Evening star., 1949-03-19
Question Is Raised
Whether Pact Is Best
Weapon in Cold War
Writer Believes Alliance
Should Be Open to All,
Including Soviet Union
By Dorothy THOMPSON

The question which bothers this
column is whether the North At
lantic defense pact is the best po-
litical weapon we could use in the
cold war, and even in anticipation
of a possible hot war.
We do not for a moment deny
the extreme danger in the present
situation or the necessity for &C
tion. We do not consider the sit
uation one whit less dangerous
than that Of 1899. In many re-
spects it is more so. But we think
1t is different, and fear that we
are preparing for an imaginary
war on the 1889 model rather than
for the greater likelihood.
The first thing to bear in mind
is that, as far as the Western
world is concerned. the fronts run
through Western Europe. They
do not follow the national from
tiers.
While we have no effective al
lies behind the Iron Curtain, the
Soviets do have allies on this
side of it. These allies preclude
European unity in case of an
armed struggle between the West
and the Soviet Union.
Trained In Sabotage.
Thorez, Togliatti and their pro-
totypes in other countries are not
indulging in idle threats when they
promise to sabotage any war in
which the Soviets are the enemy.
In France and Italy, at least, they
have a very considerable fol-
lowing and, unlike Fascist fifth
columns, they have been trained
for a quarter century in guerrilla
tactics and industrial sabotage.
They also are extremely gifted
propagandists.
Now. they must have known
what the general reaction to their
recent statements would be. They
obviously reckoned that although
open declarations of national
treason would enrage the people,
they also would frighten them.
And they believe in the political
power of fear.
The chief fear consuming the
European peoples today is that
in case of war the Soviet armies
would not be halted at the Elbe;
that they would overrun Europe;
that they would set up Communist
regimes and institute barbaric
reign of terror; and many argue
that in such an eventuality it
might be better to bargain on the
Polish and Czech model for native
Communist governments.
People underrate the popular
power Of this argument. Polish
Communists facing a hostile
population blandly asked, Which
would you rather have? The So
Wet armies or us?" And Euro
pean Communists also ask,
which would you rather have?
War in which case we promise
you the Soviet armies whom we
will welcome, or different policy
altogether"
Alliances Made for War.
Now, no matter how you cut the
cloth, military alliances are made
for war. And war is precisely
what the people of Western Eu-
rope fear above everything else.
The Western nations are not re-
sponsible for splitting Europe in
two. That was the work of the
Soviets, who want a free" Eu-
rope their way or not at all.
But I doubt whether it is po-
litically sound for the United
States to ratify the split of Eu-
rope into two armed camps, with
specific nations singled out for
defense against a specific power.
1t would seem more intelligent to
propose a pact with all nations
determined to resist aggression.
open to all. including the Soviet
Union, and to call for the
strengthening of the United Ma
tions under strict definitions of
aggression and preparation for ag-
gression.
This would not end the Commu-
mist efforts, but it might pull a
rug from under their propaganda.
We are not doing nearly enough
to put the Soviets politically on the
defensive. The best way to do so is
to inquire over and over again
why they will not join in genu-
inc and enforceable system of
collective security. Or at least, so
1t seems to this columnist.
tReleased BY the Bell Syndicate, Inc)
AZ