Evening star., 1949-02-13


interview granted by Prime Minis
ter Stain to the most 'reactionary"
American news agency, William
Randolph Hearst's International
News Service. But to the great
disappointment of Moscow's mas
ter minds, even this piece of prop
aganda fell fiat.
The Soviet Prime Minister went
so far in his propaganda move as
to admit to his own people that he
was too i'll to travel a long dis
tance, a heretofore unheard of
admission. But his game to pre-
vent the formation of the North
Atlantic bloc misflred.
Mobile Army Contemplated
The men who guide the destinies
of the Russian people are con-
vinced that the old isolationist
spirit. which existed among a vast
number of Americans until Pearl
Harbor, could be rekindled.
These moves by the Kremlin
have been carefully analyzed in
the Western capitals and resulted
in a more definite decision to con-
vert into an actual working agree
ment the blueprint for the defense
of Western civilization which was
drafted last summer. but could not
be revealed officially because of the
electoral battle in this country at
that time.
The Atlantic bloc, which is ex-
pected to contribute to the organ
ization of a United States of
Europe. provides in detail for steps
to be taken by its signatories for
common defense. According to
available information. the bloc
plans to organize-in the next
two years-a ground force in
Europe extending from the Adri-
attic to the North Sea. This
ground force will consist of about
80 highly mobile divisions. Amer
ica's principal contribution to this
force will be equipment-tanks.
artillery and all kinds of modern
weapons.
Manpower will be provided by
the nations of Europe. Available
American military forces will be
ready to support the new army
with the troops we now have in
Germany and possibly with those
new forces which we will organize
in this country.
Britain Shifts Forces
The idea is to form a curtain Of
effective resistance between
oviet-dominated territory and
the countries of the West. This
ground force will be supported by
American and British naval forces
and by American-British strategic
air groups. The air groups sup
porting the Rhine will be based in
the British Isles and those sup
porting the Mediterranean area
in North Africa, probably Cy-
renaica
AS soon as the North Atlantic
pact is signed and ratified by the
Senate the United States Air Force
units which have been stationed
in Britain since last summer are
expected to be strengthened and
new strategic Air Force outfit
sent to Cyrenaica. where all facil-
tiles for operations are ready.
The British in the last 1a
months have moved their forces
from India. Palestine and Egypt
and have organized in Kenya and
Cyrenaica the defenses for what
is left of their empire. Important
quantities of war materials have
been stockpiled in those new bases
and airflelds and other facilities
for fighter and bombardment
groups have been greatly i'm
proved. The Russians are aware
of all this.
While it is recognized that 30
or even 40 European divisions may
mean little when they are con-
fronted with the whole Red Army.
the organization of even such a
limited force will have a good
effect on the peoples outside the
iron curtain. Their present forces
are so sadly lacking in modern
equipment that their morale is low
and their existence as organized
divisions is more on paper than
in actual fact.
| Ground Force Costly
The arrival of modern weapons
will have an important moral ef-
feet on the armies which at
present are hardly in mood to
resist aa organized onslaught. In
some military quarters in Wash
ington there is feeling that the
two main nations in continental
Europe-Italy and France-are no
longer capable of military effort.
and that we would be wasting
good equipment by sending it to
them. Other military men believe.
however, that national pride has
not been stamped out of those
peoples and that given the means
to fight and real strategic air
support, they will be willing and
capable of holding back the ag-
gressors forces until our own
ground forces can be thrown into
the fray.
The existence of at least 200
fully equipped Soviet divisions
would make it necessary for us
to maintain permanently at least
third that number in the United
States. Admittedly this is i'm
possible in time of peace. Our
present defense budget calls for
SIS, 1000, ,00o,000 for the 1949-50
fiscal year. In spite of this vast
expenditure, less than seven new
divisions can be provided for the
ground forces.
The reason is not lack of man
power or unwillingness OF Amer
ican youth to serve the country.
But the cold fact is that no peace
k;..o b,,loaf ron Stond q yoI1ch