Evening star., 1950-06-07
New Weapons for Western Defense

Within recent days there have been numer-
GUS strong hints from high quarters that the
United States already possesses or is in the
process of producing, extraordinary new wea-
ponS-both atomic and -atomic-of a type
that promises to give the numerically weak
armed forces Of the free world enormous defen-
sive power. Without specifically saying so, what
the hinters have plainly implied is that the
Soviet Union, despite its overwhelming quanti-
tative superiority in things like tanks and
infantry divisions, is likely to get very bloody
nose and run into other unpleasant surprises
If it launches an attack against Western Europe
in the next two years or SO.
Thus, with Secretary of State Acheson
testlfy1ng pretty much along the same line,
Defense Secretary Johnson has just made the
following statement before three different con-
gresSional committees: "A relatively small
European ground force, provided it is equipped
with modern weapons and supported by an
adequate tactical air force could, in the judg-
ment Of our Joint Chiefs of Staff, contain the
early phase Of Russian invasion. 4. Acting
together, the North Atlantic Treaty nations can
defend the area" In other words, given enough
time to acquire the new ornaments and backed
Immediately by our long range strategic bombing
operations the Western Europeans, If attacked,
could hold the line against the nassed might
OF the Russians for considerable period of
time-a point confirmed yesterday by General
Omar Bradley, chairman of the jos.
The new weapons, for obvious reasons, have
not been described in detail. But enough
information has been let out to indicate that
some OF them have revolutionary potentialities.
Early this year, for example, in his semi-annual
report to Congress-, Mr.. Johnson graphically
declared that nuclear ornaments "are no longer
a small number of bombs of single type and
size to be used only strategically on carefully
selected targets statement suggesting that
we have developed special varieties for tactical
and defensive purposes well, such as to destroy
the enemy's troops in the field, shatter his
attacking armored or air forces, and prevent
him from winning a quick blitzkrieg victory
An additional hint has come from General J.
Lawton Collins our Army Chief of Staff who
has just intimated that If we do not have them
already, we may soon have atomic artillery
shells and guided missiles with A-bomb Warheads.
AS for non-atomic ornaments fully
developed, others in the process Of perfection
they include Cd the non-magnetic land mine,
a deadly thing that is extremely difficult to
detect and hence capable of disrupting the
advance of ground forces; (2) the anti-personnel
artillery SHE'LL an awesome troop killer used by
us In the closing stages Of the Second World
War; 90 a spectacular new armor- piercing
weapon which Army Secretary Pace believes may
wipe out the Importance of tanks; and a. sky
sweeping anti-aircraft guns and ground-to-air
superSonic missiles which authoritative observers
have described as being able to set up an almost
impenetrable barrier against attacking planes
flying 1000 miles an hour at attitudes of $4,000
feet and over These aforementioned instru-
ments, involving the use of radar, proximity
fuses and homing mechanisms, may in time
make museum pieces of giant man-piloted
bombers like the B-36.
Certainly, given these and similar weapons,
it seems reasonable to suppose that Western
Europe could hold its own in the opening phase
of any new war let loose by the Kremlin. That
is why there should be swift congressional
approval of the funds requested to finance the
second year of our military aid to the Atlantic
community 1t would be a mistake, however,
to assume that the free world can be the sole
possessor of the new ornaments involved
Despite General Collins recent assertion to the
contrary, the Russians, who have demonstrated
their capabilities with such things as Jet pro-
pulsion and the atom can be counted upon to
arm themselves in the same way and develop
offensive counter weapons. We ought not to
underestimate them.