Evening star., 1950-09-17

obtained at great risks, shows
clearly that the Kremlin has
speeded up the tempo of pre-
paredness of the. satellite forces
in Eastern Germany. They also
show that Moscow is ready to give
full support to these troops when
they are ordered to overrun West
ern Germany.
Appraisals Faulty
These revelations have prompt
ed many military men of the West
to conclude that we may be faced
with an aggression of the Korean
type in Europe sometime in the
next few months and not later
than the summer of 1851.
The requests from France and
from the Bonn government that
more American troops be made
available for the defense Of West
ern Europe have sprung from the
belief among the nations which
are most directly menaced by
Russia that showdown is in
evitable. regardless of how opti-
mistic the diplomats at Lake Sue
cess and Washington may be.
These officials have been wrong
in their appraisals of the inter-
national situation since the end
of World War II. They have
failed to heed the storm warnings
in Korea. There is no reason to
believe now that they are right
about conditions in Europe. The
news from the East is factual;
the hopes of the diplomats are
based on wiShful thinking.
The request for more help from
the United States. in the form OF
five more American divisions, has
fallen on friendly ears in Wash
ington. President Truman has re-
piled that we would not shirk our
responsibilities, but insisted that
our efforts be matched by those
of the defenders of Western Eu-
rope.
The fact is that at the present
time we do not have even one dl-
vision available for the European
theater. 1t is also a fact that the
members of the Atlantic pact do
not have the necessary manpower
to organize a force to meet a
Soviet attack within the
next IL months. And here we
come face to face with the mad
ness of allowing sentimental and
emotional factors to outweigh dire
military necessity.
For more than year military
men in America. Britain and
France have quietly urged their
governments to bring into the Eu-
ropean defense system all the ma
tions which are willing to offer
full cooperation against the Rus
sian threat. While some Of the
British and French made certain
definite restrictions in regard to
Germany, they all agreed that
Spain, which has never been a
threat to Western Europe, even in
the days when Hitler was con-
quering Europe and offered Gen.
Franco Gibraltar and a large slice
of the French African colonial
empire, should be accepted as a
full-fiedged partner.
Allies Worn Out
Field Marshal Viscount Mont
gomery came to Washington last
winter. He urged openly that
Spain be associated with the COM
mon Western defense. He told
officials in Washington that he
had pleaded with Foreign Minis
ter Bevin to bury the theological
hatchet and made the same plea
here. The blunt fact is that with
out the inclusion of Western Ger
man and Spanish manpower in
the Western defense system the
chances of saving Europe are, to
say the least, extremely limited.
The Atlantic pact nations, with
the exception of America. are
worn-out. war-weary countries
which cannot be expected to make
any large contribution of man
power. This is not said in a
critical spirit. France has been
bled white in two World Wars
and has on it's hands colonial
war in Indo-C China, to which she
has committed the bulk of her best
troops.
Italy, also, is tired out and
incapable even of defending her
own borders, to say nothing of
sending troops for the defense
of other countries of the Western
coalition. Belgium, Holland, Den
mark and Luxembourg are small
nations with no military poten-
tial. Norway may be able to
resist a Soviet onslaught for a
few months, II she is properly