Evening star., 1948-01-07
vandenberg on Notice
10 G. 0. P. He'll Fight
To Win Marshall Plan
Senotor Freed Himself
From Political Ties
To Best Serve Motion

From Political Ties
To Best Serve Nation
By David Laurence
Senator Arthur vandenberg, Re-
publican. Of Michigan. has just
made = move which. on the surface,
looks as II 1t Is just . simple with
drawal from the presidential con-
test. Actually 1t Is much more.
What Mr.. vandenberg has done,
without saying 50 In 90 many words,
Is to notify certain sesments Of the
Republican Party that he is not
going to be affected by presidential
politics and is going to endeavor to
put the Marshall plan through Con-
gress.
II the chairman Of the Foreign
Relations Committee had continued
as kind Of passive candidate, he
would have been subjected to all
sorts Of pressure by those who would
want him to avoid alternating the
groups In the Republican Party who
do not like the Marshall plan.
Actually the Marshall plan isn't
popular among Republicans. The
opposition is growing constantly.
Any man who champions It might
as well dismiss from his mind the
idea that the leaders of the party
will back him for higher Office. The
regular organization men will follow
the pattern Of those members Of
the House who say that the Mar
shall plan is all right in its way az
0 relief measure but that 1t should
be materially curtailed.
VIII Make Suggestions.
Senator vandenberg wants some
changes and notifications made in
the Marshall plan. He will doubt
less join In the demand that a sep
arate agency be created and he will
have other suggestions to make
But these are secondary at the
moment. The truth Is that the
Marshall plan could be sidetracked
and emasculated and doubtless
would be were it not for the leader
ship Of such men as Senator Van
denberg.
It is significant, that at this time
the Michigan Senator sent his let
ter to Michigan Republicans asking
them not to pledge the delegation
for him at the next national con-
vention. He could have waited till
later on In the year. The letter was
dispatched, however, before the
Marshall plan debate begins and
serves aS q warning to Republican
organizations that the Michigan
Senator plans to make fight for
the plan no matter what the other
Republicans think about it. One
infers that in the State of Michigan
are many Republicans opposed to
the Marshall plan and that perhaps
recently 1t was made known to the
Senator thai he could not expect
their support at the next national
convention If he persisted in his
support of the Marshall plan.
Senator Taft, who is lukewarn
about the Marshall plan, maintains
ths most cordial relations with Sen
ator Vandenberg. So far as can be
detected, there is no cleavage be-
tween these two leaders. This may
be largely because the Michigan
Senator is quite skillful at avoiding
clsavages or at least preventing
them from developing before issues
are clearly understood. AT the mo-
ment Mr.. Vandenberg has not ex-
pressed himself very much on the
Marshall plan beyond the fact that
he favors It's principles. He has ar
ranged for committee hearings at
which all sides will be heard.
Had Figure Eliminated.
It Is to be noted, however, that
Senator Vandenberg arranged for
the elimination Of the $17,000, ,000.-
600 figure from the proposed bill
authorizing the Marshall plan. This
was a sensible piece Of strategy
What is significant Is that Mr.. Van
denberg worked 1t out with the
State Department and the President
ahead Of time.
It was already obvious to most
people that this Congress cannot
bind q successor Congress. The
same point was made in these dis
patches the very week that the 16-
nations plan was announced from
abroad. 1t would have been a mis-
take to authorize long-range pro-
gram as such. Nevertheless Europe
will know from the appropriation
made for the first Is months in
stallment that the United States is
not going to fail to see the program
through to completion. This as
sumes, of course, that European peo-
pies will do their part. There is
also the argument that separate an
nual appropriations will keep Euro
pean governments on their toes in
an effort to comply with the basic
requirements Of the plan as 1t re-
lates to their own action.
Senator Vandenberg has under
taken the greatest task Of his great
career In public life. His firm with
drawal from the presidential con-
test is an act Of self-denial quite
rare In the realm Of party politics.
For it has been assumed here that
Mr.. Vandenherg would be the bene-
ficiary Of q Dewey-Taft deadlock. He
could be yet. But the Michigan
Senator means what he says-he
viii not compromise or sidestep is
sues In order to placate influential
groups in his party. Instead he takes
his position on principle and lets
his chances for the nomination slip
away though, to be sure, the coun-
try will not overlook what he has
done. ..
(Rsproduction Kights Reserved)
Observation-Disclosures I'M