Evening star., 1950-12-14
ACoH to Arms

ACoN to Arms
An urgent alarm, coupled with call to arms
has been sounded by the newly formed Com
mittee on The Present Danger.
This committee, composed of Is civilians who
have played leading roles in public and private
life, minces no words in describing the menace
to this country. 1t says that our very survival
is threatened, that the aggressive designs of the
Soviet Union are Enthusiastically plain, that our
allies are weak and that we are far from suf-
fciently modified to meet the danger
It insists that our only chance of averting a
war of world dimensions, or of assuring victory
If that kind OF war should come despite our
efforts, lies in taking these steps:
Cd Raising a total United States armed
force of "at least" 3,500000 men.
~ Two years of military service, including
military training, for all young men upon reach
ing the age of 18 or upon graduating from high
school. This would be supplement to the
Selective Service Act.
60 Expansion of the program for equipment
and supplies far beyond the goals already an
nounced.
az Submission to economic controls more
exacting than those now in effect.
60 Sharp reduction in Government spend
ing for non-defense purposes
In short, the committee calls for the con-
version Of the United States into kind Of armed
camp-an armed camp in which we could expect
to live for an undetermined number Of years to
come. The committee does not mean by this that
we can withdraw from the world and hide behind
our own borders. Quite the contrary But it does
mean that the good old days" are over in this
country II we wish to stay alive.
Some of the specific proposals Of this group
are open to question. The call for an armed force
of at least 3500,000 men may be too low. And
1t certainly is not clear how we could proceed
with a universal military service program at a
time when we are hard pressed for the means
to build, through Selective Service the 5000 900
man armed force for which the President called
In September.
The committee has promised detailed recon-
mendations in this respect, however, and they
should be awaited It's main purpose, at this time
has been to bring to the American people an
adequate picture of their danger and to impress
the people with the urgency of taking suitable
steps to meet it. On this score the committee
has done a good job. The Star is by no means
certain, however, that 1t might not have done
better.
The members Of this committee say that
they do not accept the idea that war with the
Soviet Union is inevitable-unless the Soviet SO
wills It," There is here, at least, a note of
reservation. The statement is by no means as
unqualified as that Of Averel Hartman, who
in addressing the American Farm Bureau Fed
Grafton on Tuesday, declared: "In spite of every
thing that has happened, we must not accept
the inevitability of another world war"
The Star would like to know why, in spite of
all the evidence to the contrary, so many people
refuse to accept the inevitability of war; It is
true, of course that another world war is not
literally inevitable. Presumably nothing is. But
in the face of the mounting evidence, why do we
keep harping on that theme?
Only about six months ago the President was
saying that we were closer to peace than at any
time in five years When are we going to wake
up and look the facts in the face? When are
we going to tell the people that the odds favor
war, and not peace? Surely this unwarranted
emphasis on peace has had lot to do with our
snail-like pace toward preparation for war. And
the more we encourage hope for peace that is
not justified by the facts the harder it Is going
to be to persuade the people to make the sacri-
fees that they are told must be made If we wish
to survive.
The Star agrees with Senator Johnson, chair
man of the Senate Military Preparedness Sub
committee, that there has been altogether too
much "adolescent nonsense and double talk"
about this matter. He says that we are already
at war with the Communist world-that eve are
not getting ready for war-we are in it."
This is an attitude that makes sense And
we would get along faster with the grim business
in hand If we would stop talking about armng
to preserve peace and begin to think in terms of
arming to fight the war that has already begun
for us On one front, and which we should expect
to have to tight to finish on worldwide scale
before we are through.
Riddino the Schools Of Reds