Evening star., 1948-06-05
FoIIy in the House

In voting to support the Appropriations
Committees irresponsible slash in funds
for the European Recovery Program, the
House has committed an act that is hardly
less than sabotage. Nothing could be
better calculated to help the Kremlin in
its avowed effort to wreck the ERP and
promote conditions designed to bring the
entire continent under Soviet dominance.
Unless the Senate undoes this folly and
prevails upon the House to reverse itself,
a key part of our foreign policy will be
gravely shaken, and what began as a
great and promising enterprise to rebuild
the free world may easily deteriorate into
little more than another relief handout.
1t was just year ago today-in an
address at Harvard-that Secretary Mar
shall first proposed his long-term plan for
American aid to help Europe help itself
get back on its feet as strong and self
sustaining community of nations. Al
though invited to take part, Russia, hold
ing its satellites reluctantly in line, quickly
declined and brought the Communist
International out of hiding to wage open
warfare against the program-a decision
confirming the Soviet Unions suspected
ambition Of wanting to keep the Western
Europeon nations in weakened condition
in order to pick them off one by one, in
a drive to make the whole continent part
OF Moscows empire.
Despite Russia, however, and despite the
violence OF its propaganda against the
ERP, sixteen free nations met together in
Paris to organize themselves for individual
and collective self-help in keeping with
the conditions of the Marshall proposal.
AS for the United States, special commit
tees organized by Congress and the execu-
tive branch undertook exhaustive studies
of all aspects of the program. As a result,
the Senate and House finally adopted the
Foreign Assistance Act OF 194S. The act
authorized the expenditure Of S., 900, ,000,0 900
during the first twelve months of the
ERP. In addition, it authorized funds for
China, Greece and Turkey, Trieste and
other projects.
Led by Representative Taber, however,
the Appropriations Committee, brushing
aside all the expert studies of the past,
has chosen to upset the apple cart, and for
some reason difficult to fathom the House
has sustained it. Besides voting for deep
slashes in authorizations for China and
the Greek-Turkish program, and besides
eliminating funds for Trieste, it has put
the ak to the sum previously authorized
by Congress for the ERP. 1t has voted to
appropriate only $5,055, 100000 instead of
$500, 100000, and it has provided that
this reduced sum must cover fifteen
months instead of twelve-a cut OF ST.
745 100000 in the $4,000, ,000, 900 considered
by the administration to be the rock
bottom minimum needed for the fifteen
month period.
All this adds up to potentially deadly
mischief. According to Paul G. Hoffman,
head Of the ERP, the House, in voting to
grant less money, has actually voted for
less recovery in Europe. Indeed, as Secre-
tary Marshall sees it, it has voted to alter
the program from one Of reconstruction to
one of mere relief. Here we have an
example of the too-little policy in its worst
form. In all probability, the men of the
Kremlin are greeting it as the best piece
of news they have received in long time.
As for Western Europe, however, it is
blow that must make American foreign
policy seem as capricious and unreliable
as giddy young girl. A prompt reversal
is imperative. The Taber vision cannot
be allowed to prevail in Congress If the
United States and other free nations are
to do the things that must be done for
security in a dangerous world.