Evening star., 1952-11-23
Senator Byrd to Help
Cut Government Costs
Writer Says vireininn Will.
Trim Truman Budget
By Fronk R. Kent

BY Fronk K. Kent
During the campaign one of the most
emphatic of the promises made by the
Republican platform and the Republic
can presidential candidate, General
Eisenhower, was to reduce waste and
cut down expenditures in Washington
with the view of balancing the budget
and lowering taxes.
Everybody agrees that these things
are eminently desirable, but always
when the suggestion is made there is
highly articulate class of publicists
and politicians who loudly shout that
it just can't be done without crippling
the Government and dangerously weak
ening our defense effort. At once these
cite governmental costs, such as the
interest on the national debt. pensions.
ETC.. which are irreducible. They also
insist that the Russian menace is such
as to make any reduction dangerous
and that the defense program renders
necessary an increase in domestic ex-
penditures instead Of decrease. This
last is the thesis Of Mr.. Truman's chief
economic adviser. DR.. Leon Keyserling,
and is the one upon which the admin
istration has proceeded since the Ko-
rean war began.
Several things can be said about this.
One is that DR.. Keyserling's theory Is
completely unsound but nevertheless in
line with administration policies of the
last 20 years. Another is that Dr. Key
serling will soon cease to be economic
adviser Of the White House or to have
any other administration position. A
third Is that for the first time in gen.
Grafton there will be an economy
minded President in the White House
as well as an economy minded Congress.
Only under those conditions can any
real economy be achieved. White House
leadership is the prime essential in any
reduction program.
Not since 1888 have We had that sort
of leadership. Whenever Congress.
appalled, by rising appropriations and
the ever-mounting debt. evinced a de-
sire to curtail expenditures 1t found an
Executive who regarded any attempt in
that direction as catastrophe. For seven
years Senator Harry F. Byrd of Virginia
has found every congressional economy
effort blocked by the White House
weight. It has been his inSistence upon
the peril of continuous and progressive
waste that caused Mr.. Truman to de-
clare that one of the chief troubles with
Congress was there are too many Byrds
in it," 1t is distinctly encouraging that
so far as sharing this Truman view the
President-elect would like to see more
Byrds in Congress and is particularly
pleased that this Byrd is still there.
Faced with a $268 billion debt and
with a budget of $85 billion laid in
his lap by Mr.. Truman. Mr.. Eisenhower
wants Senator Byrd's full cooperation
and support and is in complete SYM
pathy with his reduction plans. .
1t was largely through Senator Byrd's
attitude during the campaign that the
Eisenhower Nixon ticket carried Vir-
ginia by more than 10000 majority.
which makes it fairly certain that their
cooperation will be close and cordial.
To this Senator Byrd pledged himself
in a recent statement. He has reiterated
his belief that the budget can be euI
$40 billion in 1953-54 and like amount
in 1954-55. He further insists that this
can be done without weakening our de-
fense effort, although neither he nor
any other posted man contends there
I is not considerable waste in the expendi-
ture of the billions appropriated for our
armed forces and to aid our allies. Fur
thermore, says Senator Byrd, savings
must be applied to balancing the budget
before any tax reduction is made. In
this the general and the Senator appear
in happy accord. Also, the cordiality
Of their cooperation will be increased
by the fact that Senator Byrd wants
for himself no Office in the President
elects gift and probably would take
none.
1t is generally agreed that Gen. likes
training and experience equip him per-
haps better than any other man in. the
country to locate the waste in the de-
fense program and foreign field. Also.
most persons will agree that Senator
Byrd is the outstanding authority on
governmental waste in the domestic
field. There is, he contends, hardly
an agency in the Government that can't
be compelled to economic 10 per cent
or more" One exception is the National
Gallery of Art, which, under the direc-
tion Of David E. Finley, is outstanding
for efficient and economical admins
tration. But it is hard to think of an
other.
Senator Byrd. with the Joint Economy
Committee Of which he is chairman, Is
now preparing detailed estimates as to
how the Truman budget for 1953-54
can be cut. The outlook, he says, is 'the
most promising in many years" Ger
tainly the prospective cooperation be-
tween Republican President like
Eisenhower and Democratic Senator
like Harry Byrd on the job of eliminate
ing the sickening waste with which we
have been progressively afflicted for 20
years is the most healthful and en-
couraging thing that has happened in
long time. AS both these men have
pointed out, national solvency is essen
tial to national security.
respect. g.. These people, who move