Evening star., 1949-02-14
Needless if Air Power
Can Win War Alone
No justification Seen
For Security Bloc Unless
Bases Are Necessary
By David Laurence

y O"St~ AU&SF NV
The "cold war" goes on. The
American people little realize the
commitments that are being made
in their behalf or the fact that
Russia may not take complacently
the formation of a North Atlantic
military alliance obviously set ur
on the basis of possible attack
by the Soviets.
There are already some curiou!
contradictions about it all. If, fol
instance, air power is as far ad-
vanced as Air Secretary Syming-
ton, Gen. Carl Spaatz and the
other champions of that cause say
it is, then why is it necessary tt
have any alliance with the Scandi.
navian countries? Why, if air.
planes like the B-36 can carry
bombs from the United States tt
distant points and return safely
within 16 hours non stop, is there
any need to send military equip
ment to Norway or Denmark OF
even England?
The American people have beer
told repeatedly that air power will
win the next war, though few
cautious souls, even in the air.
power school of thought, have in.
timated that the use of other
armed services would indeed be
very helpful. Congress is about tc
vote appropriations amounting to
at least $14,000,000,000 for all
armed services. The air-poWer adj
vocates think more should be al
located to them than has been.
Big Risk Involved.
If air power can do the main
Job, then the State Department
is making big mistake in push
ing the North Atlantic security
pact at this time. For a big risk
is being taken. The Scandinavian
countries are being exposed to
possible reprisals from Russia, and
it will not be possible to give aid
to those countries without declar-
ing war on Russia.
Certainly if the American Army
and Navy are to be weakened so
that most of the money is to be
spent for air power, then it will
not be possible for a fleet to cross
the Atlantic and land troops with
out heavy penalties and losses,
because the Russians will have
overrun the territory and con-
quered the Scandinavian coun-
tries before aid can reach them
AS a practical matter. it is diff
ficult to see what purpose a North
Atlantic military alliance can
serve unless it is based on the
theory that maybe air power can
not, after all, do the immediate
Job and that it is wiser to have
ground troops and air bases in
the Scandinavian countries to
which our airplanes can go in
stantly or to which they can go
even ahead of any outbreak Of
war so as to support the Scan
dinavian countries against a sud-
den attack.
But such a theory assumes that
air power cannot do the job in 80
days as some of its enthusiasts
are saying. 1t assumes, more
over. that maybe the Navy must
be strengthened so as to protect
the transport of troops and fuel
across the ocean. For, If it be
conceded that the bombers cannot
use America as the base but must
depend on overseas bases. then 1t
makes sense to have both an At
lantic pact and a Mediterranean
pact.
Aircraft Carriers Needed.
It makes sense also to construct
some floating bases-aircraft car
riers-which would not be de-
pendent, as would land bases. on
the strength of Scandinavian gov
ernments, which can always DC
infltrated from within and frus-
trated by Communist political
action. Aircraft carriers can move
along any sea coast anywhere and
protect the landing of troops and
supplies.
But the extremists in the air.
power school of thought are argu-
ing vehemently against the build
ing of big aircraft carriers. They
are insisting that this is a waste
of money and that the funds had
better be put into long-range
bombers and other weapons OF the
air. Certainly if they are right
about it, the State Department is
making a terrible blunder in push
ing the North Atlantic security al
lance at this or any other time.
Admiral Nimitz and Gen. Brad
ley, in recent announcements,
have indicated clearly their be-
lief that the Buck Rogers era OF
air warfare is not here yet and
that if war broke out this year
for instance, it would have to be
fought very much along the lines
of the last war so far as naval
aviation and ound-troop action
are concerned. Will Congress
take the money away from the
other armed services in order to
give air power more? If SO, the
State Department ought never te
submit the North Atlantic secu.
rity pact to the Senate. Only il
the air-power school of strategy
is wrong is the security-pact plar
justified at all as a sensible meas
ure of defense precaution.
Reproduction Rights Reservedl
E " YOU MAD a NECK = S;ss." sss"
&A as Loha As