Evening star., 1949-02-21
Strong Pledge
0fU. ). Aid Due
In Atlantic Pact
Military Clause to Give
Help to Attacked
Countries Planned
BY the Associoted Press

-. 1ne proposed North Atlantlc
pact will give its members strong
assurances that the United States
will not stand idly by in case Of
attack, it was learned today.
An official source whose name
may not be used said the military
clause of the pact will not commit
this country automatically to war.
But, he said, it will carry assur-
ances so strong that none will
mistake this Nations intention to
resist aggression.
:. It is understood Secretary of
State Acheson will negotiate with
representatives of the pact-mak-
ing countries on the basis of this
new understanding reached with
the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee. @
Mr.. Acheson and the Senate
committee are reported in agree
nent on the military commit
ments that can be made.
Both Chairman Connally and
Senator Vandenberg of Michigan,
top Republican on the committee,
are said to be satisfied with this
new approach to the problem of
giving treaty members the strong
assurance they desire.
Oppose Automatic Action.
Both Senators are opposed to
any automatic commitment to
war. They believe such promise
would be illegal because it would
bypass the constitutional right
of Congress to declare war.
The precise phrasing of the mil
itary clause in the pact now being
drawn is still secret. But it is
understood that there is agreement
to give signatories an assurance
of aid in case of attack.
The. State Department hopes to
present the treaty to Congress in
about a month. 1t would be re-
inforced by a multi billion dollar
military aid proposal for partici-
pating Western European coun-
tries.
Meanwhile. Senator Taft, Re-
publican. of Ohio, expressed ap-
proval of the principle of the pact.
Refers to Rio Pact.
The entry into the preliminaries
of Senator Taft. powerful leader
of the Senate minority. came at
Kentow. Ohio, where he spoke last
night in an early drive for re-
election to the Senate in 1850.
Explaining that he did not know
yet just what the projected pact
would entail because Congress
has been left in the air" up to
now, the Ohio Senator added that
IT am inclined to favor pact
along the general lines of the
South American alliance"
The reference was to the inter-
American defense pact signed at
Rio de Janiero, Brazil, September
z, 1947, by all Western Hemjs-
phere countries except Nicaragua
and Ecuador. The treaty provides
that an attack against any Amer
lean nation would be considered
an attack against them all. It
leaves the initiative for declaring
war on an aggressor after such an
attack to the individual States,
but clearly implies such an obli-
CATION.
Stresses Constitution.
Senator Taft emphasized that
any pact must fall within the
framework of the American Con-
stitution-which leaves the declar-
alton of war up to Congress.
Mr.. Taft, incidentally, had a
good word for the European re-
eovery program. saying he be-
neved the primary objective of
stopping communism is being
gained. But he expressed disap-
polntment that people IN the ma
tons receiving our help as yet
indicate NO incentive to do for
themselves-to 60 into business or
omote their own welfare
through individual effort"
Meanwhile, there were these
other weekend developments in
connection with the Atlantic pact:
/. Senator Fulbright, Democrat,
of Arkansas declared the pact
must carry a moral commitment
that the United States will act
in event of an aggression against
any of the treaty countries. He
reasoned that no such thing as a
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