The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1951-07-12
This Week
In
Washington

~~-~~~~-~-~-~~~~~-~~~~
Amid a tension of peace rum
ors in Korea, the log-jammed
Bind Congress passed the end of
the fiscal year without any ap-
preparation measures reaching
the desk of President Truman.
AS the deadline neared President
Truman called administration
leaders on Capitol Hill to the
White House and included among
them was Senator Walter George,
chairman of the Senate Finance
committee which is now consider
ing the housepassed tax bill.
Senator George has indicated he
would pass over the tax bill for
the time being until after a long
look at government appropria-
tionS. The President, however,
seeks fast action before any re-
cess or adjournment.
Also as the deadline neared, it
appeared extension of the pre-
sent Defense Act for few weeks
was likely, with such changes as
the Congress might make coming
later on.
The peace proposal made by
the Russian delegate to the Unit
ed Nations was viewed wariIy by
official Washington. President
Truman promptly replied from
Tullahoma, Tenn, where he made
a foreign relations speech, that
now as always we held the door
open for peace in Korea, provid-
ing it was a real settlement, call
ing for an end to aggression and
restoring peace and security in
the area and to the Korean peo-
pie. First reaction from the state
department was contained in
brief statement which said: IF
Mr. Malik'S broadcast means that
the communists are now willing
to end the aggression in Korea,
we are. as we have always been,
ready to play our part in bring
ing an end to hostilities and in
assuring against their resump-
tion. But the teno Mfor.r
ton. But the tenor of Mr.. Malik's
speech again raises the question
as to whether this more than pro-
paganda. If it is more than pro-
paganda, adequate means for dis
cussing an end to the conflict are
available"
A so-called economy wave"
has come over Congress. But
from the vantage point of old
observers here these economy
cuts are more or less tactical"
and for public consumption, and
are "piddling" in comparison to
the overall spending picture. For
instance great stress has been
laid on firing some government
chauffers, cutting annual leave
of government workers, in slash
ing some personnel from govern
ment payrollS, particularly in
some of the publicity and inform
alton sections of agencies and
other like action, &. all of which
will amount to a very few million
dollars when the slashes, if they
are economically sound, should
be made in the billions. Another
one of those blanket cuts, which
penaIize the economical govern
ment agencies and places a pre-
MUM on extravaganza in others,
has been voted in the Senate-a
ten per cent cut. In commenting
on this lax method of cutting eX-
penditures, Senator Allen j. Ell
lender, Louisiana, said: II am
unconvinced as the wisdom of
blanket overall cuts in ap-
preparations a department
which has conscientiously pared
its operating expenses to the
minimum will be penalized,
while another department whose
budget estimates are purposeful-
ly high will still have, in spite
of the cut, ample funds"
These observers declare this
method of Slashing appropriations
forces all agencies to pad their
budgets and penalize those act
ually trying to do a good job.
Congress and the Senate parti-
cularly was again given a chast-
isement from three sources dur
Continued on 2-B)