Evening star., 1948-06-06
G|oba| Aid Fund
Boost in Senate
Appears Likely
Vondenberg to Testify
Wednesday in Effort
To Restore Slash
BY the Associated Press

pr IHe NsSceioIed FfesS
Senator Vandenberg, Republic
can, of Michigan, has taken per-
sonal command of the fight to
boost foreign aid funds and in
dications are that the Senate
may restore slashes voted by the
House.
Senator Vandenberg, Foreign Re-
lations Committee chairman, who
piloted the European Recovery Pro.
gram through the Senate, told re-
porters yesterday he is asking for
"the earliest possible opportunity"
to appear personally before the Sem
ate Appropriations Committee.
Shortly afterward, Chairman
Bridges of the Appropriations Com
mittee announced that Senator
Vandenberg will be "the first and
principal witness" when hearings
on the European aid fund are re-
sumed Wednesday.
Hoffman, Marshall Also Invited.
Senator Bridges, who is in New
Hampshire, said through his ONCE
here that Paul G. Hoffman, eco
nomic cooperation administrator,
and Secretary of State Marshall
also will be invited to tell the COM
mittee their views on the Houses
action in slashing the appropriation.
Senator Bridges pointed out that
his committee had taken almost un-
precedented action in holding hear
ings on the ECA appropriation bill
before, it cleared the House, In an
effort to speed it up. The only other
time such a thing had been done
by the Senate committee, Senator
Bridges said, was last fall on an
interim foreign aid appropriation.
The committee now has before it
wrap-up foreign aid bill carrying
$500 100000 for American assist
ance to Communist nations
abroad.
The House made that amount
available for 15-month period in
stead Of the S6,533, ,0O0, 900 asked by
the administration as a minimum
outlay for II months.
Some Restoration Predicted.
Although it may be several days
before the Senate committee gets
down to item-by-item work on the
bill. there were clear indications
that several Republicans are likely
to join an almost solid front of
Democrats to restore the chopped
of funds.
Senator Gurney. Republican, OF
South Dakota, committee member,
told a reporter the chances are the
Senate will restore some of the
funds.
Friends said Senator Ball, Repub-
lican, of Minnesota, another COM
mlttee member who has been high
ly critical of the administration
foreign aid program, is inclined to
support an increase. His view, asso-
ciates said. is that Congress made
a commitment last month In ap-
proving authorization legislation
for the recovery program.
Senator OMahoney, Democrat, OF
Wyoming, sounded the sentiments
of most of the Democratic members
Of the committee when he called the
House axwielding a disastrous
thing"
THE record before the country
is perfectly clear" the Wyoming
Senator declared. Passage of the
foreign aid authorization was one
of the most vital things in the defeat
of the Communists in the Italian
election.
Weapon for Communists.
IF Congress goes back on Euro
pean recovery, as the House action
does, it will be used by the Com
munists as proving their original
charge that we never meant II
anyway"
Senator McGrath of Rhode Island.
chairman of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee, took the same
view.
THE news of this cut is good news
to the Soviet Union" he declared In
a statement. 1T furnishes the am
munition they have been without
for the last few months, with which
they now can lombard the countries
of Western Europe, particularly, IN
convince these peoples that the
United States was insincere when
Congress approved the overall plan
to promote world recovery"
Senator McGrath said the reduc-l
tions indicate that isolationistsI
still are in control of the Repubh-
can Party in the House.
Senator Taft, Republican, OF OhlS
who earlier had called for cuts IN
the aid program, refused to COM
ment on the House action when
reached en- a political trip In North
Carolina.
There were strong indications
that Senator Vandenberg as chair
man of the Foreign Relations Com
mittee and chief Capitol Hill ex-
ponent of the bipartisan foreign
policy, considers the House action
a blow to American prestige abroad.
Loss Of Cold War Feared.
Senator Vandenberg is reported TO
have told friends he fears that un-
less the full amount Of funds Is
..x~..a +h;. ,o,,ptrv uytl1 lose the