Evening star., 1950-10-29

to 180 Red Army divisions in mo-
ton against Western Europe to-
morrow, and there would be only
IL to Is divisions to oppose them
1t will be at least two to three
years. moreover, before the free
world can hope to close what
Winston Churchill has called this
''hideous gap" between the West
and the East-that is, to recruit
equip and train Western armies
strong enough to fend off the
Communist forces.
This interval while the West is
rearming will, furthermore. be q
period of grave peril. Short OF
full mobilization for war, the
Communists can hardly match the
free worlds planned increases in
military strength. because the
Reds have already armed so heav-
lily that further increases would
cut heavily into their minimum
essential peacetime needs. But
the Kremlin might conceivably
decide that it must strike against
the free nations before they had
time to grow any stronger. The
Soviets might be particularly
prone to do this if they became
convinced that the free world in
tended to attack them as soon as
it considered itself strong enough
Step on Ri eht Road
The Western World is at least
moving in the right direction,
however. even if slowly and late,
and there is a reasonable hope
that it will be able to move far
enough and fast enough to avert a
catastrophe. The best judgment
here is that the Soviets probably
will not launch preventive" war
while the free nations are still
too weak to fight back effectively.
The drift in the world balance
Of power which is now under way
is the chief consequence of the
Korean conflict on which the
Communists embarked almost ex-
actly four months ago, confident
that it would prove to be what
the Germans used to call a short,
frisky, frolicsome" war.
Seldom, perhaps. has a grosser
miscalculation been made, and
seldom has a more appalling dis
illusionment consequently ensued.
The free nations have reacted,
not in indignity, ignominy, despair
and defeat, as the Communists
anticipated they would, but by
girding their loins and giving
battle, and by preparing to give
battle again in future, and on
better terms, If necessary, and so
successfully and convincingly has
the free world done these things
that men of good will everywhere
have taken heart, and other men
been confounded and, conceivably,
deferred from acting upon at least
some Of their designs.
The efforts of the United States
and its friends and Allies te
strengthen themselves reached de-
cisive stages of development in
Washington and at Lake Success
this past week.
Military agencies of the North
Atlantic treaty organization met
here to work out plans for a fuller
mobilization of member countries
armed forces and for the forging
of these forces into a single
balanced, co-ordinated striking
power.
At Lake Success, the free world
sought to strengthen itself polit-
ically by enabling the United Ma
tions to deal more quickly and
more drastically with aggression
North Atlantic treaty planning
came to a head at meetings OF
the treaty organizations Mill
tary Committee and Defense Com
mtttee here.
Agreements Secret
The Military Committee, con-
sisting of figh-ranking officers OF
the armed forces of signatory
countries, convened first-amio
much pomp and circumstance anc
elaborate security precautions
and worked out relatively detailed
specific solutions of two major
groups OF interlocking problems
l. They agreed on both emer.
gency and long-term plans fol
dealing with aggression, and or
the forces which each treaty sig.
natory will make available fol
carrying out these plans.
2. They also agreed on the or.
ganlzation Of single, integratee
supreme command for North At.
lantic treaty defense forces, ant
on the authority which the com.
mand should WELD over thos.
forces.
Agreements reached on plan,
and commitments are closel,
guarded secrets.
1t is known, on the other hand
that the Military Committee pre-.
pared a blueprint for the inte
grated command which provide,
for a Supreme Headquarters-At
lantic Powers-Europe," to b,
known by the family Rabelaisiai
code-term SHAPE" with a "Su
preme Commander-Atlantic Pow
ers-Europe," to be known a
"SCAPE."
The Defense Committee of tn,
North Atlantic powers, consisting
Of the defense ministers of mem
ber countries, convened here yes
terday for a three day session a
which it will pass on the plan
recommended by the Militar,
Committee.
The ministers will also take vi
at least two other high-polic,
problems which the Militar.
Committee did not consider. TIL
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