Evening star., 1952-01-21
Seeks SSH Billion
For Arlnaments;; Sum
Sets Postwar Record
CONTINUED From First Pare. }

Continued From First Page.)
election year, the President
stressed that while the requested
total for national security is up
about 266 per cent since the Ko-s
rean outbreak. other Government
expenditures are being cut with
the current reduction going from
$21.2 billion to $2O.3. Government
general services and activities were
held around SIS billion for 1858,
a slight increase over the current
year.
More funds-about $25 million
were asked to enlarge the force
OF the scandal-ridden Internal
Revenue Bureau.
Reiterating the statement in
his earlier State of the Union and
economic messages that entrench-
ment was to be effected where
possible. Mr.. Truman said, IT have
sharply reduced expenditures for
those programs which can be de-
|ferred or eliminated, even though
these programs bring clear bene-
fits to the Nation and would be
highly desirable in normal times"
Emphasis on Efficiencies.
MIR. Truman specified that the
Defense Department. in particu-
lar, must continue to place the
greatest emphasis on efficiency in
the administration of the military
programs"
Going into the foreign build-up,
for which the President proposes
to boost the outlay by more than
$3.5 billion in the next year, Mr..
Truman served an oblique warning
on Capitol Hill critics who have
been talking Of cuts In this sector.
"Our mutual security program
lis a vital and indispensable ele-
Iment in building security for the
free world as a whole and for this
country" he said, adding:
"We cannot, as two world wars
have proved, isolate ourselves from
threats to other free men,"
He reported real progress" in
building European defenses, but
said that some of the Allies, would
have to do substantially" more
than originally planned.
Strong Force Possible.
Within twelve months, Mr.. Tru-
man said. western Europe can
have a compact force which would
offer strong resistance in event of
an attack" and. he asserted, lit is
now clear that within a few years
lit will be possible to attain a level
Iof European defenses which would
make invasion there so costly, and
$50 unlikely Of success, that the
danger OF its being attempted
would become remote"
The President stressed too that
there must be aid to European
countries such as Yugoslavia, and
to the Middle East. Asia and Latin
America.
Mr.. Truman also emphasized
that he wants about $157 million
for the Campaign of TRUTH" a
SAT million boost over this year
to expand radio facilities to pierce
the Iron Curtain" This cam
|paign. often assailed in Congress,
''has been making substantial
gains" he asserted.
At his budget seminar, the Pres
ident asserted the country is in
good shape financially and physi-
|cally, and that the fact that the
public debt is climbing to the stat
utory limit Of SITS billion is not
alarming, because of the contin-
ually expanding national income.
He does not intend, he said, to
ask an increase in the debt limit.
Debt Now $255 Billion.
The deficit at June 80 this year
lis estimated at $8.2 billion, and in
1858, $l4.4, even with the in-
creased taxes voted at the last
session of Congress. The public
debt this June 80 is figured be-
tween $255 and $3.50 billion.
While once arguing for a strict
pay -as-we-go tax base to cover
the defense program, the Presi-
dent conceded that I'VE cannot
now undertake, on a strict pay-as-
|we-go basis, the dual job of max