Evening star., 1950-06-18
The Free World Can HoId-ond Win

In his recent address to the American Club
of Paris. DR.. Vannevar Bush said things that
ought to hearten and inspire all free peoples
who have been depressed by the fact that the
aggreSsion-bent Kremlin has at it's disposal
armed forces whose quantitative superiority
dwarfs anything that the Western world can
put into the field at this time.
What Dr. Bush has done, in effect, is to
minimize the significance of that superiority
and to counsel everybody that it does not justify
defeatiSm or excessive worry Thus, speaking
as one OF the worlds most distinguished scien-
lists, as an American uniquely well-informed on
military matters and as a man celebrated for
not letting optimism get the better of his COM
mon sense, he has made such striking state
ments as the following:
ID The development of new defensive
weapons constitutes 'the most encouraging
chapter since the end of the war;" (2) the
Atlantic nations "can work together in the hope
and conUiction that we, the free peoples, can
take care of ourselves" 90 "the time is coming
when small group of well-trained troops can
hold off large masses of men," "a "the means
are noio at hand to make the heavy tanks obso-
lete and to end the days of breakthrough;" 90
four or tt0e years of intelligent, intensive ef-
tort" will sound the death knell of huge armies:
and 10 sit will then be fully evident that
Europe is in position to prevent an invasion"
DR.. Bush, it is worth emphasizing, is a hard
headed, "show-me" type of individual with a
decided distaste for pipedreams. His optimism
is therefore doubly significant and encouraging.
What 1t means is that careful examination
OF present facts and future probabilities has
convinced him-just as it apparently has con-
vinced the top members of our military estab-
nsnmen-that the new defensive weapons now
being produced, or in the process of develop
Dfant lnoo oin 70
numerical superiority, in tanks and infantry
divisions, that the Soviet Union has at it's COM
mand for offensive land operations
Leaving aside anti-aircraft advances the
weapons DR.. Bush has in mind are the ones
designed to stop tanks and smash invading
armies. The anti-tank devices-which probably
Will be in mass production in the next two years
or so, even though still in the process of per-
fection-are Cd the hollow shaped charge"
fired from bazooka-like recoilless gun with
aWesome penetrating effect on the thickest
armor, and (2) "squash-head" ammunition
which can be shot from a regular field piece,
which does not penetrate, but which smears
itself over tank and then explodes, breaking
up everything inside. AS for the other anti
invasion devices-defnitely on the way, though
not yet available-they are the atomic artillery
she'll and the guided missile with an A-bomb
warhead
The anti-tank items speak pretty much for
themselves; they give every promise. of wiping
out the offensive value of heavy armored forces.
similarly when they become neutrality-suspicious.
within the next three years-atomic guided mis-.
siles and artillery shells will have revolutionary
Importance. AS alI-weather weapons of high
accuracy, they will be particularly adaptable to
noiolng defensive ine-especially a river line
winch an enemy cannot cross without concen-
trating his troops and equipment and thus
suicidally exposing himself to fire Just as de-
structive as the A-bomb
In pointing to this prospect, of course. DR.
Bush and the military men are careful to stress
that It's full realization will require four or more
years OF energetic effort AS for what the
kreml1n might do in the meantime. that is
another question. But the general consensus
OF the experts (they could be wrong) is that
the Russians, knowing that we are well ahead
OF tnem with A-weapons, that we are not neg
lectlng our retaliatory striking power and that
the resources and productive capacity of the
west are far greater than theirs, will not want
10 prec1pitate war between now and 1855.
II all this is SO, then the United States
and like-minded nations can build up within
the next five years, the kind of strength that
can eventually convince the Kremlin that it
had better begin to cooperate in organizing
decent peace. If everything is done that needs
TO be done, the free world thus can be reason
ably hopeful of winning the cold war without
firing shot.