Evening star., 1949-09-29
Congress Approves
Bill for Arms Aid,
Sends Il 10 Truman
By the Associated Press

By the Assoeiafed Press
Final and enthusiastic congress
sional approval of the overseas
arms aid bill gave the administra-
ton authority today to start big
stocks of war equipment on the
way to Americas allies against
communism.
Congress sent the $1,314,01O, GOO
one-year foreign arms bill to tile
White House yesterday by a top
heavy margin.
The measure makes immediate
ly available $125. 100000 in cash
from the Reconstruction Finance
Corp. to throw the arms plan
into gear.
Senate leaders say these funds
can be used to process and ship
/ $3.50. 100000 worth of surplus
American equipment to the ma
tions which have stood with the
United States in the cold wal
with Russia. @.
Wins in House by 2 to l.
The House passed the bill by a
2-to-1 margin-223 to 109. A short
time later the Senate shouted It's
approval.
There was only a furry of ora
tory in both houses to delay the
passage. Critics called the bill a
wasteful move toward war. But
friends of the program defended
it as a strong peace measure.
The $3.50. 100000 worth of sur
plus arms provided in the bill is
in addition to the cash and con-
tract authority.
Most of the cash and contract
rights must yet be approved by
congressional appropriations COM
mittees. But the $125, ,000, 900 from
RFC is enough to get the pro-
gram rolling.
Bulk for Pact Nations.
The greater part of the arms aid
will be funnelled to the North
Atlantic pact nations. The bill
earmarks $500, ZOO, 900 in cash and
another $500,00o, 900 in contract
authority for the Western Euro
pean nations pledged to defend
the Atlantic area.
Except for 100000, 900, the
President can't release this fund
until he approve defense recon-
mendations by the Atlantic De-
tense Committee.
The balance of the funds will
go to helping Greece, Turkey
Korea. the Philippines, Iran and
the China area.
In addition to the arms aid
Congress moved toward final ap-
proval of $5.8O9, 800. 900 program
to bolster the economies OF
friendly nations.
This huge foreign recovery bill
received approval yesterday OF
Senate and House conferees. The
action was the first break in a
pile-up of about $4,000, ,000, 0,0oC
worth of money bills which should
have been approved last June 30
$S,7783S0,000 for Recovery.
The recovery bill sets aside q
total Of $3,778, $3.50, 900 in aid TO,
Western Europe. This means that
in the coming months Western
Europe will receive almost SIS. .000,-
100000 in military and economic
help from the United States.
II, as expected. the recovery bill
clears both houses and is signed
by Mr.. Truman in its present form
within the next few days, it also
will provide:
s45,ooo.ooo for Greece and
Turkey.
$912.500.0O0 for Army occupa-
ton costs in Germany. Austria
Japan and the Ryukyu Islands.
$4,000 for the congressional
watchdog" committee which
keeps tabs on foreign spending.
ECA's share includes $50, ,000,-
900 of lending authority, as dis
tinct from cash. 1t will permit
the launching of long-range West
ern European industrial projects
which cannot be completed when
the Marshall Plan ends in mid
1852
The bill includes a compromise
provision to save some additional
German plants from being dis.
mantled and removed to France
and England as war reparations
The Senate bill would have di-
rected ECA Administrator Paul
Hoffman to review the dismantlinp