Evening star., 1948-01-07
Taft and George See.
Delay Until July | on !.
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Long Range Aid
BY The Assoeiassd Press

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BY The Assoeiatsd Press
Senators Taft. Republican, of
Ohio and George, Democrat, Of
Georgia predicted today 1t prob
ably will be July three months
later than the administrations
target date-before any long
range European recovery pro-
gram goes into effect.
And Senator Ball, Republican, Of
Minnesota said, without naming q /
new date, there is no chance" Con-
gress will meet the April / deadline
set by the State Department for
final congressional approval Of the
Marshall plan.
Senators Taft and George agreed
in separate interviews, however,
that Congress might vote additional
stopgap assistance to tide some Eu-
ropean nations over a part of the
April-July interval, they forsee.
But Senator Ball, member of the
Senate Appropriations Committee
"AaNA4 WoN4A 1ldNN w dRP1OfV ally
interim fund, disagreed.
ANY idea that 240 ,000, 900 Euro
peans can't get along for month
or two without dole from America
Is just plain nuts" Senator Ball de-
clared.
Last month during the special
session Congress appropriated $780,
100000 in stop-gap aid for, France,
Italy. Austria and China. This pro-
gram is scheduled to wind up April
/, but Senator Taft and Senator
George said they believe the money
may last until June.
Senator Taft said some form of
the Marshall plan may clear Con-
gress in June or little earlier, but
I don't think there will be any long
range program in actual operation
before July l." which is the start of
the fiscal year.
There have been indications in
the House, too, that no program will
be ready by April. l. Chairman Eaton
of the House Foreign Affairs Com
mittee has stated that hearings,
scheduled to start next Monday,
probably will last two months.
Republicans Agree.
House Republicans today smoothed
away some of their differences over
strategy for handling the foreign
aid program with an agreement that
equal consideration" will be given
the Marshall and Herter plans.
Speaker Martin reported the de-
cision after he and Majority Leader
Halleck conferred with Mr.. Eaton
and other key party members of the
Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Marshall plan calls for sin
gle Federal administrator with broad
powers. The Herter plan, developed
by special House committee headed
by Representative Hertz, republican,
of Massachusetts after tour of
Europe last fan, provides for man
aging the European recovery pro-
gram through bipartisan Govern
ment corporation of eight members.
Mr.. Martin and Mr.. Halleck had
given their support to the princi-
Piles of the Herter plan. Mr.. Eaton
had questioned the constitutionality
of Herter proposal on grounds it
would invade the right of the Presi-
dent to direct foreign affairs.
Hearings Open Tomorrow.
The Senate Foreign Relations
Committee plans to open hearings
tomorrow, with Secretary Of State
Marshall probably the first witness.
With President Truman's approval,
the $1,000, ,OO0, 900 four-year cost es-
innate of the recovery program al
ready has been erased from the bill.
The move had been suggested by
Chairman. Vandenberg of the Sen
ate Foreign Relations Committee,
who said he Still favors the idea of
a four-year program but without
definite price tag attached. fa
Senator Taft said late yesterday
he does not believe removal of the
overall figure will contribute much
toward reducing opposition to the
measure. The Ohioan, chairman of
the Senate Republican Policy Com
mittee and candidate for the COP
presidential nomination, opposes
promising more than one years as
sistance at a time.
Similarly Senator Georges For
eign Relations Committee member,
said any authorization should be for
only one year.
IF the program proves worthy,
then Congress and the American
people will be willing to continue it.
Senator George asserted. "If It'll
doesn't prove worthy, they won't
want to"