U.S. ECONOMIC AID TO EUROPE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25276, 30 August 1947, Page 9

U.S. ECONOMIC AID TO EUROPE

Reported Anxiety .In Washington OFFICIALS SENT TO PARIS (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Aug. 28. Mr George Keenan, head of the United State Department’s Policy Planning Committee, left this morning for Paris for urgent consultations on the Marshall Plan for economic aid to i Europe. It is understood that Mr Keenan has made a special survey of the subject. Reuters Washington correspondent says “Mr Keenan’s mission reflects the State Department’s serious concern over the outcome of the 16-nation European conference on the Marshall plan. It constitutes a radical departure from the policy hitherto maintained of studiously refraining from playing any direct part in developments in the European reconstruction plan. “American officials said that it reflected alarm over the tentative figure of 29,000,000,000 dollars which the Paris conference estimated would be needed - from America in the next four years. They insist that Congress would not approve anything like that sum. “The choice of Mr Keenan is significant since, as chairman of General Marshall’s planning committee, he has been working on a shadow plan for months and has made an exhaustive study of European economic conditions.”