Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-07-26
Congress 10 Explore
Whole Question Of
Strategy in PACT
Quiz Won't Be Limited
To Quantity Of Arms
To Be Sent to Europe
Bv David Laurence

To Be Sent to Europe
By David Laurence
More than the mere question OF
quantity Of arms to aid Europe is
now to be debated by Congress.
In fact, the whole question Of what
the strategy of the North Atlantic
nations is to be toward the only
potential enemy now in sight
Russia-is about to be explored.
For several months now the
American people have been sold
a bill Of goods on armament. They
have been told that the next war
can be won in a "blitz" of about
80 days, that strategic bombing"
is the first line of offense, that
land armies are virtually obsolete,
that carrier aviation is really su-
perf1uous, and that "unif1cation"
means that hundreds of millions
of dollars can be saved by put
ting most of the armament money
into the United States Air Force.
But the American people now
are going to begin asking ques-
tions. If the United States Air
Force Is right in the argument it
has been propagandizing for sew
eral months, then why is it neces-
sary to send $1,500,000,000 to
European nations for armament,
as President Truman now recon-
mends? If the next war is to be
a short war. why isn't the amount
that has already been appropri-
ated for armament by the United
States quite sufficient?
Bomber Claims Recalled.
The intercontinental bomber
has been exhibited as plane that
can fly from the United States
to Europe and back and that can
bring the enemy to its knees by
carrying the atom bomb to 10
targets inside Russia.
So the problem Of what the
overall strategy Of America is
to be in the next war comes into
question.
If. indeed, land armies are really
after all, OF some use. then the
argument in favor of building up
several divisions among the men,
bers Of the North Atlantic Pact on
the continent of Europe becomes
pertinent. II. also, the intercon-
tinental bomber is not what has
been heralded end overseas bases
are necessary on the continent.
then the United States needs to
build airfields abroad and to ar
range with the European members
of the North Atlantic Pact to po-
lice and garrison such bases and
to provide ground crews for their
operation.
The moment the United States
starts a flow Of money for arms
aid to Europe. that moment
America becomes dependent on
the whims Of political govern
ments abroad. At any time, If
the Communist infiltration be-
comes effective, all the material
and armament supplied to such
nations could fall into the hands
of the potential enemy. That's
why the Navy proposed super
carriers as floating bases. indie
pendent Of foreign politics.
Inconsistencies Seen.
Speeches by w. Stuart Syming-
ton. Secretary of Air, and General
Vandenberg. chief Of the Air
Force, have indicated that the Air
Force can do the job by strategic
bombing. Certainly under this
line of reasoning. not dollar of
aid should. be given to European
nations for strategic bombing or
for air power, inasmuch as the
United States Air Force is ready
to do everything that has to be
done.
Surely it would be inconsistent
to spend a lot of money to build
up air power in European nations
when at the same time the United
States Navy and the ground forces
of the United States Army are
being denied money for air pro-
lection.
There Is no way out of the
dilemma except to re-examine the
whole war plan to which $4,000
100000 is being allocated. Sooner
or later the question of how much
armament expenditure the Amer
lean economic system can stand
will have to be decided.
If the European nations need
armament aid in order to boost
their morale. then cut in the
appropriation for armament for
the United States alone would
seem to be in order as some
money is transferred to Europe.
The whole job can be done for
much less than $4,000, 000, 900 If
what the Air Force enthusiasts
say is true-namely. that all that
is needed in the next war is air
power. that land armies are OBJ
soiete. and that navies are i'm
portant only as a .cargo-carrying
service across the Atlantic and
perhaps to take care Of the
menace of submarines.
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