Evening star., 1947-10-19


spread so thin on the borders that
wherever there is a Russian regi-
ment the American counterpart is a
corporal's guard.
How the Reds Operate
These are factors which concern
the Western European peoples far
more than how much planned Amer
lean relief can reach them in the
near or distant future. The peoples
Of Western Europe are worried about
shortages next winter. But they are
terrified at the prospects of Rus
sian march. And they are being
told that the only way to avoid an
other blood bath is to side with the
Communist Party and accept Com
munist domination before it is too
late.
A Communist coup need not take
place at the polls. Elections become
important only after the Com
munists have taken over and want
to give coating of legality to their
government. The polls under Com
munist domination are always 80 per
cent in favor of the government, be-
cause other parties either are out
lawed or placed In such positions
that they cannot win more than a
few seats in parliament.
The Communists take over gov
ernments by coup d'etat, which the
peoples of France and Italy will not
dare prevent unless they have hope
that America will come to their as
sistance with planes and guns, the
only effective means of combating
brute force.
To the American people, who only
recently have become aware of Rus
sia's game in world politics, it seems
that the slogan of the Western Eu-
ropean governments, Send us food
and fuel and we shall avoid COM
munism," is logical and the Marshall
plan is a cure-all for the cancer that
is eating Europe today.
Want Aid Desperately
In spite of the rise of the air
arm as the most important weapon
for modern warfare, We still have
two wide oceans separating us from
Europe and Asia. The fact that
neither the administration nor Con-
gress have made a move yet to
strengthen our sadly depleted air
force proves that many of our lead
ers, who are more aware of Moscow's
plans and intentions than the man
in the street, still believe we have
ample time to get ready, and that
economic considerations take prece-
dence over military.
/ Not so across the Atlantic. The
peoples of Western Europe live In
the shadow of the Red Armageddon
They believe that because of their
weakness following two devastating
wars they have much less strength
to withstand another invasion than
in 1899. They know that Britain
is in the same predicament and they
wonder whether America Is pre-
pared to meet the Russian challenge
Europe wants American help des-
perately. But nobody in Europe
including the heads of governments
who are asking for immediate re-
lief, is willing to say that the bill
lions of dollars worth of assistance
actually will prevent the Russians
from taking them over. Such
assistance possibly might give the
j, nom Communists an ephemeral vic
tory at the polls this fall and next
. spring. But-and this is being en-
j, phasized by all observers-electoral
victories will not interfere with the
plans of the Slavs.
The American Congress members
realize that some help must be given
to Europe to bolster its power of re-
sistance. But they are fully aware
that the problem in Western Eu-
rope is more military and political
than economic and social and that
. unless we have enough strength In
this country to answer the Soviet
challenge, the 20-odd billions o1
dollars requested by the European
governments may be wasted.
Russian Strategy Good
Russia has attacked the Marshal
plan violently as an attempt or
the part of the "imperialistic, Wal
Street. American Gov
ernment" to dominate the European
countries. This was good strategy
The Moscow leaders know that once
the idea of helping the world with
food and increasing the standard OF
living of others has taken grip OF
the American people, nothing can
stop them. The Russian attacks on
the Marshall plan will only in
crease the determination of the
American people to go through with
it. They will see in this opposition
the only efficient weapon to combat
Moscow's aims. We will forget that
one of the principal objectives of
the Soviets is to create economic
crisis in this country. a crisis which
will be translated, the Politbureau
believes, into social unrest in which
its thousands of agents can fish
with profit.
Under such conditions all thought
of increasing American national de-
tense will have to be set aside, and
Russia will have an easy time put
ting into effect her plans for world
domination. The U. S. S. r. does
not worry about her European prey
escaping her If American wheat,
-four, coal and steel are sent to Eu-
rope. Quite the contrary, it will
deprive the American consumer of
these essentials and increase further
the cost of living in this country