MR. MARSHALL'S BLUNT WARNING.

Chronicle (Levin), 9 January 1948, Page 5

MR. MARSHALL'S BLUNT WARNING.

"Reeeived Thursday. 10.25 p.m. W ASIIIXC! TON, Jk/marv 8. Tf the Republicans in Dongress went ahead with threats to eut the total of Anieriea's eont ribution to the Marshall plan, they might as well abandon the whole projeet. This warning was given by the Seeretary of State, Mr. Marshall. to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "Either undertake to nieet ihe requirements of the problem or don't undertake it at all." he bluntly told the committee. "The way of life we've known is in the balanee so this unpreeedented endeavour of the new world to help the old is neither sure nor easy," he said. "It is a caleulated risk. _ It provides tlie means for sueeess and if we mahitahi the will for sueeess, 1 believe sueeess will be achieved. Otherwise the vncuum whieh was ereated in \Yestern Europe will be tilled by forees of whieh wars are made. " The programme, he added must be started by April 1 at the latest otherwise there would be a serious deterioration in some oi the basie eonditions on whieh the whole projeet was based. A 6. 800. ()()(). 000 dollars Ameriean contribution for the first 15 months was the absolute mininium. The total eost to the I'nited States of the whole 41 year period would be between 15.100.000.000 and 17,800,000,000 dollars. "If the plan either does not get through Oougress or l'ails, our national seeurity will be threatened and we shall, in effeet, live in an armed eamp." Mr. .Marshall rei'erred to the "avowed determina+ion .of the Soviel Eldon and the Oonuuunist Party to sabotage the programme at every tuni" and admitted that this would make its sueeess more diffieult. Mr. .Marshall also warned the committee against any attoinpts .t-o.tie distasteful political or economie eonditions to the aid, point- ' ing out that the I'nited States could not expect any demoeratie flovernment to take on itself obligations or aecept eonditions whieh ran eounter 1o the basie national sentiment of its people. He added: "We can either decide that the I'nited States is unable or unwilling to assist in* the reconstruetion oi Western Euro])e or we ean aeeept the eonsequences of its collapse into a dictatorship of police States."