Evening star., 1950-07-30
Leaders Urge Senate
To Continue Adequate
Marshall Plan Aid
By Cecil Holland

Administration leaders yester-
day urged Congress to continue
adequate Marshall Plan assistance
for Western Europe as part of this
country's efforts to build up world
wide strength against Commu-
niSm.
The appeal was made by Will
liam Foster, acting administrator
of the Economic Cooperation Ad-
ministration, and Secretary of
State Acheson, as the Senate pre-
pared to vote tomorrow on the
ECA portion of the omnibus ap-
preparation bill.
AT least one amendment will be
offered seeking a drastic slash in
the $2.391 $50, 900 carried in the
bill for the third year of the Eu-
ropean recovery program. Also
pending is an amendment to in
crease the funds to a figure nearer
the $2.657, 700, 900 asked by Presi-
dent Truman.
Warn Against Curtailment.
Those favoring a slash in the
ECA funds are expected to en-
phasize the likelihood that Presi-
dent Truman soon will ask for
an additional foreign arms pro-
gram, totaling between 81 and IS
billion and that in view of the
emergency brought about by the
Korean situation, the economic re-
covery funds should be diverted
for this purpose.
The new arms program will be
discussed at the White House to-
morrow at a meeting of Demo-
cratic and Republican Congress
sional leaders with President Tru-
man, Secretary of Defense john
son and Secretary Acheson.
In letters to Chairman Connally
of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee. Mr.. Foster and Mr..
AcheSon warned against a dras-
tic curtailment in ECA funds.
Such a step, they added, might
well be profoundly misunderstood"
as indicating a loss of American
interest in European stability.
Strength Building Up.
Withdrawal of adequate sup
port of the Marshall Plan pro-
gram, the two officials emphasized,
would result in almost immediate
disruption" of Western European
nations.
Mr.. Foster pointed out that
Marshall Plan aid had enabled
Western European democracies to
build up strength to resist Com
munist aggression.
THE continued need for world
wide strength to prevent further
aggression and to preserve the
peace is apparent" the official
added.
1T is this strength which the
current vote on ECA will decisive
ly affect. 1t is this strength which
obviously must be made up cut of |
resources Of the whole free world |
and not the United tSates alone.
And the rest of the free world,
particularly free nations of West
ern Europe, are now. as a result
Of Marshall aid, in a position to
contribute substantially to that
end"
Progress Toward Recovery.
Mr.. Foster outlined some of the
progress toward recovery made by
the Marshall Plan nations and
said the continuation of adequate
ECA assistance, together with the
mutual defense arrangements,
will guarantee more security and
a greater increase in military
strength for each United States
dollar that is spent than we could
possibly achieve relying on United
States production alone"
Up to this point, the ECA Off
cial pointed out, Marshall Plan
assistance has been concerned
chiefly with building up resistance
to communism within some of the |
participating countries. Now, he
added, equal emphasis must be
given to building up resistance to
aggression from without"
Secretary Acheson in a separate
letter to Senator Connally said
he concurred completely with
what Mr.. Foster wrote and added:
II should like to emphasize
again that the mounting economic
strength of Western Europe is of
paramount Importance to the
fulfillment of the policy which the
United States has been pursuing"
Vote Due Tomorrow.
The Senate has agreed to start
voting at 2 pm. tomorrow on the
bill and all amendments.
A major fight is expected over
an amendment by Senator KEN,
Republican, of Missouri, bitter
critic of the Administrations for
eign policies, to cut the ECA ap-
preparation to $3.50, 1000, ,000-a
reduction of SAL 100000.