TRADING WITH COMMUNISTS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27055, 2 June 1953, Page 7

TRADING WITH COMMUNISTS

Mr Harold Stassen’s Comments

WASHINGTON, May 31. Mr Harold Stassen, the Director of the Mutual Security Administration, said today that each dollar of 58,000,000,000 dollars requested for foreign aid this year by President Eisenhower would be better spent abroad —from the viewpoint of making America safe—than if spent at home. Just back from a tour of the Middle East and South Asia with the Secretary of State (Mr Dulles), Mr Stassen was questioned by Congressmen on a nation-wide television programme. Mr Laurie Battle, a member of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, said that he was worried about the attitude of America’s Allies towards trading with Communists.

Mr Stassen said: "Our Allies’ overall attitude has been to join with the United States in stopping the flow of strategic materials to the Soviet. There are some differences about the meaning of ‘strategic materials’.” He said that it was very difficult for some of America’s allies not to trade in non-strategic materials. “If we conclude that a world war is inevitable, then we might try to impose a trade curtain to match the iron curtain.’ but, as you know, President Eisenhower does not believe that World War 111 is inevitable. Therefore we are concentrating on stopping only strategic goods.”