Evening star., 1945-01-07
Regional Grouping
Of Nations LOOMING
Observer Discusses u. S. Power
In Relation to Future
By OUen L, Scott.

By O1Den L. Scott.
1t is becoming more and more clear
that the United States will have to win
the actual decision in both of the wars
now under way. Others will help but
the knockout itself must be delivered
by American forces. "
The facts of the matter are these:
In Europe, on the western 'front.' Great
Britain and Canada together are able
to place in action no more than 20
divisions of combat troops, or about
100000 men. France has divisions,
largely colonial troops, or about 10000
men. No effort is being made to draw
upon the 5000 900 Frenchmen of best
military age. This means that in the
west, the United States with A divi-
sions admittedly on hand and with
many more available, must bear the
brunt. This country, too, provides the
bulk OF air forces capable of sustained
offensive action.
On the eastern front in Europe, Rus
sia has vast numbers of men. The
Russians, however, are far from the
vitals of Germany and have vet to
demonstrate that they can defeat
the German Army on it's own home
ground. The Russian Army, like the
British, is extensively supplied with
American-made, lease-lend equipment.
In other words, besides supplying its
own army and air forces and navy of
100000 men, the United States is
helping materially with the supplying
of the British and Russian forces.
In the Pacific, the United States is
winning the war with Japan single
handed, except for a modest contribu-
ton by the Chinese, the British and
the Australians. The United States
Navy and marines, now a vastly power
full organization, plus the Army Air
Forces with their B-29s, plus large and
growing elements of the Army ground
forces are bearing the brunt of this war.
This is a situation that more care
fully is noted in nations outside the
United States than 1t is inside this
country.
-
. Other nations wonder what, if any,
real use is to be made of this vast
American power in bargaining for the
kind of postwar world that is desired.
The influential London Economist, for
example, questions the right of the
United States to stake out its sphere
of influence in this hemisphere and
to accept control of islands of great
strategic importance to this country
while moralizing about the British effort
to reassert her power in the Mediter-
ranean area and elsewhere.
It is true, on the basis of the record
OF utterances by the State Department
and by influential Senators, that the
United States inclines to double stand
ard in foreign policy-one standard
for itself and one for others. Oflcials
point out, however, that this is luxury
the United States can enjoy because
OF the Nations great strength. It is
luxury that others have enjoyed in
the past when strong enough to do so.
The point being made is this:
Great Britain is reasserting rights in
the Mediterranean area and is adopting
an attitude in other parts of the world
that involve great military power to
sustain After an experience of two
wars in which the United States has
had to intervene to bring a decision,
there is some question whether Britain
by herself any longer has the power to
live in the style of leadership to which
she has become accustomed. There is
no question about the power of the
United States, single handed, to fulfill
the role she assumes for herself Also,
If it is necessary for the United States
to use its power to support the commit
ments that the British make, this coun-
| try will want voice in shaping those
| commitments.
The relative decline of British power
compared with this countrys and of
Russia is no fault of the British. They
simply lack the resources of manpower
and the efficiency in production and the
bombproof access to raw materials that
| the United States enjoys, and they lack
the favorable position and the man
| power Russia possesses.
Britain, therefore, can take one Of
| three courses, as officials here see it.
| She can seek partners in europe in
| order to bolster her own strength. She
can seek Junior partnership in an
arrangement with the United States,
where this country will be senior part
| ner Or she can strive for world
organization in which there is collec-
tive agreement to assure the security
that Britain obviously needs.
Churchill. for Britain, has sought to
follow the first course. He has been
seeking to build Western European
bloc which can match the United States
and Russia in power. The only trouble
| is that Stain, in an agreement with
Gen. Charles de Gaulle, for France, ap-
pears to have knocked the main prop
out from under any very solid bloc of
| this kind
Both Churchill and Stain appear to
be cool to the idea of really effective
world organization, preferring regional
! groupings instead. The United States
Senate, with its veto power over any
world arrangement involving the United
States. appears to favor another expert
ment with world organization and to
oppose a new series of alliances of the
kind favored by Churchill and Stain
Roosevelt seems to incline to the
Churchill l-Stalin idea of regional group
IA i, ~