Evening star., 1949-04-10

20 ElSIQSIS O. l4lAa DNASS &IfGrTSS
The Senate. however ~!ll ne
vote until the Senate Foreign RslA
hearings on the pact. running
from tWo 70 three weeks Il wiLl
no, vote until there has ocen ''!Qll
and free debate IN the Senate IL
SELF. which may mean anything
from tao weeks 70 two months
Further. the treaty must compete
for consideration by the Senate
with domestic legislation eAsetly
sought by the Truman admin
lStratlon. including repeal q The
Taft Hartley Law. Fedora! housing
Federal education and extension
OF the c,procal Trade Agree
ments Act. no, 10 mention appro-
priation measures fog the myriad
activities Of the Federal Govern
ment. which must become laS oe-
fore July J.
Public Opinion Vital
The President. the State De
partment and The supporters al
the new pact generally must pre-
pare themselves 10 present the
facts and arguments for the rau-
ncation OF the treaty IN a way
that will rally American public
opinion IN favor OF the alliance
and maintain that favor over n
long period For undoubtedly The
opposition Will be shooting al the
treaty from every possible angle
Indeed, the sniping has already
begun, even in the Senate Itself.
The attack may be expected TO
come with greatest impact on two
grounds. First. that II will cost
too much and will place too great
a burden on American economy
and American taxpayers. Second.
that 1t means definite abandon"
ment OF the old American tradl-
tion OF no entangling alliances
abroad.
The administration must De
fully prepared 10 lay before Con-
sress, too, a detailed plan imple-
menting the treaty-makins II
more than Just scrap OF paper
The IL European nations which
are signatories TO the North At
lantic treaty are stu struggling
back TO economic recovery from
the devastating effects OF the last
war. II they are TO be effective
partners they must be armed
They insist they must have arms
and help from the United States.
There have been published reports
that the Government will recon-
mend a sum running from 81 .oo0-
0o0. 900 to $4,000. 900 600. None OF
these figures. however. are of'lcial
or final--and not until the Budget
Bureau and the President have
acted in the matter will the esti-
mates be Official,
Presumably the cost will be
tlarge-perhaps billion dollars or
more. II 1t is added TO the Presi-
dents already huge budget, II Will
add to the necessity for increased
taxes-an unpopular move--or
compel definite spending on a
large scale. An alternative. sug-
gested by Or. Edwin O. Nourse.
chairman of the Presidents Coun-
Gil OF Economic Advisers. is that
the money for European rearma-
ment be taken from the SIS .00o.-
600. 900 already in the budget for
the Army. Navy and Air Force. .
Supporters OF the pact would
prefer TO have the treaty handled
by the Senate on its nwn--without
becoming involved III any discus
sion OF the money that this coun-
try will have to put UP to help
rearm its new Allies. They realize
that is impraeticable. Also, the
Senate alone deals with the treaty.
under its constitutional rights,
while the legislation and appro-
priations which must be made to
implement the pact must be dealt
with by both houses Of Congress
with the appropriations originat-
ing in the House OF Representa-
tives.
Some Senators Apprehensivc
Senators who favor the Atlantic
pact have been disturbed over the
proposal TO rearm the European
nations for a number OF reasons
the principal one being the added
financial burden which would be
thrust upon this country. SEN
ator George OF Georgia. ranking
Democratic member OF the For
eign Relations Committee after
Senator Connally OF Texas. the
committee chairman. has said
fatty he would prAfer to have
consideration OF plans for Eu-
ropean rearmament postponed
until next year. he has also well
coined the suggestion made by Or.
Nourse. The only question there is