Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-07-25
Arms
Continued From First Page

and will continue to be of deep
concern to us as long as their mill
tary weakness invites aggression.
1t Is entirely logical that these
governments should turn to us
for technical advice, for the i'm
mediately necessary defense equip
ment which they cannot supply or
produce for themselves, and for
the dollar aid some of them must
have to build up their limited pro-
duction Of military equipment.
Major provisions of the pro-
posed legislation include:
!. The President could obtain
equipment for the aid program
by (A) taking 1t out of Gov
eminent stocks OBJ buying it
new and Co helping the other
nations to produce it themselves
2. The President also could &C
cept materials from other gov
ernments "as condition of or in
connection with" the American
help. This follows the general
principle of wartime reverse
lend-lease."
Some Strings Attached.
3. The goods to be given out
by the United States would have
some strings attached. Receiving
countries would have to agree to
use the assistance to build up
their own strength against ag-
erosion: they could not transfer
the materials without the Pres
ident's consent and the chief ex-
ecutive could suspend the grants
to any country If he decided that
continued aid to that country
was mo longer consistent with
the national interests of the
United States"
4. The whole. operation would
have to be consistent" with the
United Nations charter and the
President would be required to
shut of help to any country
against which the U. N. took &C
ton.
S. To get the program under
way without waiting for actual
congressional appropriations. the
Reconstruction Finance Corp.
would be empowered to advance
the President 1925. 100000 II it
appears that the aid prograDe
authorization will be approved by
Congress. but that there will not
be time for an appropriation bill
at this session. then the amount
of the RFC advance might be in
creased.
The State Department called
the program, termed MAP" in
its booklet, short-range propo-
sition.
From a long-range standpoint,
the United States cannot con-
tinue indefinitely as the major
supplier of arms and equipment
to support the free world" 1t
stated. However. it did not divulge
how long the administration felt
such programs would have to be
continued in terms of years.
Can't Act as Hermit.
mot even the United States,
with it's resources, its atomic
weapons and its great industrial
power, can afford to act the her
NIT in national defense" the de-
partment declared in its argument
in favor Of the program. ITO help
us neutralize the descriptive inf1u-
ences attacking the world society,
we in the United States need
friends and strong friends. We
need the means Of making our
strength and their strength avail
able wherever our vital common
interests are threatened.
The aid plan now proposed, the
pamphlet said, would provide only
urgently needed" arms for West
ern Europe and future programs
will be necessary. The length OF
those programs will depend largely
on "the degree to which we and
the nations associated with us can
remove the threat Of war;" II
added.
Turning to the possible impact
Of the outlay on the national
economy. the State Department
said that after a careful analy;
sis" the conclusion that was
drawn is that the United States
4