Evening star., 1948-05-02
They Have to Be Shown

They Have to Be Shown
In declaring that the United States is
considering revival of military lend
lease for Western Europe, Secretary Mar
shall has reminded everybody that power
armed power-is still needed to back up
the political and economic action being
taken by our own and other free nations
to hold back the Red tide.
We are at point in history, in fact,
consider reviving lend-leaSe, but actually
to put it into effect at the earliest possible
moment. More than that there is every
reason why we should accompany such
action with firm and unequivocal deci-
sion to join in security pact with Western
Europe-a pact solemnly committing ali
the signatories to strict guarantees of
mutual and immediate military assistance
against any further aggression from Soviet
Russia.
The central reality confronting the free
western world Is this: That Europe's ira
ditional balance of power has been pro-
foundly upset. Since the end of the war,
capitalizing on chaos and the too-rapid
demobilization of the United States, the
Russian dictatorship has been employing
direct and indirect aggression to carve out
a totalitarian empire far bigger than
Hitlers before his attack on Poland. This
empire, wholly apart from acquisitions in
Asia and the prewar annexato of the
Baltic states, now includes no fewer than
eight once-independent lands, all in vary
ing degrees of bondage behind the iron
curtain, all part of a complex system of
interlocking alliances, and all instruments
to be used to promote the expansionjst
aims of the Kremln.
Though exhilarating, the recent defeat
of the Italian Communists should not be
allowed to mislead anybody into the wish
full belief that Red totalitarianism has
suffered a mortal reverse and that we can
all sit back now and feel safe. For the
truth is that Russia, with its satellite en-
pire, and with its intrenched positions in
Austria and Germany, is still very much
alive and showing no evidence that it has
lost its seemingly Unsuitable appetite for
more and more power. The menace, in
brief, has not passed. Italy Is not out of
danger. Nor is France. Indeed, the whole
Of Western Europe, including Britain, con-
tinues vulnerable-a vulnerability that is
ours, too, in the sense that If the Soviet
Union should come to dominate the entire
continent, America would be isolated in
predominantly hostile world where oceans
have long since ceased being protective
barriers
To cope with this very real threat, we
and the other free nations have already
resorted to three extremely important
measures. The first of these is the alliance
binding together France, Britain and the
Benelux countries in what is known as the
Western Union. The second is the agree
ment between them and ourselves to inter-
nationalize the Ruhr and integrate It with
the European Recovery Program. Finally,
there is the European Recovery Program
itself. But all these steps, vital and far
reaching as they are, are not enough in
themselves tosserve as a counterweight to
the danger of Soviet aggression. What is
needed in addition is Just such under
takings as revival of lend-lease and
security pact backed by all the actual and
Given these two additional measures
measures which would amount to an
American military alliance with the free
nations of the Old World-we and our
friends abroad would have a combined
strength far outweighing that OF Russia
and its satellites. There may be many
among us who bitterly dislike the idea of
such an arrangement. but it would be
compatible with the United Nations
Charter and it would certainly be in
keeping with the grim realities of the
hour. If something like it had been in effect
before the last war, Hitler probably never
would have marched-a point we'll docu-
mented by winston Churchill in his
current memoirs, and a point that is
applicable today to the men of the
Kremlin
Power, after all, respects power. In the
kind of world we have, the democracies
must act boldly, promptly and together
to be safe. While always leaving the door
wide open for the negotiation of a decent
peace, they need to make it abundantly
clear to the Soviet Union that they consti-
tute resolute and united front and that
they are fully prepared, militarly and
otherwise, to deal collectively with aggres-
sion. This may seem to be strong medicine,
but mere talk will never change the men
of the Kremln for the better. The only
thing that will do that is concrete evidence
that the free nations really mean business.
Good Riddunce