Evening star., 1950-07-25
Pdeporedness and the Atlantic Pact

In their current London meeting, the repre-
senHatives of the twelve nations in the Atlantic
Pact will have to deal with the urgent problem
of STRENGTHENING Western Europe's defensive po-
sitiGsn to as great degree as possible with as
LITTLE delay as possible. The Communist war OF
aggression in Korea has left no room for doubt
abo,ht that. The Red totalitarian menace is in an
actiRe new phase throughout the world, and the
free WeSt-which at this stage in history Is stra-
tegiGtally far more important than ASia-rnust
erefore do everything 1t can to accelerate the
pace rof its military preparedness
lfrior to the outbreak of the Korean crisis
the Council Of the Atlantic Pact agreed upon
relatively slow and economical timetable for the
builchng up of mutual defensive system based
on balanced collective forces" But this pro-
gramJ placing considerable reliance on the de-
velopment and acquisition of important new
weapons to offset the Kremlin'S present great
numeracal superiority in things like tanks and
infantry divisions, was predicated largely on
the assumption that Soviet planning did not
conte nhplate a near-future attack in the Euro
pean tsphere Conceivably, that may still be
the GhHe, but the war in Korea indicates that
the West would be guilty of foolhardy wishful-
ness e it kept on thinking SO.
Accordingly, as they meet now in London
the taantic communitys representatives made
up of t.the Foreign Ministers deputies, who are
to op hrate as the permanent executive COM
mitteeNof the Pact's Council-must act in keep
ing kAh a new and faster timetable to set in
motior6 revised and expanded program aimed
at str kilgthening the West with the greatest
possib,te speed. Charles M. Spofford, the Amer
ican~7aAmber who probably will be the COM
mittee Isl chairman, has done well to emphasize
this p pillt 1t is point that cannot be stressed
too stkqngly. It amounts to nothing less than
fo&a Fill oh 0yH1i ma ND
abroad must meet for the sake Of our common
survivh |.
AS far as the United States is concerned,
the hesident has already intimated that he
probat ny will ask Congress to provide extra bill
lions DIT dollars for armaments aid over and
above Nthe billion earmarked for our Atlantic
allies dil the Mutual Defense Assistance Pro-
gram Ia fiscal 1851. At the same time more
over, b has called upon those allies to increase
their o6 m domestic arms production and take
other "a easures-including an enlargement Of
their Ihil itary budgets in reasonable proportion
to our Yo9Tn-to promote an all-around improve
ment ! h sWestern preparedness as rapidly as pos
sible, SIN improvement capable Of bunting the
force OF any new Red aggression.
WI lat all this means is that Britain, France
and th ki other overseas members Of the Atlantic
Pact II INST now undertake-like the United States
"a de Ree Of mobilization that is bound to in
terfere Tin q measure with their plans for con-
tinuing progress in building up their civilian
econom Us. They have made clear, however,
that Il lei are ready to join US In doing what
clearly d seds to be done. There is no other
safe co kl1 Sc for the Western world to follow in
the pre- 6a Mt situation. AS long as the Russians
and tht H|. satellites are committed to policy of
aggress b n, we cannot have business as usual
or an m impeded pursuit Of our normal peace
time g kls.