Evening star., 1951-12-27
EIIender Sees Need
To Keep Closer Tabs
On Federal Spending
By J. A. o'Leory

Senator Ellender, Democrat, of
Louisiana, said today he will urge
Congress when it reconvenes next
month to increase the investigat-
ing staff of the Senate Appropria-
tionS Committee to keep closer
tabs on all Government spending.
including wasteful practices he
complained of on his return from
Europe last week.
Before going to Europe. Senator
Enender last July blocked Senate
passage of a Hoover Commission
recommendation for a special BIZ
partisan commission to survey all
overseas operations of this govern
ment to look for the kind of mis-
takes the Senator himself COM
planned of on his return.
Senator Ellender said today his
trip has changed his mind to the
extent that he believes foreign aid
spending needs to be studied, but
as to whether it should be by a
commission or the Appropriations
Committee. he wants to think
more about it.
Still Favors Committee.
Senator Ellender told The Star
from his home in Louisiana he
still is inclined to favor the SEN
ate Appropriations Committee
rather than a new commission as
the agency to determine how bet
ter use can be made of foreign aid.
He recalled that in September
he Joined Senator Thye, Repub-
lican, of Minnesota, in having
$50,000 added to the legislative
appropriation bill for this year
to enlarge the investigating staff
OF the Appropriations Committee.
He said today he does not think
that will be enough and wants to-
increase it when Congress returns
January s.
We ought to have the facts
available in the Appropriations
Committee when we make the
next set of appropriations" said
Senator Ellender.
He said it would take an indie
pendent commission a year to
make its studies, "and I would
rather have it done now than
when the horse is out of the
stable"
Too Many Commissions.
Senator Ellender said he felt
there are already too many COM
missions" in the Government.
It was learned today that the
Appropriations Committee in Oc.
tober discussed the cnsation of al
special subcommittee to decide
how best to use the Thye-Ellender
$50,000 fund, but has put off NAM
Ing the subcommittee until thet
new session starts in January.
p The Appropriations Committed
already has, under Senator Nc
Carran, Democrat, of Nevada, al
special subcommittee to check onl
how foreign economic aid is ad-
ministered. The $50,0g0 the Sem
ate voted in September to enlarge
the committee staff was intended
for use in following through on
how all appropriations are spent.
The proposed bipartisan COM
mission to survey all overseas
activities was recommended by the
Senate Expenditures. Committee,
headed by Senator Mcclellan.
democrat, of Arkansas.
Bill Passed Senate.
The Mcclellan bill passed the
Senate July %. but was called |
back the next day when Senator
Ellender entered a motion to re-
consider. It still could be con-
Sidered by the Senate at the 1852
session.
In 1e49. however. the Senate
passed a similar bill which the
House permitted to die in COM
mittee.
Among the chief complaintst
made by Senator Ellender last
week were: That the United States
Is shipping large quantities of coal
to Europe instead of mining more
fuel abroad, that the American
Government is indirectly support
ing the occupation forces of Rus
sia, France and Britain in Austria,
and that the civilian American
authorities in occupied Germany
recently moved from Frankfort to I
elaborate quarters in Bonn al
though the American setup, under
High Commissioner McCloy, is
scheduled to leave Germany next
summer.