Evening star., 1948-02-14
s. Billion Aid
Total Too Large,
Taft Declares
Congress Will Reduce
Committees Figure,
He Says in Denver

Senator Taft, Republican, OF
Ohio said in Denver today the
$5, 800, 900, 900 outlay which the
Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee approved for the first IL
months of the European Recov-
cry Program is too large"
Senator Taft, who heads the Sen
ate Republican Policy Committee,
told news conference he expects
Congress to reduce that amount.
He is in the Colorado capital for a
campaign speech tonight.
The Foreign Relations Commit
tee late yesterday voted unani-
fnously to change the proposed
initial appropriation from $6,S00,-
000, 900 for Is months to IS 300, ,000,-
600 for IL months, starting April l..
1t was thought that action may have
averted a major floor fight in the
Senate over the Marshall Plan.
Figure Declared Still Too Large.
But Senator Taft asserted Il
think the amount they have indorsed
is still too large" and added:
I'm addition to it, we will have to
spend $500, 100000 feeding the people
OF Germany. That will make more
than $1,000 900 900 for the IL months
and that's too large"
The Ohioan refused to set any al
ternate figure. But he said he be-
lieves foreign spending should be
limited to the amount in the current
year-somewhere between $4,000, ,000,-
900 and $4,000, 100000.
Il would guess that the figure
finally approved by Congress would
be somewhat less than the committee
total" Senator Taft said. The
House is inclined toward a lower
figure. do not know what will hap
pen in the Senate"
Reed Backs Taft's Views.
Senator Taft's views on the size
of the initial appropriation was
echoed here, meanwhile, by Senator
Reed of Kansas, one of the 20 So
called Republican "revisionists." Sem
ator Reed predicted the $500, ,OO0,-
900 figure will be cut on the Senate
floor.
Senator Reed said the group OF
revisionists would meet again at his
home next week to review the COM
mittee's action, but expressed his
own view that an effort may be
made to reduce the first year to
about $4,000, ,000, 600.
The Kansan described as quite
acceptable" the committee changes
10 make the administrator more ir,-
dependent, pointing out that was
orae zof the first suggestions OF his
group. Then he added:
"The amount is larger than we
think IL oaight 10 be, and was .
little surprised the committee
adopted the amount because I think
It is reasonably certain the amount
will be reduced by an amendment
offered in the Senate"
Total Approved 1s-to-0.
In announcing the Foreign Rela-
tions Committees approval OF the
fund change late yesterday, Chair
man Vandenberg pointed out that
1t makes available exactly the same
amount per month the administra-
ton recommended
The committee also gave the l6
cooperating nations of Western Eu-
rope as much assurance OF follow
ing through on a full recovery pro-
Sram as any Congress could ever
give.
It authorized further appropria-
tions for a four-year program
through June 30, 1852, leaving the
amount OF future annual INSTALL
n1ents TO be fixed at each session
The net effect is to start the pro-
gram off at full speed on April /
If Congress completes action by
that time-but gives the new Con-
gress to be elected In November an
earlier chance to review the whole
question next spring.
Marshall Cites Red Menace.
Shortly after the committee acted.
Secretary of State Marshall told
the Nation that "half-hearted and
inadequate" aid would mean let
ting Western Europe, the Middle
East and the entire Mediterranean
area pass into the control Of 1.-The
Soviet Union and their Communist
aiiies."
He called the European Recovery