Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-07-26
; Republican
LeadersDraftinQ
Own Arms Bill
Vondenberg, Dulles
And VoYs Sponsor
Reduced Program

President Truman's S1,450 ,000.-
900 foreign arms program APP
pears destined to emerge from
Congress as a sharply reduced
token" fund pending the prepa-
ration of joint defense plans
under the North Atlantic treaty.
Although hearings on the bill
will not start until Thursday
before the House Foreign Affairs
Committee. a group Of Senate
and House Republicans already
were reported to be working on
a substitute calling for less than
half the Truman figure.
Senators Vandenberg Of Michigan
and Dulles of New York, Repub-
licans, who have taken the lead
in developing bipartisan foreign
policy since the close of the war,
were among the first to question
the scope of the President arms
plan.
Back Stopgap Aid.
These two Republicans Joined
in calling for a moderate interim
allotment Of arms to Western
Europe until the full machinery
Of the North Atlantic defense pact
goes into operation. Both had
backed Chairman Connally Of the
Foreign Relations Committee all
the way in getting the treaty
through the Senate without res
ervations. but they insisted that
the followup arms for treaty
nations are intended to be based
on the joint defense plans of a
council which has not yet come
into being.
The Presidents program also
faces opposition from a group Of
Republicans like Senator Taft of
Ohio. with some Democratic sup
port. who are opposed to Com
munist expansion. but want to
keep American military strength
at home until an attack occurs.
Capitol Hill observers are con-
WINGED administration leaders cam
not get around the combined OPP
position of these two groups-the
advocates of a small interim fund
and those against any arms money
at this time.
Senate Skirmish Likely Today.
The first skirmish may come
in the Senate today over whether
to refer the arms message to the
Foreign Relations Committee. the
armed services group. or arrange
for joint hearings.
Senators Vandenberg and Dulles
are said to be working with Rep
resentative Vorys of Ohio. Re
publican leader on the House
Foreign Affairs Committee, on
substitute. They were reported
to be considering a plan along
these lines:
Give the North Atlantic Treaty
nations 100000 for new
equipment. and spend another
$1,000, 900 to cover the shipment
OF existing surplus military equip
ment in this country. The value
OF such SURPRISES might amount
to $3.50, 10000 Their tentative
plan also is said to include ap-
proximately 1928 100000 to con-
tinue military aid to Greece and
Turkey, to which this country is
already committed.
The cash outlay under this plan
would be less than half the Tru-
man program, and would be Of
fered in the hope Of heading off
q long, bitter fight at this session.
The arms message received the
most critical reception that has
greeted any foreign policy pro-
posal on Capitol Hill since before
the war. chiefly because OF its
global scope and broad terms.
vandenberg's Statement.
On the Senate side administra-
ton leaders cautiously Endorsed
It's general detectives. Senator
vandenberg lost no time in issuing
this statement:
1.-THE Presidents emphasis on
collective security is sound. But
my first impression is that his pro-
gram must be rewritten and cur