Evening star., 1949-03-27

10 o4 1l4C, l1o" So11 VIC NoooO WIZ
the manpower to carry the whole
burden of a future war alone.
We in the Senate are therefore
considering a treaty-the North
Atlantic Security Treaty-pledging
consultation in the event of an
armed attack. This will be fol-
lowed by bill providing practical
means for strengthening the ca
pacity to resist aggression levelled
against the signatory states. This
means helping the development of
a Western European armed force.
Without committing myself to any
particular bill, it can be said it
would be strongly in the interests
of the United States and of world
stability for us, under the proper
conditions, to give help to such a
force.
There are questions to which
satisfactory answers must be
given, however. First, is the pro-
posed pact device to spread war.
by providing that if one country
gets into war it automatically
pulls all the other nations in with
it? The answer is NO" The pact
calls for consultation-which is
all that any country can honor
ably promise. The second question
is whether American military
leaders enthusiastically vouch for
the pact. The answer to that
is yes"
Still another question is whether
We are ready to meet reaction to
such a pact in nonparticipating
countries. I believe we are. A
fourth question arises over a
supreme command on which all the
member nations can agree. think
such a command is to be seen in
the development of "Uniforce"-
that Western European army
with headquarters at Fountaine-
bleau in France, which has made
encouraging progress.
Will of the Soldier
We must be sure, too, that the
governments involved in setting
up this armed force be free from
Communists insofar as top secret
military matters are concerned.
We must know that these same
governments are strong enough
to provide the foundation of civil
and economic power which is
essential to a healthy military
organization. Such strength is
gaining. thanks in large part to
the Marshall Plan. There must
be complete proof that the partic-
ipating nations are willing to
pledge their manpower in regu-
larly organized military units.
1t is essential that we know how
much we can afford to send
abroad in relation to our own
military establishment and our
own solvency. Let it be set down
that there is not one word or SEN
tence in the Atlantic pact which
commits the United States to the
ruination or militarization of our
own economy by mourning arma-
ment expenditures either for our
selves or for other nations.
The final question is the will to
fight of the individual soldier in
these Western European coun-
tries. This will to fight is at the
bottom of every good military Or
ganization. In Europe this will
to fight depends fundamentally on
the extent to which Europe u1ifies
itself. I believe that this quest for
unity in the military sense is off
to a good start and that we can
have great expectations for the
future.
I do not believe that all our
hopes for the human race can be
stated in military terms The
Communist philosophy cannot be
defeated with bullets. Nor can
mankind find a way out of its
misery by economic aid alone,
marvellous and hopeful though the
Marshall Plan may be. 1t is to
the everlasting credit of mankind
that it cares about that for which
it lives more than it cares about
the mere act of keeping alive. We
must therefore make our Chris
tian doctrine of the dignity Of
man an article of export. 1t is
the most thrilling doctrine in the
world if we would only take the:
trouble to state it to ourselves and
others as earnestly as the Com
munists have done with their To-
cent, tin-horn doctrine.