Of
American views before the commit
tee acts.
Already signs are cropping up
that Congress will take long time
and write its own European recov-
cry plan, rather than accepting the
one President Truman submitted.
And indications are that it will be
nowhere near as big as $17,00O,-
100000.
Vandenberg Waits for Evidence.
Senator Vandenberg told report
ers he will have no statement on
his views on the Presidents pro-
posal until after he hears the evil
dence laid before his committee.
He already has said that he favors
the principle of such an aid pro-
gram, but has declined to discuss
details other than to observe that
he thinks it ought to be admin
istered by an independent agency
linked only at the policy level with
the State Department.
The chairman insisted at a meet
ing of the Foreign Relations Com
mittee last week that all hearings
be held in public. Under such a
plan, Gen. Marshall, as we'll as
other Government witnesses, will
be called upon to answer questions
put in open hearings.
Members of the Hartman COM
mittee which drafted a report as
saying Europe's needs in relation
to American resources are expected
to be called. Witnesses probably
will include Bernard M Baruch.
adviser to Presidents; James F.
Byrnes, former Secretary of State;
William L. Clayton, former Under
secretary of State. and possibly
| former President Hoover.
Martin Gives Hint.
Speaker Martin gave the tip on
what will happen when Congress
tackles the long-range program. Be-
fore heading home for the holidays,
the Speaker told reporters:
There is sentiment for a Repub-
lican program and there is strong
support for the Herter proposal
| The "Herter proposal is a bill
drafted as the result of tour of
Europe last fall by special House
committee headed by Representative
Herter of Massachusetts,. 1t leaves
amount of aid blank. Republican
leaders are nearly unanimous in say
! ing the blank will be filled in for far
/ ltSS Ulldll lIlC 01 t,OOU,oOO,OoO II COL
dent Truman asked.
In a message to Congress Friday,
the President asked that the spend
ing of that sum be authorized for
four and a quarter years beginning
April l. He asked for $6,800, 900 900
for the first IS months, up to the
middle of 1949.
The main point on which the
Herter bill and the administration
plan conflict is that of managing
the program.
The Herter plan calls for BIZ
partisan board of eight members.
one of whom would be the chair
man, operating as a new govern
mental agency. The bill Mr.. Tru-
man forwarded to Congress con-
templates putting the program ufl-
der the centralized direction of a
single administrator with broad
powers.
Lean Toward Herter Bill.
Even before they got look at
, the administrations plan, House
leaders made it plain they favored
Republican program and leaned
toward the Herter bill.
/ To give it head start, the
House Foreign Affairs Committee
began hearings on it last week
and plans to continue them in
January Chairman Eaton an
nounced the hearings were begun
at the request of House Republican
leaders.
I'll lay you a small amount
Representative Nixon, Republican,
of California told reporter, that
what finally passes will be much
closer to the Herter plan than to
the Marshall plan.
! In international political matters
the State Department is paramount,
but in economic matters it is lost"
/ Mr. Nixon is a member of the
Herter committee.
I While Senator White Of Maine,
Republican floor leader, has said he
tSee FOREIGN AID, Page A-6)