Evening star., 1950-07-29
Soviet War Strategy
Seen booming West
Unless II Is FoiIed
Satellite Armies Could
Exhaust World Before
Russian Troops Move
By Dorothy Thompson

Soviet strategy is obvious. It
is. through satellite armies, to
involve the world and especially
the United States in exhauSting
wars at widely separated points,
without engaging actual Soviet
forces. reServing these for the
final and decisive phase of the
conflict"
If the West accommodates itself
to this strategy it is doomed. It
will wear itself out on the peri
pheries in an. attempt to cut off
the tentacles of an octopus, while
leaving the body of the octopus
untouched and growing ever
stronger.
The enemy in Korea is not the
North Korean army. 1t is the
Soviet Union. Even Henry Wal
lace comedies that Undoubtedly
the Russians could have prevent
ed the attack by the North Ko-
reans and undoubtedly they could
now stop the attack at any time
they wish" (Wallace in the Ma
tional Guardian. organ of the
Progressive party, July 49,
Furthermore, they could stop it
without any gain for the West.
beyond a purely moral victory for
the U. NJ, whose demand in Korea
is only for the withdrawal of the
North Korean armies and the re-
establishment of the status quo.
and without prejudice to the Rus
sian ambition of seating Commu-
mist China on the U. N. Security
Council.
Does Not Want Peace.
Since Russia can so cheaply
buy peace, it is obvious that she
does not want peace but war
peace for Russia and war for
everybody else.
1t is now clear that the Red
satellite forces are not militarily
negligible.
In Europe the East German
state possesses an estimated force
of 175,000 men with elite divisions
trained for tank warfare, with
naval forces Ito protect the coasts
of the democratic republic" and
an air force in being. These face
totally disarmed West Germany.
protected by a handful of nom
combat Western occupation troops.
Since June Z. when East Ger
man Communist leaders visited
Warsaw and signed there a treaty
recognizing the Oder -Neisse line
as a permanent and unalterable
frontier of peace" the East Ger
man Army has been in military
alliance with the Polish Army
and undoubtedly with the Czech
Army as well.
1t is amazing how little atten-
ton is being paid to this Polish
force-as little as was paid to the
North Korean Army.
The Polish Army today is not
what it was in 1889 Since Polish
born Russian Gen. Rokossov-
sky became its commander in No
vember, the army budget has more
than doubled, to $50 billion zloty.
Army military service has been
extended from "a to 27 months
and air force and navy service to
three years. The Security Police,
headed by Gen. Radkiewicz,
corresponding to the Nazi SS) has
also been put under command of
Marshal Rokossovsky, and mill
tary and police together total
100000, or nearly half a million
men.
Polish Economy Modified.
The whole Polish economy is
now under political control and
modified for war, and the last
nucleus of opposition-the Catho-
lie church-has been crushed.
East German and Poles with
out the CzechS possess. therefore.
more than 30 divisions and the
Polish frontier is an hour from
Berlin.
1t is obvious what will occur
when the East Germans launch
their attack for "the unification
of Germany"
Russia will declare for nom
intervention and remove her
troops. But simultaneously the
great Polish Army will march into
Germany. not to intervene in the
civil war"-oh. no! 1t will march
with It's rear secured by Russia
TO protect its new frontiers
never accepted by Western Ger
many or the Western Allies, who
threaten the Peoples Democratic
Polish Republic"
This will happen as sure as
death and taxes unless the West
ern Allies act to foil the strategy
of war for every one but Russia by
informing the Soviet Union now
that If there is any attack in Eu-
rope. from any Eastern govern
ment whatsoever, the Western Al
lies will consider themselves at
war with the Soviet Union and
with the Soviet Union alone.
At the same time, and with this
clear, the Western Allies must be
prepared to negotiate a settle