SENATOR ATTACKS REDS

Chronicle (Levin), 2 March 1948, Page 5

SENATOR ATTACKS REDS

Wrecking Emepe's Reepvery By Pressure War Received Tuesday, 10,50 a,m- " . WASHINGTON, March 1. "The iroh curtain must npt come to.tne rims of ihe Aflantic by agv .gression or default," declarfed t>he mairman of tne United Stafes Foreign Relations Commintee, Senator A. H: Vandenberg, in the !3maiie, opening the - Oongressibiiat debate on' the Europqan ' re.covery programme, 3

±ie said: Treacnerous moscow propaganda has charged us Avitn miquicous imperialism. The Comixiuxiist tjominform is frahkly eallxng on its adherents to wreck the jinropean recovery programme.- It is indeed a cold war. it is a pressure war. agamst the independent recovery of Europe. It is also ooviousty aimed at us. Peaee with jusdce is our utterly paramouni uoncern, and any thougnt of %?ar xs aohor.rent to our soul. But peace and appeasement are not oir speakxixg lerrns, and the totalifarian iaea of virtually diyiding' the edfth oeeween Washmgton and Mosco\ wQiiid not be peace. It would simpiy be the dishonourable truce preceding lmal and unspeakable disaster, ' " . - "'inere is nothing in this plan chat threatens the boviet. " It is not a pian againsi; Eastern Europe, our a programme for Wpstern Europe. It cails for no American aommation of Europe, but it strives to stop World War lli before it begins". It fignts economic chaos biiat would precipitate far-flung aisintegration, it sustains Western clv.ilisation and it means to take Wesuem Europe completely off the American dole at the end of the adventure. The EurOpeah recovery programme could be the turnmg pomt in history for 100 years io come." , ' ■ Senator Vandenberg pleaded for a quxck. passage of tne Bill, which he said was a "welcome beacon in a world dark with night." He urged Senate not to cut the o, oou, 000,1)00 dollars proposed for che llrst year of the European recovery programme. "The Ame'ricans hdve everythmg to gain and nothing to lose by laupcning this hopetul ente.rprise." Senator Vandenberg denounced Conxinunist aggression in Czechoslovakia and kinland, declaring: "The fate of Czechoslovakia, where every semblance of democracy had been gutted out by subversive conquest, unaerscores the sojemn thesis of the European recovery programme. The kindred fate of orave littie Finland may be added to this qminous scqre - this ' very afternoon while we are debating an axioin. Aggressive Communism threatens an freedom and ail security in the Old World or New .when it puts ihe peoples anjwhere in cnains." "