Evening star., 1948-04-01
Including Spain in ERP
indicates House Hystefd
Anti-Russian Emotions Boil OveSy
Affordin& Wallace Ammunition
By Doris Flseson

House inclusion Of Spain In the European
Recovery Program is an expression Of the ale
most Historically anti-Russian emotion that
has been building In the lower chamber.
1t was not vote for Franco; 1t was vote
against Stain. 1t probably represents also
new thousands of votes for Henry wallace,
who by an unfortunate coincidence was in.
sisting at almost the same moment before .
Senate committee that shabby alliances with
dictators were part Of the administration war
plotting. -
House leaders declare they could not have
blocked the Spain amendment, such is the.
House temper. They admit they had had
prior notice, but said 1t was bound to pass
when Representative OKonsh determined to
offer it. They report also an understanding
with Representative OKonsd that II the
Senate refuses in conference TO accept the
amendment, as 1t viii surely do, he will no
longer press for It,
Stick to Beat Dog.
The House attitude Is the diverse OF the
picture Mr.. Wallace painted Of Russia that
cannot believe any international tribunals
would give 1t fair deal. The merits Of.
Spain's case, Frances alliance with Hitler and
Mussolini-these were not considered Spain
was stick to beat the Russian dog and the
House grabbed it. rs
President Truman and his aides must take
fair share Of the blame for the House action.
They determined long ago that they could
not sell the various loans abroad-British.
Greek, Turkish-and the Marshall Plan on ths
ground that 1t was the decent, constructive. in-r
telligent thing to do. It
So they began to do their selling Job On
the basis Of fear. They preached fear Of the
march of communism as In the Truman Doc
trine and this has progressed inexorably-with
handsome assistance from the Russians-to
fear of Russia.
1t is probably true that in the House ut
least the expenditures of billions for foreign
aid could not be approved were 1t not for the,
Russian menace But the President and his
aides have displayed no talent for the delicate
arts of government and especially its checks
and balances. They are necessarily surprised
by the congressional temper which they have
helped to create.
The fear motif worked. They poured 1t on.
To their CONSERVATION they got the super
f1cially pro-Franco vote which bewilders for.>
eigners ID confuses Americans +
ERP is program to help Europe rebuild
and rehabilitate itself so people will be able and
willing to resist communism. Yet that phase
was scarcely mentioned In the inflammatory
House debate. The irony is, Of course that Il
1t is war the House wants 1t is hardly sensibls
to start rebuilding . Europe war will again
destroy. -
Church Influence Charged.
The charge Is made here that the Catholic
church, interested In frances Catholic regime,
had Influenced the voting. reason for that
Is that, by another coincidence, the Right Rev.
Msgr. Fulton Sheen Of Catholic Univer-
sity, eloquent foe of communism. delivered an
unusual opening prayer that day which warned
OF Russia. Suggesting that instead of his pray
ing for Congress, Congress ought to pray, he
said in part:
"You ought to pray that God the sovereign
King Of nations who once used Assyria rs the
rod and staff OF his anger, will not now uss
Russia as the instrument OF His justice for
the liquidation Of western world that has
forgotten God and banished His name from
our schools but not from the Congress Of these
United States" -. ..-..
It Is more probable that Mssr. Sheen
had In mind tha Senate debate then IN prog
ress on whether Federal aid 10 education
should be barred to sectarian and private
schools (the Donnell amendment which lost
overwhelmingly.
However, 1t Is true that big-city Congress-
men, including Jews with reason to be hostile
to Franco, did vote for the OKonsN amend
ment. Representative OKonsN himself Is Q
rabble-rouser of no standing in the House. He
was an isoationist but it is considered unfair
to America First to lump him with them
because of his extreme attitudes.