Milford chronicle., 1950-12-08
MILITARY SITUATION SERIOUS

0A4A44AI6L OAIION SERIOUS
1t is almost impossible to exaggerate tn
potential seriousness of our military in
Yolvment with the Chinese Communists
The fact that we are involved even thonCi
Oh very limited scale as yet, is one more
example OF mistaken guessing by ton mill.
taIy men and diplomats. 1t has been reliably
reported that our troops were halted briefly
aC the 18th parallel because of the danger
that the Chinese might move if we went
on toward the Manchurian-Korean border
Ihen, 1t is said, the leaders, including Cen
eral Macarthur, told Washington that in
mi 11leIr eStlInauon Red China would not act.
Inc troops went fOrward-as, indeed thew
nad 10 II North Korean military force was
10 6e destroyed. But the experts were wrong
ana the Red forces thronged across the boT.
uer we are not formally at war with China
Or Win anyone else. But in these davs #
is certainly difficult to decide what is war
and what is not war. The day of declara
tlons OF war before the shooting started
seems to have ended. And the fact remains
that Americans and Chinese are killing and
Wounding each other. The hope exists that
tne troops OF Mao are in Korea only because
O1 HInlted oDJectlveS-to secure their from
tier, and to protect the Yalu River electric
power plants, built by the Japanese. which
serve important Manchurian centers as we'll
as North Korea. Before too long we will
know whether this is true or not. In the
IneanClme, we must even though reluctant
ly, consider what war with China would
mean. William Henry Chamberlin. one of
the best OF the commentators on foreion af-
fairs has written on this subject in the Wall
Street Journal In the event of such a war
ne points out, we would have three courses
OF action. First, we could attempt an an
out OHenS1Ve against China. But he writes
Even with staggering expenditure of
manpOWer and material this would probably
ran short OF its objective. The occupation
OF Korea was manageable military prob
lem. lem. Inc occupation of all China is not"
Cnilla' u .' IKE kussla, has been the graveyard
OF invaders for centuries. Second. we could
hold defense line in Korea. attenont tn dc
rupt Chinese production and communications
Y, WIN arr and naval attack, and induce
Cnlangs Nationalist forces, now on For
hOSa, 10 invade the mainland and organize
Iuerllla actions. "This would ha sornetbinCc
d shot In the dark" writes Mr.. Chamhar9
ln, and the Chinese Communists could
PROBABLY sustain this kind of endurance CON
'eSC as Well as we could. Third, and last. we
could withdraw altogether from the Far
East. East VI THIS course Mr.. Chamberlin SAYS,
This would raise the bleak prospect of
ommunist-dOminated Japan some dav he
ng used as the Spearhead of the Asiatic
part OF gigantic Soviet encircling pincers
movement against u.s." It would be hard +o
mink OF courses of action more dispiritino
than these. That is the reason whv so rnuc6
sitort is being given to seeking a diplomatic
solution to the presence of Red China troons
n Korea, why we have scrupulously refrain
~ from Dfanolng Red China as an aggress-
Dr. and why we have not bombed. as we so
EASILY could, the electric power plants in
Korea and the Chinese industrial and sunnIv
lolAtS across the border. The biggest cues
,lOn tnat yet remains to be answered is who-
her or not Mao is controlled lOck-stock-and-
)arrel by the Kremlin-and whether ~, ,,o+
le and the Chinese people are willing to do
tussla's lighting for her, in a war to which
10 one could see the end.
5000
A BAD ACCIDENT MONTH
december may be one of the worst
months for traffic deaths in recent years nm
ess the public and law enforcement officials 5
YORK together to reduce 1850 year-end high
Vay casualties. December was the deadliest
lOhCn on the highways during the past dec =
9e' with the exception of 1913 and 1912 :
mere IS every reason to believe that unless =
iOtoflsts and pedestrians voluntarily exer- 4
lse more caution than usual this month. and :
mess our law enforcement officers crack :,
own on drinking drivers and fragrant vio- y y
ltors OF speed laws, December 1850 will :
AacI an even worse toll than it usually does. e
ast year 1920 persons died in Decenher Il
aInc accidents. During the past decade !
early $4,000 people were killed in DECEMBER q q
streets and highways. December's GREAT =
Z dangers to driver and pedestrian alike are y y
ell Illustrated he observed, by the fact that y y
e aggregate of deaths in ten Defenders p
nee 1910 is greater than last wears 10 y y
ontn toll OF 81, 800 deaths. Nineteen fiftv = :.
feaoy mas become the worst year since -
e end of World War II for traffic deaths - -
edictions Of $4,000 fatalities are freouenf. y y
heard. '4uen'- tn u