Evening star., 1948-03-26
Billions for Services
Seen as Inevitable
Result Of Cold War
Fund for Underground ir
Satellite Nations Would
Fight Fire With Fire
By David Laurence

BY David Laurence
Talk in Congress about appropri-
ating a vast sum of money in gen.
eral terms so as to allow the State
Department and United States mill
tary authorities to use such funds
to assist democratic elements in
countries behind and outside the
iron curtain where Communist in
fiuences are at work represents an
unprecedented trend. This is an
inevitable consequence Of the "cold
war" between Russia and the United
6 States.
The plan is to fight fire with fire
Instead of standing by while the
Communists pour funds and other
forms of assistance for their ad-
herents into other countries, the
western powers will use the same
tactics In aiding their supporters,
too.
Such q program may conceivably
lead to military aid to the under
ground movements as was done dur
ing the war.
Certainly, If the undergrounds
could get arms and other forms Of
assistance, they could keep the Rus
slams employed In policing those
countries at an expense in time and
money and perhaps lives which
might discourage the communistic
regime in Moscow from further
aggression.
1884 Period Recalled.
1t has always seemed to many
observers that people whose terri
tory is occupied would fight hardest
for liberation. Hence the German
people in the Russian zone can be
expected in due time ITO make life
far from pleasant for the Russian
armies in Eastern Germany.
There seems no good reason why
full-fedged war Of liberation need
be begun so long as the peoples of
the interested countries are able to
carry on for themselves.
The United States would normally
look askance at such tactics but
this Is not an era of peace. 1t is a
form Of undeclared war and re-
sembles most closely the period be-
tween 1899 and 1941 when America
was technically neutral but actually
took measures short of war" and
engaged in q program of Lend
Lease in order to help the Allies.
The one-sided situation in Italy,
where champions Of the democratic
cause have been handicapped in
getting adequate radio and press
facilities while the Communists
have been getting financial aid and
rewsprint, has occasioned a good
deal OF concern here in the last few
weeks as details of the Communist
inflltration into Italy have been
received.
Members Of Congress are truly
aroused by the growing menace of
communistic aggression. Indigna-
ton rises In both parties as 1t
begins to appear that, unless drastic
measures of prevention are taken,
full-f1edged war will be in progress
soon.
One Of the measures of preven-
ton Is to arm and equip the under
ground movements in some of the
countries where the Communists
have begun a reign of terror
The American people, through
many decades of their history, have
shown distinct sympathy for
parties or factions engaged in rev.
olution against tyranny. Political
parties have openly expressed SYM
pathy in their platforms. At times
funds have been raised to assist rev.
olutionary movements abroad.
In Line With Tradition.
When, therefore, the very safety
of the United States and the lives
of its youth may be at stake, the
direct extension of aid to revolu-
tionary movements seeking to over
throw despotic rulers is in line with
American tradition and modern
methods of self-defense.
A good deal of experience was
obtained by the American military
authorities in assisting underground
movements during the last war.
Arms and munitions were smuggled
by plane, submarine and merchant
ships. The struggle of an under
ground movement for emancipation
usually attracts the daring and
courageous citizens who take many
risks, but they do so as patriots
very much as the Colonial patriots
did in the days of the American
revolution.
Congress has been hearing about
project x" as a means of appro-
priating money to be used by the
executive branch of the government
abroad. The very fact that high
military and civilian officials have
approved the plan Is an indication
that all groups here are in earnest
IN doing everything possible to
checkmate aggression or to make 1t
so hazardous and expensive as to
cause the Soviet regime to abandon
Its objectives and make settlement
with the western powers which will
not require the nations of the
world to keep an armed truce with
huge expenditures for armament.
Unorthodox ways of fighting the
cold war" are being revised, but,
where the purpose is to prevent war,
many members of Congress feel
about 1t as they do about espionage
AN unpleasant but necessary in
strumentality of military service in
times OF mutual suspicion and un-
easiness and certainly in times of
aggression by dictatorship.