Evening star., 1950-02-11
Control Of Armaments
Held UnworkabIe in
Age Of Universal Fear
Tydings PIon Called
Effective in Disorminq
U. S. but Not Russia
By Dorothy THOMPSON

diverting attention from the point
1t is impossible to control arma-
ments. Innumerable attempts
have been made and have in
evitably failed. What is urgently
necessary is to control men and
nations; to abolish the war-mak-
ing powers of sovereign states, and
establish an enforceable law gov
erning their relations with each
other. Men, not weapons, make
war.
Men make war for many rea-
sons, but the chief is fear. The
H-bomb, like the atom stockpile,
represents response to fear. We
fear like the Russians) that we
may be attacked. Therefore, we
seek such weapons as our military
deem most effective to instill into
potential enemy fear of attack
ing us, and such as, if we are at
tackled. will be most effective for
defense, taking account of man
power, geographical position and
industrial capacity.
When nations wage war they
wage it by the means they possess,
ano that are most advantageous
to themselves. In disarmament
conferences. nations seek to disarm
the means of their possible op-
ponents. In the present situa-
ton the means of the Russians
are: An extraordinarily favorable
position for the movement of mass
armies into Europe or Asia; an
absolutely disciplined population:
fifth columns, cultivated and
trained for generation, to under
mine morale, fight as partisan
guerrillas, overthrow governments
by appeals for peace. and eventu-
ally welcome the enemy's armies
as liberators.
Plan Would Disarm West.
Against these means the West,
protected by the, United States.
possesses immense superiority of
machines, capable of carrying ter
rife destruction into enemy terri
torly. with a minimum of man.
power.
If. within the present frame
work of world anarchy, the United
States should follow Senator Tyd-
ings' advice and call for disarma-
ment of the world down to rifles,
we would, therefore, only be dis
arming the West The Communist
world would possess vast superb
ority of rif1es-including rifles in
the hands of fifth columnists-
and these rifles possessed by mil
lionfold Red armies, all integrated
for a common strategy, could
subdue the earth.
The psychological disarmament
of the United States is already far
advanced, because a conviction of
sin has been attached to one form
of warfare and not the other
That the Communist form atom
ICES the whole or human society,
causing as great or greater terror
death, homelessness, and vast mi
grations of peoples as the other,
does not enter the consciousness
of those who have not experienced
1t. -
The Russian revolution pro-
duced more Russian casualties
than two world wars, and the
casualties have never ceased, as
they never cease in any country
once subdued by communism.
The war then turns inward,
against the surrendered. There is
no end to the liquidation of bour-
geoisie, kulaks. diversionists, trait
ors, spies, and antisocials, in
lynch courts, or no courts. There
is no end to the taking of pris-
oners, who fill slave camps, dying
by hundreds of thousands of hun
ger. filth, and disease. Commu-
nism is unremitting war, in which
there never is an armistice, a
truce, or peace.
Due to Breakdown of Law.
The present situation of horror
confronting horror is due to the
total breakdown of law-such un-
written law, dictated by religious
ly based ethics, and the somewhat
humane culture, that in previous
centuries with occasional lapses)
mitigated, to some extent, the be-
havior of nations toward each
other, even in war.
The United Nations has broken
down, because the structure is
false, inadequate, and immoral.
IL represents a concept of world
peace involving the remuneration
OF war on the part of the immense
majority (the weak along with
an u1avowed readiness to sub
nit to being the booty of others
who do not denounce 1.-THE
strong. It's assumption is una
nimlty between the great DOW
ers by means of which peace be-
comes anything they agree upon,
and war any resistance to such
agreements.
On such premise it is impos-
s1ble to create a law of nations,
let alone enforce one.
Nor has the United States ever
taken the lead to reform and
strengthen this body into a force
for peace, because it is a force
for law.
Fear is, therefore, universal. 1t
arises from the realization that
out of the wish for universal
reconciliation has come a condi-
ton where anything can happen
to any people, without a finger
being lifted IN protection, lest
peace be menaced. It arises from
the realization that not a single
principle exists to which persons
or nations may repair for Justice
In such condition disarma-
ment is impossible, and all talk
OF it is putting the cart before
the horse.
fre5a.saS H. A.. NV e-.s..