Evening star., 1947-09-30
Foreign Aid
Continued From First Page.)


the extra session idea, he repeated
his statement of last week that one
would be called if necessary. He
would not make guess as to pos
sible date.
Tomorrow the White House tackles
another angle, when the newly or
ganiZed Citizens Food Committee,
headed by Charles Luckman, meets
for the first time to map a program
for the national conservation pro-
gram asked by Mr.. Truman to
bolster European supplies and halt
the price advance. Mr.. Luckman
was on the Presidents calling list
today.
The President told the congress
sional leaders at yesterdays meeting
there is only enough money on hand
to keep Western Europe, especially
Italy, France and Austria, going on
starvation basis" of food and fuel
until some time in December. There
is no way to make additional funds
available, he said, without action by
Congress.
He said 1t will take another $780,
100000 to see the area through next
March. Something must be done
soon, he told his news conference,
if France and Italy are to survive
this winter as free and independent
nations"
Speed Asked on Stopgap Aid.
The Chief Executive said the long
range Marshall plan under which
is European nations have asked for
some $22, ,40O, 600 900 of aid can wait
until the regular session of Congress
in January.
Senator Lucas, Democrat, of Illi-
nois, acting Democratic Senate lead
er, told reporters that Congress has
been very generous in the biparti-
san approach to problems of this
kind and can see no reason why,
when all the facts are in, Congress
would not support this stopgap
plan"
Unless this Is done, Senator Lucas
said, there is wonderful chance"
that Italy will fall to Communists
within six months.
Chairman Bridges of the Senate
Appropriations group expressed the
opinion that generally speaking
this country has got to meet real
!stically the threat of Russian COM
munism and its spread into Western
Europe"
In addition to the special fund
proposed by the President, Senator
Bridges added, the Army will need
$450, ,0O0, 900 to $500, ,000, 900 additional
for occupied areas during the fiscal
year which ends next July /.
Senator Connally of Texas, rank
ing Democrat on the Foreign Rela-
tions Committee, said the commit
tees should finish their work by De-
cember l SO that the President could
call the special session then If he
decides an early return of Congress
would solve the problem.
House Majority Leader Halleck
said he favored calling in the COM
mittees and added a hope that the
most information possible" will be
given to the American people.
Pepper Voices Dissent.
A dissenting voice against the plan
came from Senator Pepper, Demo-
crat, of Florida, disputing claims
that the issue is European aid or
communism. He said, That is an
utterly false basis on which to put
this program"
Senator Pepper said there are
many Communist workers in France
and Italy and IF they get the idea
that this is not plan to help them,
but a war between the United
States and Russia, they may not
want to help the United States fight
that war"
Senator Pepper argued that in
stead of considering stopgap aid for
Europe, Congress should restore
price controls and rationing of
essential foods.
"The economy at home must be
saved before we can save Europe.
he declared. This is the first con-
dition for success of the Marshall
plan"
IA ~ nj NJ =. - ..