Evening star., 1950-06-04
Philippines Show Up as Weak Link in Pacific Defense
kremIin Activity
In Arctic Hints
Offensive Plans
By Constantine Brown

stration in Berlin, which a num-
ber of observers this spring be-
lieved would signal a Soviet mill
tary offensive in Europe-confirms
the belief of some of our military
and political strategists that what
ever explosion may occur in the
near future will come on the
Asiatic mainland.
While the Kremlin is endeavor-
ing to digest its European satel-
liteS as quickly as possible by
means Of large-scale purges and
peace offensives," large military
movements are taking place in
the Far East. Although our dip
lomats do not want to admit it,
there is an ill-camoufiaged shoot
ing war going on in that vast area
in which more than one billion
people live.
Under the direction of Mos
cows specialists the Chinese Com
munists have succeeded in occupy
ing all of China. An offensive on
Formosa, the only remaining part
of China under the control of the
anti-Communists, is expected in
the near future.
This offensive will start as soon
as the air force promised by Prime
Minister Stain during Mao TIE
tung's visit to Moscow reaches
the invasion area in Eastern
China. The first echelon, includ-
ing a dozen or more jet planes,
already is operating from the air
fields near Shanghai.
Formosa Seen Doomed
The fall of Formosa is inevitable
unless the State Department de-
cides to rally itself to the pre-
vailing views of the military in
the Pentagon and in Tokyo and
rushes air and naval equipment
to the last Nationalist stronghold.
This is considered unlikely, how
ever, in spite of the reported
change Of heart on the part Of
Secretary of State Acheson.
The biologists in the State
Department have shown in the
past that they can drag their feet
when it comes to sending assis-
tance to governments which they
consider obsolete and no longer in
line with the worlds new look"
Hard-boiled military men and
politicians who do not indorse
ideologies insist that unless For
mosa is kept out Of Communist
hands the already troublesome
situation in the Philippines soon
may become very grave. If For
mosa falls, our lines of commune
cation between-Japan and the
South Pacific could be interrupt
ed at Russia's pleasure.
The "inf1ltration" of fighting
men and war materials from
Communist China into Indo-
China now is progressing rapidly.
We are getting ready to send
SOME $35 million worth of war
materials to the French and loyal
native forces in that country.
But the prospect that Ho Chi
Mimi, Moscow's puppet, will
strike in force this summer is as
suming alarming proportions.
Because of racial and intellec-
tual ties with Europe the people
OF the United States are far more
concerned with helping that con-
tinent. They give only occasional
cursory glances to the Far East.
Yet 1t is in that area that we
fought our bloodiest battles for
survival. 1t was fortunate that
in the last war Japan was in
herently weak. Because 2 mil
lion men of her ground forces
were engaged in war in China,
she was unable to exploit the
initial victory at Pearl Harbor
A nation with greater resources
than the Japanese might have
followed the first surprise attack
with landing on American ter