Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-12
Senator'S Seek
Support on Plan
ToCurfaiI Aid
State Department
Approval Expected
On Tentutive Action

Foreign Relations Committee
Senators awaited State Depart
ment approval today on a plan
to cut off foreign aid to France
and Italy if those countries fail
to join the European Defense
Community or a suitable SubSti-
tute scheme.
Acting Committee Chairman
H. Alexander Smith. of New Jer-
sey, took the plan-in the form
of an amendment to the foreign
aid bill-to State Department Of
ficials yesterday and said he be-
lieved they welcomed it. But. he
said. they wanted to be perfectly
clear as to just what the langu-
age, means" before the commit
tee takes a final vote. That vote
could come at a closed meeting
scheduled Tor today.
The amendment. which was
tentatively adopted without a
dissent over the week end, would
shut off American military and
economic aid to France and Italy
on December 81 if they fail to
take satisfactory steps to join in
European defense by that time.
Radf0rd Voices Concern.
The action was followed by re-
lease of censored testimony to
the committee in which Admiral
Arthur w. Radford, chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined
Senator in expressing concern
over relations between the United
States and her allies.
During Admiral Radford's tes-
timony Senator Fulbright, Dem
ocrat, of Arkansas said he was
more disturbed and depressed
than / have been in a long time"
about lack of progress in making
alliances. He added: I'VE have
done nothing dreadful, yet our
allies are drifting away from
us.
Admiral Radford replied:
II get the same feeling from
reading papers that you do"
Opposes Trade With Reds.
The admiral also said he OPP
posed trauing with Communist
countries until there is some in
dication on their part that they
are not our deadly enemies. ="
Military men, he added, feel that
such trade is a very dangerous
thing"
Admiral Radford testified that
he felt a decision on EDO is
essential" and asserted:
Il do not feel that we can
afford to permit a delay in some
kind of a decision over there
because I think further delay in
decision is just weakening the
whole NATO organization"
He said the question of
whether that decision should be
attained by use of foreign aid
pressure was outside of my
bailiwick."
The committee also released
testimony in which General AL
fred M. Gruenther, Supreme AL
lied Commander in Europe. pic
tured Russia's armed forces as
getting tougher but not larger
He said the Russians are lncreas-
ing the size of their satellite
forces, but they do not regard
them as dependable enough.
Gen. Gruenther reported
there has been very little ru-
merical increase in the Soviet
strength" in the last three OF
four years, but "there has beer
a very material Increase in the
effectiveness of the Soviet forces
Their air power mas greatly
improved"
Assistant Secretary of State
Livingston T. Merchant was
quoted in the testimony made
public yesterday as saying hi
had no objection to the Rich
ards amendment.
| Mr.. Merchant predicted, how.
ever. that both France and Italy
| would join EDO this year. -Four
other nations-West Germany
Belgium, Holland and Luxem-
bourg-have ratified the six-na-
ton project which calls for ar
international army to defend
Europe. The United States view:
such joint action by the Euro
peanS themselves as a necessary
bulwark against the Soviet
| threat.