Evening star., 1951-06-18
Truman S Foreign Aid
Request Wins ConanI
Group S Full Support

VIUup STW SuppUH
President Truman's request for
$8.5 billion for foreign aid received
emphatic support today from the
Committee on the Present Danger
but was regarded with reserve by
the Council of State Chambers of
Commerce.
The Committee on the Present
Danger, a non-partisan and non-
political group headed by James
B. Conant. president Of Harvard
University, urged Congress to act
quickly in approving the funds.
I'VE believe it is in the highest
Interest of American security that
they be provided at once" the
committee declared.
The Council of State Chambers
OF Commerce Suggester that Con
gress should determine first wheth-
er the United States can afford
this recurrent program of indefl-
mite duration. It noted that the
amount recommended by the Pres
ident exceeds by more than a
half billion dollars the total taxes
collected last year for the support
/ of all IS State governments COM
bined." .
Further Responsibility Urged.
"If it can afford It," the council
stated, then Congress should
make sure that the estimates Of
need are reliable and realistic.
With these points established,
Congress should insure that the
expenditures themselves are made
with maximum effectiveness"
A third organization, the Ma
tional Planning Association, urged
that a new agency be set up to
administer foreign economic poll
cies. Such an agency, he said,
should be headed by a man direct
ly responsible to the President.
The association noted that the
Point Four program for giving
technical assistance is conducted
in some countries by the State
Department technical cooper
alton administration, in others by
the departments Institute Of
American Affairs, and in still
Others by the Economic Cooper
alton Commission.
IN the heat of discussions of
what we should or should not do"
the association stated through a
committee headed by H. Chris
tian Some of New York, too
little attention is given to the
basic question Of how we get a
clearly defined, clearly under
stood and well integrated policy on
foreign economic aid that can be
carried out effectively"
Worth of Program Cited.
In the opinion of the COMMITTEE
on the Present Danger, foreign
aid has demonstrated its worth
as an instrument which preserved
nations which now stand at our
side in the fight against Com
munism.
Quick and decisive action by
the Congress, the committee
maintained, would be the most
effective notice to Russia that the
free world is determined to re-
main free at any cost. We are
convinced that America has the
ability to supply these funds with
out danger to its economy.
This is not primarily a project
of humanitarianism. It is a project
of self interest for America-of
the highest anu most pressing
urgency. This is the best means
of self-defense."
Agreeing with the National
Planning Association that there is
danger of delay and inefficiency
in the manner in which 'the re-
sponsibility Is stSplit" between ECA
and the State Department in ad-
ministration of the foreign aid
program, the committee recon-
mended:
"A single appropriation for for
eign aid administered by a single
agency of the Government and
that such agency be independent
of, although cooperating closely
with other departments"
Such an agency might pe called
the Mutual Security Administra-
ton, the committee added.
while that seems the soundestI
organizational structure" the COM
mittee concluded, "the considera-
ton of supreme Importance is that
this country give the aid to Gen.
Eisenhower in setting UP the
forces in Europe called for in the
- H6 A