Evening star., 1950-02-26


east to west-with that destruc-
tive instrument of war.
Some top-ranking political men
in Europe began having uualms,
however, about Americas firm
ness in it's policy of containing
communism. They could not recon-
cile our forceful statements, for
instance, with our policy in
China. Politically astute Euro
peans have always considered us
amateurs and novices in the old
game of diplomacy. But to them
China meant more than a diplo-
matte defeat. It meant a crush
ing military defeat at the hands
Of those we were trying to con-
tain in Europe. It meant that
the Russians, after so many years
of effort. finally had sealed their
Eastern flank.
China and probably the whole
Far East henceforth was closed
to US militarily. There is no
longer any opportunity to use
the great Eastern part of Asia
as base for air operations
against the Soviet Union and thus
to threaten the vital industrial
portions Of the U. S. S. r.
Since the German attack in
1941 the Russians had removed to
the Urals and beyond their most
important heavy industries, 90
per cent Of which now are en-
gagged In the manufacture of war
implements. So long as we-and
by implication the whole Of the
West-had "a strategic foothold
in China, Russia remained un-
easy. Now that opening has been
sealed up.
Western Europeans could not
understand Washington's mud
died thinking-in the United
States we cali it theological think
ing-which caused us and our
Western associates to lose one
Of our highest trumps III the
cold war. That trump was the
possibility Of obtaining and main
tanning airbases in China from
which we could strike at the
heart Of Soviet industry. The
rank and file of Western Euro
peans did not realize the i'm
mensity Of the catastrophe moro
than did the average American
citizen.
| Other Factors
The spread Of the neutrality"
sentiment in Western Europe was
due to three other causes. too:
Cd Disclosure that the Rus
slams also possessed the know-how
of the hydrogen bomb.
ca Frequent reports In the
French press that instead Of re-
constructing our military strength
we were reducing it, for reasons Of
economy.
90 The panic and defeatism
displayed by Americans high in
public life over the possible con-
sequences of Russia being able to
build the atomic and hydrogen
bombs.
When the British-naturalized
German scientist, Klaus Fuchs.
was arrested in London and con-
fessed betraying the whole secret
Of the atomic and hydrogen bombs
to Moscow, there was a general re-
sponse. That's it," in Europe.
In countries as close to each
other and as densely populated as
those in Western Europe such a
development was decidedly de-
pressing. The man in the street.
who has the final word in all
political matters, began to see his
home and his family destroyed in
a few seconds by the dread mis-
sile. His fears were only enhanced
when he heard about the panic
which gripped Washington and
some legislators on Capitol Hill.
Reports that the American Gov
ernment is planning to settle the
capital elsewhere, since Washing
ton might be destroyed at any
time, did nothing to improve tho
morale Of Western Europeans.
The question which logically is
being asked today in the coun-
tries across the Atlantic is, with
the United States so frightened,
what is the good of our opposing
Russia if a war breaks out?"
Puzzled by Arms Cut
The administration in Washing
ton makes no secret Of the fact
that in order to avoid financial
and economic collapse-or, to put
it in the words of Government
spokesmen. in order to remain
economically strong - we must
pare our expenses drastically.
1t seems that President Truman
and his Secretary of Defense be-
lieve We are at peace-even If
only nominally. Both men must
be convinced. if we judge by their
present actions and words, that
Russia does not have the neces-
sary strength to wage war against
the poorly prepared Western ma
tions. Hence they have ordered
cuts rather than increases In our
military establishment.
The Europeans are asking
themselves why, If we are aware
OF the possibility Of Russian ag-
gression. We do not cut other ex-
penditures or draw further on our
national resources instead of
weakening our armed forces. Do
we mean to let Europe take the
brunt OF Russian onslaught and
come IN later, as was the case in
the last two wars? We should
know as well as the people across
the Atlantic do that a breathing
spell OF even q few months is not
to be expected after the attack
starts.