Evening star., 1952-03-16
Economy, OF ProHigocy?

IN ITSELF the figure $40 billion-the sum
requested by the President for the Mutual Sc
curity Program in fiscal 1o53-is not sacred or
untouchable. It may in fact be higher than
the world situation requires, and economy
minded members Of Congress, who have their
knives out for IT. will be rendering good service
to our tax-burdened Nation II they can make
appreciable cuts that will not at the same time
set back the progress that has been achieved
thus far toward the programs prime objective.
That objective is to bulwark the safety Of
the United States through q common inter -allied
effort, particularly in the 14-nation North At
lantic Treaty Organization. aimed at making the
free world as strong as possible as fast as pos
sible-strong enough to deter the men Of the
kremlin from precipitating global war, or to
defeat them decisively In such war should
they dare to launch It, In other words the
: objective is to right the international balance
Of political, economic and military power in q
way that will hold the Red tide In check,
gradually roll it back, and in time oblige the
Soviet Union to abandon its policy of subversion
and aggression and begin cooperating In the
establishment Of q sound peace based on an
effective system Of collective security.
TO that end, following up the Presidents
impressive message on the subject, Secretary of
State Acheson. Defense Secretary Lovett Mutual
Security Administrator Hartman and General
Bradley, head Of the Joint Chiefs Of Stan, have
now appeared before the Senate Foreign Rela-
tions Committee to appeal to Congress to grant
the full $T.9 billion requested However, judging
from the initial reactions Of Chairman Tom Con-.
nally and several other influential members OF
both houses. the effort Of these four witnesses
marks only the beginning Of what is likely to
be a hard battle in which the administration
will have to fght uphill all the way against
legislative forces that seem determined to press
for drastic slashes ranging in scale from wlaop-
ping 81 billion to as much as So billion.
Yet, even though the idea Of such cuts may
be attractive to many hard-pressed American
taxpayer, the fact must be faced that Congress
can hardly drive meat AK into the Mutual
Security Program without inviting the danger
of grave setback in the inter-allied defensive
build -up-a build-up of vital Importance not only
to our friends abroad but to ourselves as well.
At any rate In enlarging upon the Presidents
message, Mr. Acheson Mr.. Lovett, Mr.. Hartman
and General Bradley have voiced anti-slashing
warnings that should be weighed with the great
est care. Certainly although they may have
overstated the case in pleading against any re-
duction whatever, they have drawn persuasive
and SOLDERING picture of what $7.9 billion can
accomplish and Of how tragically shortsighted
excessive economizing could be-.
Thus, in addition to appealing cogently for
economic and technical assistance to countries
like India, the four witnesses have put up pow
erful arguments for direct military aid, which
constitutes the great bulk of the Mutual Security
Program and which is projected chiefly for our
NATO Allies, including Greece and Turkey Fur
ther, in answer to Senator Connally and other
critics who generally favor the military part Of
the undertaking but who are against the pro-
posed outlays on defense support" they have
shown how those outlays-adding up to $1.8
billion OF the total $7.9 billion enable our
European friends to step up their own arms out
put by supplying them with sorely needed raw
materials and other items essential to such an
effort.
Above all, with Mr.. Lovett emphasizing that
the European aid involved is to be extended
only on the basis of how well each NATO coun-
try lives up to its commitments these key
authorities have reminded everybody that our
Allies are already doing a great deal for the
common defense that they will do progressively
more If the Mutual Security Program is properly
financed, and that spectacular economies now,
by seriously affecting the pace and scope Of our
joint effort, could quickly turn into profigacy
of the worst kind. In short, swing Of the
meat ak here could be incalculably costly In
terms Of the safety Of our own country and the
rest Of the free world-a fact that Congress
needs to keep very much in mind lest the
Kremlin be handed a big victory.