Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-06-21
Gen. Smith Appeals
For Arms for Europe
In Talk 10 Governors
Or the Assceioied Press

.- S<A<~ASk3A>~ AZ 4e4As><SS SoAo'
June 21.-Told that Russia soon
may be testing an atomic bomb,
many Of the Nations Governors
appeared ready today to back the
administrations arms program for
Western Europe.
Although no official Governors
Conference action my be forth
coming, general reaction was IA
vorable to an appeal by 1t. Gen.
Walter Bedell Smith for. support
of a program of arms and full
weight economic aid for Western
democricies opposing communism
It was Gen. Smith, former Am
bassador to Russia, who told the
Governors assembled here for their
41st annual meeting. that he
thinks the Russians have solved
the problem Of atomic fission.
He told a banquet crowd Of
more than 400 persons in what
was announced as an off -the-rec-
ord session that the Russians soon
may test q DOmD.
But Gen. Smith emphasized he
doesn't believe the Soviets have
the know-how to make the deli
cate machinery needed for remote
control handling of atomic ma
terials necessary for production
of any large number Of bombs. He
noted in this connection that
the Russians can't even make
watches yet.
- Dewey Supports View.
AS a wild guess" he added that
Hmight take the Soviets 10 years
or more to produce the powerful
type of bombs this country has
stockpiIed.
II Gen. Smiths call for backing
OF the administrations $1.l30.-
200 600 program to rearm Eu-
rope found support from Gov.
Thomas E. Dewey OF New York,
the Republican presidential nomi-
nee.
Gen. Smith told the Governors
the Russians think they can out
wait the United States in the
cold war.
I'VE must anticipate that the
Soviet tactics will be to attempt
to wear us down. to exasperate
us, to keep probing for weak
spots they can exploit and we
must cultivate f1rmness and
patience to a degree we have
never before required" he added.
Urges Follow Through"
The former Ambassador warned
that this country must not relax.
even if the Foreign Ministers
Conference should reach a final
settlement on the Berlin problem.
Urging full follow through" on
the Marshall Plan for economic
aid to Europe" Gen. Smith said,
in effect. that if Congress cuts
funds for the program it will be
taken abroad as a sign of 'vacil-
lation or indecision on our part"
that would discourage Western
Europe.
In arguing for the military as
sistance program, he said that
most of the Western European
countries had emerged from the
war practically defenseless."
He added that for the North
Atlantic pact to become effective
in the eyes of Russia. it would
have to be backed by = military
strength.
Gov. Dewey, who heads a con-
ference discussion today on Fed
eral-States relations. told a news
conference yesterday that he
thinks Western Europe has no
resources to re-arm itself, adding:
You don't keep the peace by
being weak. You keep it by being
strong. I am for the military as
sistance program"
Opposes Health Insurance.
On domestic issues. Gov. Dewey
told reporters he is opposed to
either State or National health
insurance.
Gov. Dewey said his visit to
England convinced him that such
plans just won't work. He said
doctors there told him the level of
medical service dropped because
they had to see a long line of
patients and could give only about
three minutes to each one"
Gov. Alfred E. Driscoll of New
Jersey, a Republican, led parade
Of criticism against proposed Fed
eral aid to education and Federal
"home relief" contributions.
Gov. Driscoll told his colleagues
that it would be "a tragic mistake"
for Congress to enact the $780,
0D0, ZOO Federal school aid bill al
ready passed by the Senate.
go Gov. William M. Tuck of Vir-
xjnia said Federal aid to educa-
ton would mean ultimate control
6y Outside sources" of the public
school systems of the States.
= Gov. Tuck. chairman of the
Southern Governors Conference,
declared:
=: MY voice. in or out of public
life, always will be heard in OPP
position to all proposals to under
mine our State and local govern
ments with unnecessary Federal
grants in aid, and particularly in
The field of education"
Women Mathematician Dies
:. MONROE. Wis, June 81 (P.-
Miss Nell Miller, So. for the last
20 years a professor Of math-
ematics at the University Of Ari-