Evening star., 1952-03-13
Any Move 10 Cui
Foreign Aid Hit
By Top Officials
Hearing Is Wdrned
Drastic Slash Would
Impair U. S. Security

Impair U. 5. Security
Top-level officials warned Con-
gress today that drastic cut in
the $7.9 billion foreign aid budget
for next year would impair Amer
lean security
Three committees, meeting to-
gether in the big Senate Caucus
Room. heard these points high
lighted on the opening day of the
hearings:
/. Mutual Security Director w.
Avelell Hartman said the ad-
ministration's foreign aid budget
sis not padded" but reflects the
size of the peril.
2. Secretary of State Acheson
reminded the lawmakers that a.
cut will not mean a shift of more
of TIE mutual defense burden to
the other free nations because
they are not in position to make
it up.
Policy of Unity Accepted.
8. Defense Secretary Lovett
pointed out that the only alter
native to mutual security is "uni-
lateral security" He said that
would require the United States
to deploy its manpower and re-
sources on a scale exceeding any.
thing this country has seen since
the latter phases of World War
II Even then there would be
no guarantee Of security. he
warned.
4. Gen. Omar N. Bradley, chair
man of the Joint Chiefs of staff,
pointed out that the entire $7.9
billion for next year is only a
little more than World War II
cost per month, and added, "If
we can build a deterrent to total
war at this relatively inexpensive
price, it is the best investment in
security at the least cost, not only
in dollars, but in lives, that we
can make at this time"
Questioning Starts Tomorrow.
None of the witnesses was sub
jected to questioning today. The
hearings will resume at 10 am.
tomorrow with the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee meeting
alone to examine Mr.. Hartman.
Today it had the House Foreign
Affairs Committee and the Senate
Armed Services Committee as
guests.
AS the hearings began. the Sen
ate Foreign Relations Committee
faced an early decision on the mo-
ton of Senator MacMahon, DEM
ocrat. of Connecticut to invite
Gen. Eisenhower home to testify.
No action was taken on the mo-
ton today.
At the outset, Mr.. Hartman
recognized that demands for a
drastic cut in foreign aid are be-
ing made both in and out of
Congress.
IT am aware that very early
In these hearings am going to
be asked the direct question, can
this program be cut and if so,
how much?'" said Mr.. Hartman.
Questions Result.
"Of course. this program can
be cut. ! believe, however, that
the important question is not can
it be cut. The real question is,
what will be the result if it is
cut?
It am convinced that any de-
cision to cut the mutual security
program is a decision to reduce
the strength which is being built
in the free world for our common
defense against the threat of the
Kremlin. A substantial cut would
gravely impair our own security.
II share with you a profound
concern that our expenditures
should not be one dollar greater
than is necessary. For that reason
this request has been vigorously
held to the minimum necessary. I'll
is not padded. If it were. II
could not defend it with convic-
ton as I am doing today. The
sums requested are large. They
reflect the size Of the peril and
the dimensions of the need"
Taper OFF After Year.
Mr.. Hartman said the large
scale buildup Of the other free
probably will have to con-
tinue again next year. Thereafter,
subject to unpredictable factors,
the capital buildup should taper
of.
The director pointed out that
the foreign aid program is only
1914 per cent Of the $64 billion
requested for security both atI
home and abroad.
The bulk of the $7.9 billion for
eign aid budget for the next fiscal
year is for the NATO countries of
Western Europe under Gen. Eisen-
hover, but Mr.. Hartman alsoI
stressed the Importance of the
S611 million proposed for mill
tary aid to Southeast Asia in view
(See FOREIGN AID, Page A-4.)