Evening star., 1946-09-04
Policy Of Firmness
Is Widely Supported
Cry of War Hysteria' Is Same
That Gave Hitler His Chance
BY Davfd Laurence


By David Laurence
The new American policy of hrm-
ness with Russia is widely supported,
but there are few of the people OBJ
serving the passing scene who misun-
derstand the purposes of such a policy.
Thus, for instance, there are those
who are already crying out that poll
icy Of flrmnesS means war and that
war hysteria' is being manufactured
by our Government. This is the same
old cry which anesthetized the Allies
between 1886 and 1899 and gave Hitler
his chance to rearm while the Allies
professed pacific aims and acted ac-
cordingly with respect to preparedness
Of their military and aerial establish
ments. Hitler's propaganda made the
most of the war hysteria" device.
Many American boys might have been
alive today and the whole world might
have been spared World War II il the
craven spirit of certain factions in the
democracies had not kept the parlia-
ments and the congresses from appro-
PildIlllS ttAC A4SSCoSdly SullS lOT aQE-
quate national defense.
Pacific Mistakes Cited.
For example, Japan's southwark march
Of few weeks in the Pacific-which
1t took the United States years to null
hfy by painstaking and costly march
northward from Australia to the Philip
pines and across the Pacific from Pearl
Harbor to Two Jima-might have been
unnecessary if the United States had
really prepared for eventualities in the
| Pacific. Fear Of offending Japanese
| sentiment, which was already militaris-
tic, kept the Congress Of the United
States before 1941 from fortifying Guam
| an island retaken after another cost
| ly operation not only in money but in
lives
Those who are saying that firmness
| means war are aiding in an "appease-
ment" movement which can bring on
war. 1t Is to prevent war that the
| American Government is not only
| speaking frankly but is beginning to
| make the necessary mobilization prepa-
rations so that the United States will
| not be caught mapping as was the case
| at Pearl Harbor in 1s41.
The American people cannot feel safe
| as long as some nations keep large
armies modified. Six members of the
| United States Congress, visiting the
Far East, spoke up frankly over the
week end about the fact that the So
viets are keeping much larger armies
mobilized in Korea and elsewhere than
is necessary to maintain order.
| The same is true of Europe, where
Russia keeps a big army modified. The
United States-possessing the biggest
single land army in Western Europe
demobilized and sent her troops home.
Russia nevertheless maintained her war
time strength. Until Russia demobilizes
her millions now under arms, there can
be no assurance of peace in Europe.
Tired America Theory.
Not only are millions of Russian citizens
in uniform and on active military duty,
but all through the Balkans Russian
officers are integrated with the armies of
the Balkan countries. Until there are
some facts about the armament prepa :
| rations going on behind the iron cur
! tain" where the press is excluded ana
diplomatic officers have a difficult time
| getting information about military prep
| arations, the United States must go o.
the assumption that the Russians in
tend to dominate Europe by force be-
cause an adequate American Army is
not in Europe to challenge them.
The theory that America Is tired of
war and that our political system will
prevent any administration from re-
ceiving the united support of the people
has undoubtedly been basic in Russia's
intransigeant policy at Paris and her
encouragement of Yugoslavia. When
Secretary Byrnes summoned Senator
Arthur Vandenberg, Republican, and
Senator Tom Connally, chairman Of
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
to come to Paris, it was with the idea
OF impressing Russia that Americans
are united behind our firm policies.
If now an "appeasement" movement
gains ground in this country, 1t will only
weaken the American Governments s
policy. After World War II, there are
a few veterans who, like their brethren
after World War I, are already an
nouncing that they will not fight in
another war. But when they came to
realize how our pacific intentions in the
'20s were misconstrued as weakness
abroad, many of those veterans of World
War subsequently regretted their state
ments. 1t is to prevent third world
war that the American Government
| believes it essential to demonstrate quite
| clearly to all nations that the American
| people are not afraid to continue the
| fight against aggression and that our
rehabilitation must not be misconstrued
again as sign of a craven spirit.
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