Evening star., 1951-05-25
First 6. 0. P. Reaction
To Foreign Aid Plan
Is IFS Too Costly

tary and economic defenses Of the
free world against the onslaught
of communism headed for q rough
passage in Congress today, but
smoother seas We're predicted by
the time the voting stage is
reached in midsummer.
First Republican reaction was
that the fiture is too high, Rep
resentative Jensen of Iowa sum-
ming 1t up with the view that the
total would be trimmed to O max
imum Of Sc billion.
Democrats were wary of COM
ments, but some thought the pro-
gram, submitted yesterday, is too
ambitious. Representative Rich
ards, Democrat, of South Carolina,
new chairman of the House For
eign Affairs Committee, which
will pilot the measure in its ini-
tial stages, would say only that
the program will receive the mi
mute scrutiny that it warrants"
India Vote Cited.
Despite differences of opinion
over the proportions of the pro-
gram, administration leaders
pointed to yesterdays House vote
and last weeks Senate vote, IA
voring a food loan to India as
indicative of congressional sup
port for continuing foreign aid.
The India-aid bill. providing for
q $3.50 million loan to help India
buy grain to combat famine, was
approved, 293 to "a. by the House,
and then sent back to confer
ence with the Senate to iron out
differences. An important point
at issue Is the Senate provision
rejected by the House-to re-
Quire the Economic Cooperation
Administration to try to get from
India in exchange for the grain,
Substantial quantities" Of man
ganese and monazite sand, po-
tentially useful in atomic energy
production.
Bipartisan Aid Counted On.
A bipartisan vote put the bill
through the House after four days
of debate. Only 36 Democrats
and So Republicans voted against
it.
The same bipartisan support was
counted on to save the new for
eign-aid program, with its $6.25
billion for military assistance and
1925 billion for economic aid for
non-C Communist areas. It would
cover the fiscal year starting
July /.
The economic part of the pro-
gram, marking a tapering-of OF
the Marshall plan started after
World War II, probably will draw
the heaviest opposition. Many Re-
publicans, and some Democrats,
oppose any further ECA spending.
And some members of both parties
believe the United States should
receive something in exchange for
any kind of foreign aid.
''It's going to have to be little
more take and a little less give
In the future on these programs"
commented Representative Vorys
of Ohio. a top Republican on the
House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The House committee plans to
start hearings late next week or
the following week. No plans for
hearings have been made In the
Senate, where the program will
be scanned by the Armed Serv-
ices Committee, now engaged in
the inquiry into ouster of Gen.
Macarthur.
Prospects were that Gen. Eisen-
hover, North Atlantic military
commander in Western Europe,
and Gen. Macarthur, ousted Far
East commander, would be among
the witnesses.
Meanwhile, the grand strategy
behind President Truman's big
program confronted Congress with
two critical issues of Judgment
about Communist strength and
intentions.
Worldwide Nature Stressed.
These somewhat related issues,
which may figure largely in de-
bate on the proposals, are:
1. Whether the United States
and its allies in the next few years
can discover means of seizing the
Initiative and waging the conflict
with the Kremlin more on their
own terms.
2. Whether this country can in
definitely peg its policies to be-
lief that popular unrest in the
Communist world will eventually
force the collapse of Russia's ag-
gressive designs.
The President spelled out his
views on these two points in his
message to Congress asking for
the money. -
Mr.. Truman said his program
was designed with three major
characteristics Of the Soviet threat
in mind-that it is worldwide;
that 1t Is total in the sense of in
volving military. economic and
psychological warfare, political in
filtration and sabotage. and that it
it Of indefinite Duration"
Soviet Unrest Studied.
Current debate over the Truman
administrations policies in Europe
and the Far East have turned up
little criticism for the idea that
the Soviet menace is worldwide
or that it is total. But admins
tration critics have seemed con-
corned to find some way to keep
the conflict from continuing in
definitely.
It seems certain the admin
istration's critics will want to-
know during consideration of this
LOST.
BILLFOLD, lady's. containing money and
papers; on Sears, Roebuek parking lot,