Evening star., 1948-01-08
Helping Europe Help Itself
Basic Advantages of Marshall Plan Reviewed in Reply
to Skeptcism Expres sed in Recent Letter
To the Editor of The star:

To the Editor OF The Star:
julius Davidsons letter in The Star of
January 8 is an attack and Misrepresentation,
under the guise OF objectivity, on the aims
and purposes OF the European Recovery Plan
('Marshan plan~.
Two Of the leading Republican Senators,
he claims, are among the Influential voices
[who] are beginning to be heard questioning
the efficiency Of the Marshall plan to cope
with the enormity of this European crisisl
task"
Mr.. Davidson states that Senator Arthur
H. Vandenberg, Republican, of Michigan,
chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
COMMITTEES, has called for Nationwide
debate of its merits by experts"
And yet the newspapers of January car
ried the story that Senator Vandenberg had
engaged the Brookings Institution ito prepare
survey on various methods of administering
the Marshall plan.'
Mr.. Davidson then quotes Senator Robert A.
Taft, Republican, Of Ohio as being in doubt
whether the Marshall plan will really do the
good in Europe that is claimed for it."
But the Associated Press on January told
us that Senator Taft is willing to spend from
to billions the first year on the ERP.
The overwhelming majority of Americans
leaders and ordinary citizens-are in favor
of the ERP. The great debate is on the meth
ods of administration.
Disputes "RathoIe" Theory.
Mr.. Davidson states that Europe's domi-
nant economic position has steadily deterio-
rated due to IAN obsolete competitive plant,
liquidated overseas holdings, and decimated
and devitalized manpower"
He wonders what chance has Europe's en-
feebled industry against the matchless puis-
sance Of Upited States economy"
And he supports the Operation Rathole"
school Of thought when he concludes that:
ITO restore Europe, mainly with American
funds, to even>a modicum of her former viril-
ity Is an undertaking as dubious In its issue
as it is dismaying in magnitude"
Get us note in passing that the Political
Bureau Of the Russian Communist Party evi-
IDENTIFY does not share Mr.. Dayidson's belief
in the innate bankruptcy of western Europe
For the Kremlin policy has been to do every
thing within the power of the Russian en-
pire and its fifth columns to prolong the status
quo. They have dismantled and removed
entire plants from Germany; Austria, and
other countries as Preparations" they have
the loss of millions of man-hours of work,
they have prevented the economic unity of
German industry as agreed to at Potsdam,
they stopped their satellites from participating
in the ERP and thus artidcially aggravated
the east-west European attempts at economic
collaboration0
The entire issue has been greatly confused
by Mr.. Davidson. No informed American
thinks the Marshall plan-and it provides not
merely funds" as Mr.. Davidson says but
largely industrial products as WELLS an at
tempt to restore Western Europe fully, or al
most so, to her prime position of decades ago.
This cannot be DONE.
But as has been repeated time and again by
its advocates, the ERP will attempt to help
Western Europe-brought to its present semi
PROSTATE position primarily by the devastation
OF the war-to help itself to get on its economic
feet and function on its own as part of the
global economy.
The relatively new modest position of West
ern Europe is not the equivalent OF the bank
rupt role Mr.. Davidson assigns to her. She
is destined to play . strong hand in world
affairs, especially II German fndustry-,ntil