Evening star., 1950-07-05

Deceit OF Allies
Critical Days Just Ahead
IF World War iii
Is to Be Averted
By David Laurence
These are the most critical days
OF what some day may be called
the "pre-war period" II there is to
be q World War III. These are
likewise the most critical days II
World War III is to be avoided
altogether.
For in the ten days that have
passed and in the weeks i'm.
mediately ahead, Moscow will have
learned whether she is dealing
with loosely federated alliance
Of nations incapable Of taking col
lective action except In q falter-
ing. cumbersome way or whether
she is facing a resolute foe ca.
pable Of utilizing instantly hi.
power to enforce peace.
Already the Soviet regime has
achieved a major victory. It has
deceived the allied powers as to
the nature and scope Of the strug-
gle 1t plainly intends to wage to
capture Europe. It has observed
some of the military strategists
and policy-makers of the United
States obsessed with the idea that
Russia will pursue conventional
methods to gain her ends. 1t has
caught the United States in a
state of virtual disarmament in
the Far East, its Navy largely in
mothballs, its tactical Air Force
down to a pitifully small number
of units and the bulk of its money
invested in large-Sized bombers
which are not able to. do low
level bombing in support of ground
troops against tanks. Most Of all,
the Soviets have before them the
spectacle of dispersed troop
strength and a plan for mobiliza-
ton three to five years hence by
the allies.
Illusion of Atomic Bomb.
The illusion that the atom
bomb, presumably produced in
large numbers, protects America
in the interim has not yet been
dispelled. The American people
for the most part still believe it
and even in Congress they still
think that air power alone will
assure Americas safety and that
there Is no cause for real worry.
Another illusion widely preva-
lent Is that Russia will not fight
because she is not ready and that
five years from now she may
fight because she will be ready.
The truth is Russia is far better
prepared to grab off Europe this
year than the allies are to pre-
vent her. From a military stand
point the time for Russia is now
but not with q conventional
march across that continent which
would permit atomic warfare. The
Russian strategy is to stir up
small wars and force American
commitments in a half-dozen
places If possible.
In the face Of such a growing
danger, military men here are
saying that the United States and
it's allies must not wait until such
o program is well under way, but
must get on a war footing as
quickly as possible, strengthen
European forces and demand de
mobilization Of the Red army as
a prerequisite to a rehabilitation
of allied armies.
Irresoluteness of Allies.
The irresoluteness of the allies
Is indicated by their latest atti-
tude toward Russian deception
their refusal thus far to accuse
Russia openly of fomenting the
Korean aggression and of aiding
it with her fighter planes and
tanks. II the Western allies are
to take no further steps except
to send notes of protest and are
not to forestall further aggres-
sion upon smaller countries, then
Moscow will have a free hand
gradually to carry out her pro-
gram of inf1ltration within West
ern Europe and to start a series
of local wars.
Even in the first pronounce
ments concerning Korea, the
United States stated that when
the North Koreans had been
pushed back beyond the 38th par
allel, our objectives would be at
tained. So there would be nc
punishment for the aggressor-
no action to discourage any other
aggressors in the world? The
opposite Of such a policy is an
nouncement now of an intention
to occupy North Korea and de-
termination to hold 1t or any other
country which engages in aggres-
sion until the aggressors are fully
disarmed and prevented from par
ticipating in any other military
action.
If such resolution were pro-
claimed now, it would mean a
warning that the territorial in
tegrity of every member nation
of the U. N. would be protected
and that infiltration by Commu-
mist fifth columns is as much a
justification for military action
against an aggressor as the mass
ing of the troops of a would-be
aggressor on the boundary of any
member country.
These are the kinds of policies
which many military men here