Courier-herald. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1949-1950, 1950-02-04
Is War
With Reds
Inevitable

and far-fetched expression. How.
ever, science tells us that II is
possible to construct bombs with
which nation might be rem.
dered totally incapable either of
defense. or aggression.
President Humans order to
construct the hydrogen bomb has
been followed by 4 renewal Of
pleas from many quarters of
Europe for international control
of atomic energy. And Washing.
ton hasn't overlooked the need
of such control. The state depart
ment has been reviewing Anne.
fican policy on International
controls and this survey report.
edly has included the possibil.
ity Of a fresh approach to Rus.
STA. There has been no indica-
ton of what, If anything, might
come from this study.
Meantime the British foreign
office pinned the thing down
tersely and bluntly In reply to
a request by British Quakers
that Prime Minister Attlee try
to arrange a personal conference
with Stain, Truman and other
Western government heads In an
attempt to reach an international
agreement. The foreign office re.
piled on behalf of Attlee:
1T would be presumptuous to
suppose that personal contact at
even the highest level would do
anything but raise unduly the
hopes for peace which have been
so often and so cruelty disap.
pointed in the past"
TIE reply added that, judging
by their recent conduct, the Rus.
slams "are dominated by the
Marxist theory Of an inevitable
clash Letween the two systems
into which the world is divided"
Is that a true bill? Is the quest
Of peace hopeless? Is war in.
evitable?
This column has said many
times, and repeated it yester-
day, that from our viewpoint q
major shooting war between the
Lisms isn't likely In the near
future; although anything could
happen In these perilous days.
However, that doesn't take care
Of the distant future.
Will there come a time when
communism and democracy must
line up on the battlefields Of
an Armageddon?
Let's look at the thing square.
1y. Bolsevism long ago announc.
ed that it was out to commune
the world by revolution. It has
gone far towards achieving It's
ambition, with the result that
the democracies have organized
against it. The world Is divided
into two camps.
Now the bulk Of the strength
In all categories-including eco.
nomic and industrial power-at
present lies with the Western
nations. There has been no in
dication that they have any in.
tention Of declaring q shooting
war against the Communist bloc
headed by Russia. And the Sow.
fet Union would look twice be.
fore launching q shooting war
with the balance Of power
against her.
So we must conclude that.
barring some unforeseen devel-
opment, a hot war isn't probable
before the strength Of the two
blocs has been at least equal
lied, that is, before Russia has
made her strength equal to that
of the "capitalistic" nations.
d In this connection we should.
MT overlook the statement yes.
terday by Secretary Of the Air
Force Stuart Symington In a
speech at Baylor university, Wa.
co. Texas. He said Communist
dictators have 'the worlds larg.
est ground army, air force and
undersea fleet" and warned that
Russia is capable OF launching
a surprise atomic attack on any
part of the United States.
However, we really begin to
worry about war when the two
blocs are on an equal war foot.
ing. But is war inevitable even
under those circumstances? 1t
would be utterly foolish to try
to forecast the distant future,
hut this much we can say:
There are many close observ-
ers who feel that war will be
highly probable II the two blocs
become equalized In military
strength. The leaders OF the OPP
posing forces would OF course be
AxaARiN0