Evening star., 1951-04-07
The Political Mil
House May Sidetruck
Troops-to-Europe Issue
Administration Chiefs Fear
Debate Repercussions
By Gould Lincoln

" 0Ouiu LtHIOtH
The House would approve by a wide
margin the sending Of four divisions Of
United States troops to become part Of
the Eisenhower army, if the issue should
come to a vote. Democratic leaders in
that body have no doubt on that score.
Nevertheless, predictions are being made
today that the concurrent resolution.
recently passed by the Senate, approving
the sending of these divisions will
slumber long time before ever being
brought to the House floor for con-
sideration.
The administration leaders simply do
not like that other provision in the con-
current resolution which expresses it as
the sense OF Congress that the President
should obtain congressional approval be-
lore sending any troops in addition to
the four divisions to Western Europe.
Nor do they want to see the House torn
wide open over debate on that pro-
vision. as was the Senate for many
weeks.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee
IS to meet Wednesday to consider the
European troops concurrent resolution.
The feeling in that committee is strongly
IN favor OF the policy of implementing
the North Atlantic Security Treaty by
sending American forces to be inte-
grated into the army under Gen. Dwight
y. eisenhower. Indeed, It is said to be
strong enough to bring favorable re-
port on proposal to authorize the
President to send troops for that pur-
pose in any number and when he and
ms military advisers deem wise-if such
proposition were before the COM
mittee.
Willing to Let Issue Rest.
So any failure of the committee to
act on the concurrent resolution will
grow. 1t is said, out of a willingness to
let the issue rest-with the action of
the Senate supporting the sending of
four divisions to Europe and thereby
approving the policy of entering
Americans into the army of defense.
In some measure it is unfortunate
that the House may not act in this
matter. It is of tremendous Importance
at this time to have public support in
our defense measures-of which the i'm
plementing of the North Atlantic pact
is major one. 1t is very satisfactory
tnat the Senate, by a wide margin
90 to 21-put through it's resolution ap-
proving the sending of the four divi-
Sions. Two of those 81 Senators who
voted against the resolution, both Demo-
Gratis, IN reality favored sending the
troops. but could not stomach the
Mcclellan amendment which expressed
it as the sense of the Senate" that for
any future troop commitments the
President should seek approval of Con-
gress. Favorable action by the House.
too, on sending these troops to Europe
would nail down congressional approval
OF the policy. 1t would let the world know
That I'VE are behind Gen. Eisenhower
In this tough undertaking of uniting
the forces of North Atlantic Treaty
nations into an effective army" The
quotation is from Senator Saltonstall.
Republican, of Massachusetts,.
Congress Grows Restive.
The Congress, however, is getting res
i've over the conduct Of our military
IN the Far East. The members
are daily more puzzled over the Korean
war and the manner in which Gen.
Douglas Macarthur, commander of the
United Nations forces engaged in that
war, is kept under wraps. Our European
TAAAACS, % dllAIOuS 10 nave American
forces sent to aid them in case of an
attack by Soviet Russia and her Com
munist satellites, have been strongly
averse to permitting Gen. Macarthur
to send bombers into Northern Man
;huria to attack the bases from which
the Chinese Communists obtain supplies
and reinforcements with which to war
On the U. N. forces.
The frankness with which Gen. Mac
Arthur has spoken out in this matter.
and his support of the idea of using
Chinese Nationalist forces to attack the
Chinese mainland, keep our European
partners constantly stirred up-not to
mention our State Department. There
seems no more reason to have the diplo-
mats run military operations than there
IS to have Congress pass on the deploy-
ment Of United States troops.
Reports are to the effect that the
communists are concentrating bigger
and bigger forces across the Manchurian
border, including aircraft. If the big
push comes, and Communist airplanes
1y from their Manchurian sanctuary
% deliver bombs on our men, the demand
hat Gen. Macarthur be allowed to
pursue those planes back to their bases
.-ill become intense.