Evening star., 1950-05-26
SO Countries Line Up
For Point -Four Aid,
Passed by Congress
BY III. A,.eeiatsd Pres,

About so countries and depend
ent areas want to snare in the
point four" program of United
States help provided for in the
foreign aid authorization now
passed by Congress.
State Department officials re-
ported this today. following the
Senate's ~ to 27 vote of approval
for the $3.120.550,00 aid bill.
The vote. late yesterday. gave
President Truman his first major
victory of the year in the field of
foreign policy.
Republican Senate leaders
fought unsuccessfully to block
final action on the bill with an at
tack on the $35 million point four
plan to benefit backward areas of
the world with American technical
aid.
The Senate voted to accept a
Senate House conference agree
ment on the foreign-aid measure.
This action sent the authorization
bill to the White House for Mr.
Truman's expected signature.
ECA Has Funds Left Over.
Congress must still act on an
appropriations bill supplying the
money. In this connection, the
Economic Cooperation Admins
tration. which administers the aid
program. reported it would have
$277 million left over from the
current fiscal year ending June 80.
This is $l27.9 million more than
had been previously estimated as
a carryover.
The Senate Republicans let it
be known they will carry on their
fight against the point-four pro-
gram, so-called from it's position
in Mr.. Truman's inaugural ad-
dress.
State Department officials who
told of the so requests for point
four aid noted that the cost of
meeting all of them would be sew
eral times the $35 million Con-
gress authorized. -
The department is planning a
prompt start. Assuming the nee
essary actual appropriation will
be voted by June 30, officials SAID
the first project should be under
way by the end of the summer.
Included probably will be an at
tack on malaria-infested area in
the Middle East or Southeast Asia
through a nig-scale DDT spraying
campaign.
Feasible Plans Come First.
Only the most feasible of the
requests already submitted can
be put into effect at the outset,
officials said. In the meantime
applicant countries will be asked
for further details.
The dispatch of a survey mis-
sion to the Middle East is under
consideration to fill in gaps of in
formation about that area.
Senator'S Millikin, Colorado, and
Nebraska, said Republican
lawmakers will try to cut the point
four program when the foreign
aid bill comes before the Appro-
priations Committee.
They and Senator Taft, Repub-
lican, Ohio, argued that the Ian
guage of the point-four plan would
open the way for another huge
recovery program after the Mar
shall Plan ends in 1852.
They also said the wording was
a promise that this Government
would guarantee the overseas in
vestments of American business
men.
Chairman Connally of the Sen
ate Foreign Relations Committee
denied these claims.
Breakdown of New Cash.
AS finally approved, the measure
would authorize: $2,849, ,000, 900 in
new cash for the third year Of the
European Recovery Program: $94
million for possible use in and
near China; 500 million for the
Republic of Korea; $27, ,450, 900 for
Palestine refugee aid; $35 million
for the point-four program, and
SIS million for the International
Children's Emergency Fund.