Evening star., 1950-08-27

LIlclI 1SldIluS. AS ldT dS bT1Cdlu II
Is not needed at present for the
are enough Royal Air Force planes
to meet an immediate emergency.
But the British government,
after consulting the Conservatives
headed by Winston Churchill, has
come to the conclusion that con-
tinental Europe's filters would be
Gained somewhat If 1000 or more
American bombers were stationed
in England and If the story made
the rounds that an adequate
|stockpile of atomic bombs ac-
companied them.
The continental members of the
Atlantic pact are more worried
and fearful of a Russian attack
sometime this year than stories
from European capitals tell. Their
concern is due to the realization
that despite the military aid pro-
gram, which has been in effect
for more than a year now, they
are woefully unprepared for a
Soviet onslaught.
Moreover, even if we treble the
amount of arms and ammunition
we are sending under MAP and
Congress were to add another 81
or So billion to the $1.2 billion ap-
propriated for the current fiscal
year, the additional aid could not
be adequately employed. The main
problem Of Western European ma
tions is manpower.
Inspiration Lacking
This does not mean that there
are not enough men in France,
Belgium, Italy and the other con-
tinental countries with whom to
organize a formidable ground and
air force. Manpower is not rep
resented merely by numbers but
by the will to abandon everything
and fight against any conceivable
odds. And that inspiration is
lacking today among most of our
continental European Allies.
The fear Of a Russian air blitz,
which might ruin beautiful cities
like Paris, Rome and Brussels; the
fear that another war would re-
duce the countries of Western Eu-
rope to almost complete desola-
ton, and Communist propaganda
which since 1945 has convinced the
masses that the next war will be
between America and Russia-all
these have made the Western Eu-
ropeans extremely reluctant to
bear arms.
The French government, for in
stance. Is aware that it would not
last Is minutes II 1t were to de-
clare preliminary general mobil-
ization. which Is necessary If all
the American equipment is to be
put to good use Immediately.
Premier Rene Pleven, like his
predecessors, is having a difficult
time obtaining sufficient men to
keep the army in Indo-C China in
fighting trim. If he were to call
out Frances manpower, he would
at least lose his job. He could
even find himself facing a full
f1edged revolution. He hopes that
some strong indication that the
European members of the Atlantic
pact will not have to fight alone
may revive the old martial spirit
in his countrymen and their
Allies.
1t is for this reason that, at a
time when we are hard-pressed
in Korea. he has asked that five
American divisions be sent forth
with to Western Europe. He hopes
that the appearance of these
troops will inject some will to
tight In the peoples threatened
by Moscow's imperialism.
Mr.. Pleven knows that we do
not have such a force available
at the present time and will not
have 1t for some time to come.
But he intends to make 1t clear
that without the full support of
the United States, not only in
equipment, supplies and money,
but also in fighting men, France
may not be able to meet it's obli-
cations under the Atlantic pact.
The reasoning of the Western
Europeans is simplicity itself and
IN many ways cannot be refuted.
In 1910 Frances ground forces
consisted of 100 divisions. They
lacked an adequate air force but
had excellent artillery and we'll
trained men. To this must be add
ed about 8 British divisions and
about II Belgian and Dutch divi-
Sions.
When the Nazis struck in 1910
the Allied force thus was 129 diyi-
s1ons. In spite of this formidable
army France fell in 40 DAYS under
the impact of less than 100 Ger
man divisions and In spite of the
Maginot Line.
Army Only on Paper
. Under existing plans devised by
the Allied and American general
staffs a European force of only
Is divisions has been provided
for. This force is supposed to be
able to stand against a Soviet at
tack. Russia, it is known, at this
moment has no less than ITS divi-
sions under arms and fully pre-
pared for war. The first attack
wave probably will be 40 divisions
strong.
The Is divisions planned for
the defense of Western Europe
exist only on paper. They are
expected to be completed within
four years. At this time the COM
bined Western European forces
amount to only half of the So
called minimum. How, then, ask
the European chiefs of staff,
European politicians and the
European man in the street, can
such small and heterogeneous