OCR Text |
Show authorized postwar expenditures and commitments, largely to European Eu-ropean nations, of goods, credits and money totaling more than fifteen billion dollars, for civilian use, as follows: direct assistance to civilians from military-civilian supplies, government relief in oc-: oc-: cupied areas, British loan, Export-j Export-j Import Bank loans, surplus property prop-erty transfers, Lend-Lease" aid (postwar), maritime ship trans-j fers, Philippine aid, post-UNRRA I relief, Greek-Turkish aid (Civil-j ian), $250 million military assist-' BYRD SAYS U. S. MUST ECONOMIZE TO AID EUROPEANS Most Americans are willing to help Europe, but also want financial finan-cial stability at home, says Harry F. Byrd, Senior United States Sen- ator from Virginia. Declaring we cannot be strong abroad if wasteful waste-ful spending at home weakens us, he tells in Redbook Masrazine for I ance excluded), assistance through I international organizations (U S share of UNRRA), International Bank (TJ. S. share), International Refugee Organizations, International Interna-tional Children's Emergency fund. This does not include either our own military occupation ; costs or military assistance ' to other nations. na-tions. It has nothing to do with the more than , eleven billion I dollars in lend - lease sent to Russia Rus-sia during World War II, of which I our proportionate share as individ-1 uals comes to a little more than! $90 per citizen. "This explains why I urge constant con-stant surveillance of our remaining remain-ing resources at home, and of the real needs abroad. The solution January how we can strengthen Europe and ourselves by economy: "The Marshall Plan to aid Europe Eu-rope involves huge sums in the form of credit and outright gifts. If all or even part of this aid is granted, the financial stability of the United States will undergo further strenuous tests. "The real strength of America is our financial solvency, our pro- J ductive capacity under our free enterprise system, and our ability to finance our obligations without crushing taxation. We cannot be strong abroad (and that is the purpose of the Marshall Plan) if we are weak at .home. "One of the weaknesses of our government today is creeping! ! requires, among other things, this I atitude 'on the part of the' tax-I tax-I payers : I "We should insist upon frank-; frank-; ness from our servants in government, govern-ment, particularly from those in j official capacities. "Wev should insist that those responsible re-sponsible for' expenditures shall make no commitments at home or abroad without giving us the facts all the facts. ,, bureaucracy. We cannot keep on . spending at the rate of forty or even thirty billion dollars every year for the Federal Government . without risking internal collapse. "Today, whether you work on a farm, in a shop, an office or a store, in a production line or with a pick and shovel, about twenty-five twenty-five to thirty cents of every dollar you earn goes directly or indirectly indirect-ly to support the Federal Government. Govern-ment. J I "We should and must cut the costs of government, and eliminate the endless duplication of government govern-ment services and bureaus. I "We should have one aopropri-I aopropri-I ation bill that will include" all departments de-partments and agencies of the I Federal Government. As it is, there is never one time when the House of Representatives or the Senate can obtain a complete picture pic-ture of appropriations, and their, effect on departments or agencies not covered by the bill under consideration." "The plain fact is that the - American people are generously willing to help the rest of the world, but they will not submit indefinitely to oppressive taxation to pay the cost of extravagant; government. The program of aid to needy nations will be seriously' jeopardized unless our govern-! ment demonstrates that its expenditures expen-ditures at home and abroad are sound and reasonable. "To what extent have we already al-ready aided Europe? During the period of two years after the end of hostilities our government had |