Evening star., 1949-09-29
Shift in Strategy Noted
On News Of Russian
A-Bomb Development
lmpuIsive Expressions
Tend to Cloud Issue
Of New Defense Needs
By David Laurence

noting that since the announce
ment of the Russian A-bomb ex-
plosion there has been consider
ably more activity here than GUS
tomary on the part of the plan
ming groups in the Government.
Discussions 60 on by the hour
nowadays as to what will be the
impact of the atom-bomb news
when the peoples here and abroad
really begin to digest the meaning
Of 1t.
Unfortunately. some impulsive
expressions tend to cloud the is
sue. There are those who cry out
for speeding up atom-bomb pro-
duction as if it were an auto
mobile assembly line. The amount
Of fashionable material available
is limited. Also the possession of
500 A-bombs. for example, may
constitute an adequate stockpile
for America and only 200 may be
enough for Russia.
Everything depends on how
the A-bomb is to be used, and
the more the subject is studied
the more one is inclined to be-
lieve that the .A-bomb will not
be used at all.
Outlawed Now, In Effect.
Whether by international agree
ment or by unilateral decision
to refrain from using it, the A
bomb has. in effect, already been
outlaWed.
A stalemate of unprecedented
proportions has brought this
about. For if Russia has stock
pile of 200 bombs, she can threat
en- Europe. Totalitarian govern
ments do not send messages de-
claring war. They strike sudden
ly as Hitler did at Warsaw and as
the japanese fleet of aircraft
carriers did at Pearl Harbor.
What can a democracy which
does not believe in preventive war
or aggressive war do about it.?
Presumably Russia would know
the zero hour, and no other
country would. Presumably also
Russia would gradually evacuate
her cities. Then a counter-attack
by A-bombs might not be disas-
trous in a military sense for Rus
sia. Factories, of course, and
munitions dumps would be under
ground. The idea that there are
going to be a lot of industrial
installations to bomb from the air
may turn out to be a myth in the
next war.
Assuming that Russia has
enough bombs to strike Europe
suddenly, the mere threat of A
bomb attack can change, the psy-
chology of Europe. Would not Eu-
repeans want America to refrain
from using the A-bomb if the
Russian armies started their at
tack without using the A-bombs?
Wouldn't the European peoples
plead for orthodox or convention
al weapons rather than invite
the throwing Of A-bombs by the
Russians? ef .s~ r.. u AZ e.
These are questions which the
military planners now will have to
answer. For Europe has suddenly
become endangered beyond the
power Of any fleet Of strategic
bombers to overcome.
Ground Army Talked Up.
Curiously enough, the case for
the ground army has been talked
up significantly in these last few
days. The European arms aid pro-
gram means the training and
equipping of large land armies to
restrain a Russian advance across
Europe and to support the morale
of Iron Curtain countries which
may waver in their alliances with
the Soviets.
The theory that ground armies,
protected by substantial units of
tactical aviation and mechanized
weapons, will play a larger part in
future wars than the role hitherto
assigned is gaining support. SINH
larly. naval protection for Ameri-
can cargo ships carrying fuel and
supplies to overseas armies takes
on new Importance.
It Is true that American plan
ners expected Russia to have the
A-bomb sooner or later. but it is
also true that nobody really ex-
pected the Soviets to make the
progress they have made. What
might have happened in 1852 has
happened in 1949. This means
that the idea of building up a
substantial number of heavy
bombers as means of deterring
Russian aggression now has to
give way to more effective military
strength inside Europe to meet
the Russian advance If it ever
comes.
The military leaders are not
going to announce what changes
they have In mind. But budgets
in democracies are made public,
and soon the world will learn Of
the rearrangement or reallocation
of military, naval and air strength
so far as America is concerned.
Presently the European govern
ments will enter the debate and
state their needs. The Russian
A-bomb has changed global stra-
tegy. There is no doubt about it.
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