Evening star., 1951-03-06
Preliminary Voting
On Troops for Europe
Issue Possible Today
By J. A. O'Leory

Issue Possible Today
H.: BY }. A. oLeoy
teThe two Senate committees
handling the troops-for- Europe
issue may do some preliminary
voting today. ~
After several weeks of hearing
arguments on how best to- defend
Western Europe, the 26 members
sof the Foreign Relations and
Aimed Services Committees. are
sauproach ching q decision on sending
tfn6re ground troops TO the inter-
national army of North Atlantic
treaty nations. under Gen, Dwight
n Eisenhower.
There is. overwhelming senti-
fIaent In the two committees in
3apor~ Of President Truman's de-
9Gision toSend four more divisions
ito back sip the two American divi-
sions already in Western Ger
many.
~ Conflict Over Wording.
x4 AS today's closed session got
ainder way, there was still a sharp
division of opinion over whether
the resolution of approval should
be submitted only to the Senate,
or to both houses. There was also
still some conflict over the exact
wording of the provisions designed
to make sure that congressional
committees will be consulted be-
fore the American contingent is
Increased in future.
The Republican Party is split
on the issue. One wing, led by
Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of New
York and Harold E. Stassen. IA
vors all-out support of the Eisen-
hover ground defense of Europe.
The other wing, led by Senator
Taft of Ohio, former President
Herbert Hoover and Senator
Wherry of Nebraska. wants to
concentrate on sea and air
strength.
Most of the IL Republicans on
the two committees in charge of
the issue lean toward the Dewey
Stassen viewpoint. but there is
strong sentiment among them for
action by both branches, instead
OF the Senate alone.
One Reason for Delay.
One reason for the delay in
reaching a committee decision has
been the desire of influential Re-
publicans to work out a proposal
that will bring the party factions
closer together and also get as
close as possible to a unanimous
bipartisan committee decision.
In the forefront of this COM
promise effort are Republican
Senators Lodge and Saltonstall of
Massachusetts,, Smith of New Jer-
sey, Wiley of Wisconsin and
Bridges of New Hampshire.
One solution on which they have
been working calls for two reso-
lutions. one that would enable the
House and Senate to act concur
rently, the other to be voted on
by the Senate alone.
Senator Lodge believes the con-
current resolution should come
first. The second resolution would
be designed to clarity the North
Atlantic Treaty, and would go
only to the Senate because that
body has exclusive jurisdiction
over treaties.
Speed Called Essential.
Chairman Connally of the For
eign Relations Committee wants
one Senate resolution, contending
that sending the issue to the
House would delay a decision for
another month or more at a time
when speed is essential to strength
en- the morale of Western Europe.
Senator Connally said yesterday
quick Senate approval of reso-
luton approving the troop COM
mitment would have a "tremen-
dous influence" on the forthcom-
ing conference of the Big -Four
Foreign Ministers. Deputies are
in session in Paris now trying to
arrange such a meeting of the
diplomatic spokesmen of Russia,
United States, France and Great
Britain.
Three Democrats Senators
George of Georgia, Byrd of Vir-
ginia and Gillette of Iowa-are
expected to play an important part
In the final decision of the two
committees. Senator Gillette has
indicated he wants changes in
the Connally- Russell resolution to
make sure congressional commit
tees are consulted in advance of
future commitments. Senator
George believes Congress as a
whole should implement any part
of the North Atlantic treaty, but
is still studying the form of action
to be taken, and Senator Byrd has
not made up his mind.
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