Evening star., 1950-09-05
General Collins on Korea

General j. LdWJOn COlllIlS, our AIHly Slucl VI
staff, has just had some timely things to say
about the American military performance in
Korea With the news looking dark at the
moment, there is continuing tendency in GER
tain quarters to beittle what has been accom-
pshed thus far. But the facts of the situation
do not warrant any such attitude. Actually, on
the basis of those facts, this Nation should feel
greatly enheartened by what its armed forces,
working under severe handcaps, have been able
to achieve up to now against the Soviet-inspired
northern Red aggreSSors.
For his own part, without any qualification,
General Collins has made clear that he is "darned
proud of the American soldier and his army"
He has made clear, too, that all the rest OF us
here at home have plenty OF reason to feel the
same way For despite having been thrust into
war with overnight suddennesS, despite having
been green" in the sense of having had no battle
experience, our troops-though still heavily out
numbered-have learned SO fast from the actual
fighting and have done such firSt-rate job that
General Collins has come to feel justified IN
challenging anybody to tell him who could have
done better.
BY way of example, to emphasize his respect
for the fighting qualities of the American CT,
the Army Chief of Staff has called special atten-
ton to this fact: That "the first United States
unit to reach Korea was a half of one infantry
battalion. They started in early the morning
they landed and, until late afternoon, by them
selves they held an entire Communist division"
Further, as for battle equipment and aerial sup
port, General Collins has answered the belittlerS
with the following points: Cd Heavy bazooka
weapons and ammunition, though entering mass
production only couple of weeks before the
Communist aggression, were in the hands of our
men within matter of days after that aggres-
sion began; (2) our Sherman and PerShing tanks,
which had to be moved across 5000 miles of ocean
before being put into action, have knocked out
everything the enemy has sent against them
including the Soviet-made T34-"in every single
engagement since they arrived; and (3) in spite
of initial operational confusion, our bombers and
fighter planes, according to General Walton
Walker, saved our ground forces from being
pushed into the during the critical first days
of the war.
In saying all this, General Collins has not
sought to deny that there have been mistakes in
Korea; he has sought merely to show that the
military performance to date, far from justifying
excessive or intemperate criticism has been some
thing we all can be proud of, considering the
great odds against which our ground forces
have had to fight. Indeed, in his judgment, which
is based on thorough on-the-scene inspection
of the entire battle area, it has been perform
ance good enough to guarantee that our troops
will hold and win there unless the Korean Com
munists get serious outside reinforcements."
That unless" of course, is an extremely big
one. What it means is that the situation probably
would turn sharply against our relatively meager
forces If the Kremlin should push the Chinese
Communists into the war on the side of the
Korean aggressors In that case, obviously, there
would be number OF grave new problems calling
for grave new decisions. Short of such grim
eventuality, however the United States and the
overwhelming majority of the United Nations,
as General Collins has indicated, can confidently
look forward to ultimate victory in their historic
effort to uphold the rule OF law.